How to Add Captions to Videos Automatically Using AI
Adding captions to your videos is no longer optional. With 85% of Facebook videos watched without sound and similar patterns across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, captions have become essential for reaching your audience. But manually transcribing and timing captions? That can take hours.
In this guide, we'll show you how to add captions to videos automatically using AI, turning a tedious multi-hour task into something that takes just minutes.
Why Captions Matter More Than Ever
Captions aren't just about accessibility anymore. They directly impact your video's performance:
- 80% higher completion rates for videos with captions
- Better SEO as search engines can index your spoken content
- Wider reach to non-native speakers and hearing-impaired viewers
- Social media preference since most users scroll with sound off
Traditional Captioning vs AI Captioning
Traditional captioning involves manually transcribing every word, timing each caption to match the audio, and formatting everything properly. For a 10-minute video, this can easily take 2-3 hours.
AI-powered captioning changes everything. Modern speech recognition can transcribe your video in real-time with remarkable accuracy, automatically sync captions to your audio, and even handle multiple speakers.
How to Add Captions with Editly
Adding captions with Editly takes just three simple steps:
- Upload your video - Drag and drop or select your video file. Editly supports all common formats including MP4, MOV, and WebM.
- Type your prompt - Simply say "Add captions" or get specific with "Add captions with a modern font in white".
- Download - In seconds, your video will have perfectly synced, styled captions ready to share.
"Add captions with word-by-word animation"
This creates the popular karaoke-style captions you see on TikTok and Reels.
Popular Caption Styles
Different content calls for different caption styles. Here are some popular options:
- Word-by-word highlight - Each word lights up as it's spoken (great for engagement)
- Sentence blocks - Full sentences appear at once (better for longer content)
- Fade animation - Captions smoothly fade in and out
- Bold keywords - Important words are emphasized automatically
Caption Best Practices
To get the most from your captions:
- Keep them readable - Use high contrast colors (white on dark backgrounds works well)
- Position carefully - Keep captions in the lower third, but above any platform UI elements
- Choose appropriate fonts - Sans-serif fonts are easier to read on screens
- Review for accuracy - AI is good but not perfect, always do a quick check
Start Adding Captions Today
AI has made video captioning accessible to everyone. What used to take hours now takes seconds, and the quality keeps improving. Whether you're a content creator, marketer, or educator, adding captions to your videos is now easier than ever.
Try Editly free and see how simple it is to add professional captions to your videos with just a prompt.
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is AI captioning?
Modern AI captioning achieves 95-98% accuracy for clear audio in English. Accuracy may vary with heavy accents, background noise, or technical jargon. We always recommend a quick review before publishing.
Can I edit the captions after they're generated?
Yes, Editly allows you to review and edit any captions before finalizing your video. You can correct any errors or adjust timing as needed.
What languages are supported?
Editly's AI captioning currently supports English with high accuracy. Support for additional languages is coming soon.
Do captions affect video file size?
Captions are burned into the video, which has minimal impact on file size. The quality and resolution of your video remain unchanged.
