Are you passionate about creating content on social media, but you don't know how to put a subtitle on a video? Indeed, they play a crucial role in capturing the attention of the audience or simply making the publication professional. Let's discover the different methods and how to apply them.

The subtitling on social networks

subtitling helps you reach a wider audience. For example, you have deaf audiences, hard of hearing people and even those who speak another language. The first technique that we present will be adapted to YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

YouTube

Videos will represent 82% of internet traffic in the coming years. The majority of video content is found on YouTube. It is one of the most popular audiovisual content sharing platforms. She has billions of hours of posts viewed every day. The process of adding subtitles on YouTube is simple:

• Go to YouTube Studio.

• Save the video in “unlisted” or “public” mode

• Click “edit video”

• Select “Subtitles” from the menu on the left

• Click Add next to the file you want to put the transcript on

• Designate the language and choose "Create subtitles"

• You can enter the sentences manually or use the automatic version

• Proofread and synchronize text and audio

• Save the video

Once it's finished, you can publish it. You can also share it on Twitter by clicking on the “share” button.

Facebook

The steps are identical. As soon as you have finished subtitling the MP4 file on YouTube for example, you must save it in format. SBV. It will be accepted by all social networks.

• Go to your Facebook Page

• Click on “Photo/Video”

• Select the file

• Go to the “Subtitles” tab

• Download the file

• Insert subtitles automatically

• Click on “generate”

As always, you should check that the subtitles are correct and match the audio in your clip. In case you need to make changes, use the Facebook interface. Then make corrections or adjust them manually.

After a final check and when you are satisfied, click “Save”. Add a description, tags or any other information necessary to boost your SEO, then click “publish”.

📝 Important note

On Instagram and TikTok, you will have to use third-party applications in order to include texts in your photos.

Use video editing software

Some specialists prefer to use advanced tools. They offer complex features for precise and professional work. However, they often require in-depth knowledge, which is not the case for everyone. Additionally, the options vary depending on the specific software you are using. However, the basic principles remain the same.

• Open the software

• Create a New Project

• Create a New Text Track

• Position the text track

• Add Subtitles manually

• Customize the appearance of subtitles

• Sync subtitles with audio

• Video Preview

When you're finished and you're happy with the result, you can export the project. Remember to set the appropriate settings for the site you plan to publish it to.

▶️ Examples

As professional software you have: Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve.

Use online tools

Automatic captions on social media are sometimes of low quality. As for professional applications, they are quite complicated to use. Fortunately, there is still one option: online software. These have many advantages. First, they offer a variety of features. They are easy and quick. You can import your video in one click, enter the text and make the necessary changes.

You don't need to download and install them. All you need is a web browser and a connection. They are accessible from any device, including desktops, laptops, tablets and even smartphones.

Like Subfast, they use voice recognition technologies. Subfast is among the best automatic subtitling tools in 2024. Some additionally offer automated translation services. You thus obtain multilingual writings. On the other hand, editing and synchronization are easy and precise.

There are countless devices on the web. They are free and have sufficient basic options for multiple users. But you can always upgrade to paid mode and choose the subscriptions that suit you.

💡 Small definition

Subfast is an online subtitling tool using artificial intelligence. It offers a variety of features such as: audio/text transformation and translation addition.

Add a subtitle to a video with Subfast

Thanks to its user-friendly interface, you can create subtitles in no time. Users will no longer need to spend hours working on subtitles manually, the tool takes care of everything. In addition, you can change the style and size of the subtitles so that they fit perfectly into the sequence. The process is very easy:

• Go to the website

• Create an account or log in

• Upload your Video

• Click on the “Automatically generate subtitles” button

• Select the video language and start generating.

• Proofread and edit the texts

• Adjust timing

• Customize

The automatic transcription may contain errors. Take the time to reread and correct each segment. During customization, you have access to different options. We advise you to make your renderings attractive and decipherable. The tool offers several file formats. SRT is the most commonly used and compatible with most platforms. Now you can export the final result and publish it.

Tips for good subtitles

As mentioned before, subtitles are key elements of SEO strategy. Indeed, videos are analyzed by search engines. You must therefore attach keywords, depending on the objective you have set for yourself.

They should be concise and straight to the point. Avoid long sentences that can clutter the screen. You can divide them into various parts for better clarity, i.e. in two lines. The pyramid form is the most used option. Limit each segment to approximately 32 characters to 40 maximum for easy reading.

Then make sure they appear on time with the audio. A gap can disrupt the understanding of the target audience. Each sentence must remain on the poster long enough. Typically between 1 and 10 seconds depending on the length of the text.

Do not hesitate to use clearly visible fonts. You can opt for: Arial, Helvetica, or Verdana. It should be a suitably large size so that it can be read on all devices. Concerning its color, it must contrast well with the background of the video. Usually, the most used are white writings with a black outline or a cast shadow.

The point not to be overlooked is that you must synchronize your subtitles precisely, with the voices of the speakers. It is essential to take into account the movement of the mouth. Indeed, some of your spectators decode the lips.