Reference
Open captions or closed captions — which to use.
A practical choice between a fixed visual treatment and a selectable text track.
Free plan · no credit card
How it works
Choose the viewing experience
Decide whether the viewer needs control of captions or a fixed design is required.
Review the complete audio
Check dialogue, speaker changes and sounds needed to understand the video.
Export and test in the destination
Supply a video, a separate caption track or both, then check the actual player.
Open captions are useful when a file needs to show the same words wherever it is played. Closed captions give the player access to the text and can support viewer preferences.
Neither method fixes inaccurate text. Captions should include necessary speech, speaker identification and meaningful sounds; an automatic transcript needs review.
- Open: appearance travels
- The selected font and animation become pixels in the exported video.
- Open: always present
- A viewer cannot turn off, resize or restyle the words independently.
- Closed: viewer control
- Controls and personalisation depend on the destination player.
- Closed: separate delivery
- Keep the caption file matched to the final cut of the video.
Use a separate track for a lesson or interview
A viewer watching a long programme may need captions at a different size or may prefer them off. Where the player supports these controls, a separate track preserves that choice.
For a course, confirm the institution’s accessibility requirements. A caption file is one part of accessible media, not an automatic certification of the whole player or lesson.
Use burned-in text for a designed social cut
Burned-in text can suit a short piece where timing and appearance are part of the edit. Keep it away from faces and platform controls, and review the exported file at phone size.
If you also attach a separate track, enable it during review to check for duplicate or overlapping text. Keep a clean master so a track-only version remains possible.
Common questions
Are captions and subtitles the same?
Usage varies. Captions commonly include relevant non-speech audio and speaker identification as well as dialogue; translated subtitles often focus on dialogue.
Can viewers remove burned-in captions?
No. They are part of the image. Keep your original video and project if you need a clean version later.
Does an SRT contain the caption style?
This app’s SRT contains text and timings. For its animated appearance, export video.
