YouTube Shorts
Captions for YouTube Shorts. A clear voice, on screen.
Create styled subtitles for your Short and download a separate subtitle file from the same reviewed transcript.
Free plan · no credit card
Try a look for your Short
Live style samples. Open a style to try it on your own video.
Styles shown: Reel, House, Stack Caps, Impact, Karaoke, Box, Subtitle, Punch. Tap any style to open it in the editor with that look already applied.
How it works
Add your Short
Choose the spoken language and transcribe the finished cut.
Check the key details
Review names, measurements and the opening hook, then style the captions.
Export your deliverables
Save the captioned video and, if needed, a separate subtitle file. Review after upload.
A Short’s visible captions and its YouTube subtitle track do different jobs. The first is part of your edit; the second is text the player can display separately. You can prepare both.
Review the words before deciding how they should move. An accurately timed price, name or instruction matters more than a dramatic reveal.
- A designed video layer
- Choose the font and emphasis that become part of the exported image.
- A separate text track
- Download SRT or VTT when your publishing workflow needs a subtitle file.
- A reusable original
- Keep the uncaptioned source for future edits and platform-specific versions.
YouTube automatic captions are a useful starting point
YouTube’s documentation covers automatic captions for Shorts as well as longer videos, and recommends reviewing the output. You can edit text and timing in YouTube Studio.
If you only need a player-controlled caption track, start there. Choose LumaCaption when the look of the text is part of the video itself.
Keep the Short legible in motion
A caption can look balanced on a paused frame and become hard to follow at full speed. Play the entire hook, not just the first word. Shorten crowded lines and keep labels away from buttons and the description.
For a tutorial, preserve the unit with the number: “180°C” and “20 minutes” should remain easy to read as complete instructions. Check the uploaded preview, since the viewing interface is outside the editor’s control.
Choose the output you need
| Output | Useful for | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| Captioned video | A consistent visual style | Text cannot be switched off |
| SRT / VTT | A separate subtitle track | Player styling differs from your video style |
| TXT | A readable transcript | No subtitle timestamps |
Common questions
Does YouTube already caption Shorts?
Yes. YouTube supports automatic captions on Shorts. Availability and processing can vary; review the generated text in Studio.
Does an SRT preserve animated words?
No. A subtitle file carries text and timing, not LumaCaption’s animation. Export a captioned video to preserve that appearance.
Will captions guarantee more Shorts views?
No. Captions make the spoken information available visually, but this does not establish a ranking or view increase.
