Video content now dominates the media landscape. From entertainment and educational videos to streams on online platforms, video clips are the primary means of mass distributing information. Therefore, the presence of textual accompaniment, such as subtitles and captions, plays a significant role in attracting viewers’ attention.

When traditional television ruled the airwaves, subtitles and captions helped engage people who had to watch TV broadcasts without sound or in a different language. Now, thanks to subtitles and captions, video creators make their content accessible to a wider audience. This expands their reach and engages new viewers.

Let’s explore the power of subtitles and captions and how this mechanism works.

Why are captions and subtitles important?

Captions and subtitles are one of the essential tools in modern video content. They create an accessible and convenient viewing format with text descriptions.

Subtitles are primarily designed for individuals with severe hearing impairments, who currently make up about 5%, according to WHO estimates. However, there are also situations where sound is unavailable or unwanted, and subtitles allow viewers to read text that is synchronized with the audio track. Additionally, the text can convey background sounds like thunder or a volcanic eruption.

Studies show that 80% of viewers are more likely to finish a video if subtitles are available. This is not surprising: seven out of ten people prefer watching videos without sound in public places, and 50% prefer watching in silence, regardless of their location. Think of passengers on public transport, parents holding a sleeping baby while scrolling through videos, or students watching educational content in a café. For all of them, watching video content without sound but without losing its meaning makes a lot of sense.

Moreover, subtitles and captions provide translations or audio transcriptions in multiple languages. This allows viewers who don’t understand the original language to receive an accurate text translation. For online educational courses, clarity becomes a key requirement.

Thus, captions and subtitles not only improve video content accessibility but also make it more effective and convenient for different user groups.

Types of subtitles and how the viewer sees them

There are different types of captions and subtitles used, depending on the context of the video content. Here’s how they appear to the viewer:

  1. Open captions. These are always visible during video playback. They are often used in video installations or educational videos where text explanations of actions or processes are needed.
  2. Closed captions. These can be turned on or off at will. For example, in online courses, this feature allows users to choose whether they want to watch the video with text explanations or without them. Students can activate closed captions to better understand the material.
  3. Real-time captions. These are suited for live events. On webinars, captions appear almost simultaneously with the speaker’s dialogue. This helps participants catch important points, even if they are in a noisy environment.
  4. Embedded captions. These are integrated into the video and cannot be turned off. This type is typically used in commercials aimed at multilingual audiences to ensure that the main message is understood, regardless of the language.

6 reasons to add subtitles and captions to your video

There are many reasons to add text to a video. Let’s focus on six key reasons to use it when creating original video content.

Accessibility and reach

Subtitles and captions greatly expand the reach of your video content. They attract viewers who watch in silence, in different languages, or at varying speeds. As a result, audience engagement will increase with the presence of subtitles.

Support for «mute» function

Many viewers watch videos with the sound off in public places or on the go. Subtitles provide accompanying context, allowing videos to be watched anywhere. Supporting the «mute» function helps attract more viewers by ensuring that video content remains clear and accessible in various settings.

Enhance the learning and educational value of video content

Subtitles and captions are crucial to educational content. They make it easier to understand the material by reinforcing spoken explanations with written text. This dual format helps viewers grasp complex terms more easily, making the learning process more accessible.

Increase viewing time

Analytics show that videos with subtitles are often watched longer. Subtitles help viewers focus on the video and encourage them to watch it until the end. Additionally, subtitles make it easier to find specific videos online if they weren’t fully watched the first time.

International engagement

Subtitles allow for reaching a global audience by translating content into multiple languages. This helps overcome language barriers, enabling people who do not speak the original language to understand and appreciate the video. This approach is easier and more cost-effective than creating audio tracks in different languages. It is important to adapt subtitles for the specific location to preserve the original meaning.

SEO improvement

Search engines can index text content, including subtitles and captions. Including these elements in videos improves SEO. Video content becomes more friendly to search engine bots. Thus, subtitles help improve search rankings and attract more traffic to videos.

How to add subtitles to videos

Adding subtitles and captions to videos involves using specialized software and a creative approach to editing. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

  • Determine the format. Decide whether you need subtitles or captions. Subtitles provide a full transcription of the audio, while captions highlight key moments in the video to help convey its main ideas.
  • Transcription. Start by transcribing the spoken content of the video into text format. This involves converting all dialogues into written form, which will serve as the basis for the subtitles. Common formats used are SRT and Web VTT.
  • Review and edit. Review the text and correct the grammar and punctuation. Ensure that the text is easy to read and accurately reflects the video content. This improves viewer comprehension.
  • Synchronization. Synchronize the text with the audio timing. Adjust the timing of each subtitle’s appearance and disappearance. Synchronization ensures that subtitles display correctly during playback.
  • Translation (if needed). Translate subtitles for videos aimed at a global audience into the appropriate languages. Pay attention to character limits, as translations may require adjustments to fit properly on screen.
  • Integration and display. Integrate subtitles into the video using various tools or software. Ensure that subtitles are displayed correctly in sync with the video timing.
  • Review. Check that the video with subtitles looks and functions as intended. A final review helps to identify any errors or formatting issues.

Creating subtitles for the first time may present some challenges and require time. However, this process becomes significantly faster with practice.

Conclusion

The importance of using subtitles and captions in creating your own video content cannot be overstated. The arguments presented in the article show that lacking this functionality limits the reach of video owners to a significant portion of potential viewers.

The role of subtitles in modern media has greatly increased. Previously, subtitles were mainly used for people with hearing impairments and non-native speakers. Today, many videos include subtitles and captions. This expands the geographical reach of the content and attracts a new target audience.