Ever found yourself glancing away from your screen, only to realize you’ve completely lost track of what was being said? Good news – it’s not just you. Bad news – if you don’t add subtitles to your videos, the same might end up happening to your viewers.
Adding subtitles – whether they’re same-language captions or translations – helps your audience comfortably follow along and catch every little detail of your story. Curious to find out how you can create subtitles for videos in seconds, what you stand to gain if you do, and what the best practices for captioning your videos are? Keep on reading to find out!
Ever found yourself glancing away from your screen, only to realize you’ve completely lost track of what was being said? Good news – it’s not just you. Bad news – if you don’t add subtitles to your videos, the same might end up happening to your viewers.
Adding subtitles – whether they’re same-language captions or translations – helps your audience comfortably follow along and catch every little detail of your story. Curious to find out how you can create subtitles for videos in seconds, what you stand to gain if you do, and what the best practices for captioning your videos are? Keep on reading to find out!
Why you should be adding subtitles to your videos
You might think that your video content does all the talking – why would anyone need subtitles when they can just watch closely and understand what’s being said on screen? Well, in an ideal world, that would probably be true.
However, that’s not the world we live in. We live in a world filled with countless distractions and short attention spans – where viewers are often multitasking or consuming content in noisy environments.
That being the case, video creators simply have to go the extra mile to make their content engaging and easy to follow. Here are some of the main reasons why you should consider adding subtitles to your videos:
Better engagement
It’s no secret that people are more likely to engage with content they can fully understand. If you want your audience to tune in to your video from start to finish, adding subtitles is key. Subtitles serve as a decoder, overcoming any potential barriers – whether it’s a noisy environment, a thick accent, or the need for silent playback – making sure your viewers grasp every word being said.
Global reach
If you plan to expand your reach and showcase your content to an international audience, then the need to add subtitles to your video is even higher. With translated captions, you are effectively breaking language barriers and making it easy for any viewers – regardless of their location and native language – to watch and resonate with your content.
Increased accessibility
Your viewers are likely a diverse bunch. Some like to watch videos with the sound off while commuting, others may have difficulties hearing or focusing, and others may predominantly watch videos in their native language. Adding subtitles is the secret to making everyone happy regardless of their needs and preferences.
Best practices for subtitle creation
One does not simply decide to put subtitles on a video without first considering some best practices. If you want those subtitles to truly improve your audience’s viewing experience, there are some useful tips you’ll want to follow:
Keep it accurate: Misquotes or bad timing can easily throw viewers off and disrupt their experience, so make sure your captions stay true to the spoken words.
Maximize readability: Choose a simple, legible font with good contrast against the video. And remember – less is more – keep it brief, and don’t let your subtitles take up too much screen space.
Get the timing right: Make sure your subtitles are in perfect sync with the audio. Each line should stay up long enough to be read comfortably (around 1-7 seconds on average).
Language matters: If you’re adding subtitles in multiple languages, make sure translations are spot-on and culturally sensitive. Pay special attention to script-specific symbols – details like accents or special characters can make all the difference!
How to add subtitles to a video in seconds with Flixier
If there’s one main takeaway from this guide so far, it’s that subtitles are an excellent way to enhance your video content. They might seem optional, but they deserve a permanent spot in your video strategy.
It’s no surprise that some creators skip adding subtitles. Manually creating and syncing captions can be a tedious process. For every minute of video footage, you could spend up to 10 minutes just typing out the dialogue. And that doesn’t even account for the time needed for syncing, styling your captions, and exporting your video.
Luckily, a subtitle adder like Flixier can automate this process, helping you generate and sync subtitles with one click. Here’s how you do it:
Open Flixier
To get started, simply search for Flixier on Google or head directly to Flixier.com. The best part? No downloads or accounts are required – you can dive right into editing. Once on the homepage, click the blue Get Started button to access the editing dashboard.
Upload your video
With Flixier, you have full import flexibility. That means that you can transfer videos from your smartphone via QR code, drag and drop files from your PC, or upload videos from an external source like a cloud storage platform. Click on the Record/Upload button to choose a video you want to add subtitles to.
Generate subtitles
Remember that 1-click magic trick I mentioned earlier? As soon as your video shows up on the timeline, right-click on it and choose Generate Subtitles. And bam – now Flixier will start generating subtitles that are perfectly synced to your videos.
Make them pretty
One of the best things about a subtitle adder to video like Flixier is the wide range of customization options. Now, it’s fine if you like your subtitles plain – as long as they get the job done, it’s all good. But if you wish to add some flair and really make them pop, now’s the time to do it. Start by selecting your subtitles from the timeline. You’ll see a subtitle customization menu open on the right side of the screen.
You can apply one of the many preset styles available, change fonts, colors, sizes, and even add special effects such as animations.
Subtitles are easy with the right tool
Being a video creator comes with its challenges, so the last thing you need is more hassle. With Flixier, you can forget about the stress of manually writing and syncing subtitles, making your life just a little bit easier.
