Burned-in captions or YouTube's captions
Burned-in captions are part of the video: styled, animated and visible to everyone, which is what makes a Short readable with the sound off.
YouTube's own captions (closed captions) are a separate track viewers can switch on. YouTube can generate them, or you can upload a subtitle file you've checked. They're searchable text and help viewers who rely on captions.
The best of both: export the video with captions burned in, and upload the same captions as an SRT file. Our guide to burned-in vs closed captions explains the difference in detail.
Add captions with CAPWAV
- Open the YouTube Shorts caption generator and drop in your clip.
- Choose the spoken language and a caption style, then let CAPWAV write the captions word by word.
- Edit any word, then export the MP4 with the captions burned in.
- Optional: download the SRT file too (free on every plan) and add it in YouTube Studio as a subtitle track.
Size and placement for Shorts
| Setting | Recommended |
|---|---|
| Shape | 9:16 (vertical) |
| Size | 1080 × 1920 pixels |
| File | MP4 (H.264) |
| Subtitle file | SRT or VTT, uploaded in YouTube Studio |
Shorts show the title, channel name and subscribe button at the bottom, and the like, comment and share buttons on the right. Keep captions above the bottom fifth and away from the right edge; the safe zones guide has the details.
Upload an SRT file to a Short
To add your own subtitle file to a Short, use YouTube Studio on a computer:
- Open YouTube Studio and go to Subtitles.
- Choose your Short, then add a language if it isn't listed yet.
- Under subtitles, choose to upload a file, pick “with timing”, and select the SRT or VTT file you downloaded from CAPWAV.
- Check a few lines in the preview, then publish.
Menu names in YouTube Studio change from time to time; the subtitle upload is always under the Short's subtitles. Need VTT instead of SRT? The free subtitle converter changes one into the other.
Caption tips for Shorts
- Lead with the captioned hook: the first line on screen should make people stay.
- Use the same caption style on every Short, so your videos are recognisable in the feed.
- Check names and numbers before exporting: they're the words automatic transcription most often gets wrong.
- Add the topic to the Short's title and description too. Captions burned into the picture are for viewers; the title, description and an uploaded subtitle file are text YouTube can read.
For style ideas, see the best caption styles for Reels, TikTok and Shorts.
Turn a long video into a captioned Short
Cut the moment you want first, then caption it. If it was filmed landscape, Smart Reframe on the Pro plan crops it to 9:16 and follows the speaker, and AI Cut (Creator and Pro) removes pauses and filler words so the Short moves faster.
CAPWAV is built for short videos: clips up to about 15 minutes are transcribed in one go.