What are subtitles?
Subtitles are on-screen text that displays the spoken dialogue in a video, usually in the viewer’s chosen language. They help people follow along when audio is unclear, muted, or in a different language.
Subtitles are time-synced text shown on top of a video that represents what’s being said. They are commonly used to make videos easier to understand in noisy environments, when watching on mute, or when the viewer speaks a different language.
Subtitles are typically delivered as a separate text track (like an SRT or VTT file) that a video player can turn on or off. They can also be “burned in,” meaning the text is permanently embedded into the video image and cannot be disabled.
Why subtitles matter
- Comprehension and retention: Viewers catch details they might miss in fast demos or technical walkthroughs.
- Better reach across languages: Translating subtitle text is often the fastest way to localize training, SOP, and product videos.
- Search and reuse: Subtitle text doubles as a transcript source, making it easier to create step-by-step documentation and help articles.
For support, ops, L&D, and product teams, subtitles reduce “what did they say at 0:37?” questions and make process videos usable in real work settings where audio is not always practical.
How subtitles work
- Transcription: Speech is converted into text (manually or via automatic speech recognition).
- Timing: The text is split into short lines and aligned to timestamps so each line appears at the right moment.
- Delivery: The subtitle track is published as a file (SRT/VTT) or burned into the video.
In tools like Vidocu, teams can generate auto subtitles from a screen recording, edit wording and timing, and then reuse that text to produce documentation such as SOPs or help-center articles.
Subtitles vs captions
Subtitles primarily represent spoken dialogue and often assume the viewer can hear other audio cues. Captions (especially closed captions) usually include non-speech audio like “door slams” or “music,” which matters for accessibility. If you need accessibility compliance, captions are usually the better choice.
Best practices
- Keep lines short: Aim for 1 to 2 lines and avoid covering important UI elements.
- Use readable formatting: High contrast text and a subtle background box improve legibility.
- Proof key terms: Product names, commands, and acronyms are common auto-transcription errors.
- Match the video: Update subtitles whenever the video or UI changes, especially for SOP and training content.
- Choose the right delivery: Use switchable subtitle files for flexibility; use burned-in subtitles when the playback environment cannot support subtitle tracks.
Why it matters
Time-synced on-screen text
Subtitles display spoken dialogue in sync with the video, improving understanding when audio is hard to hear or muted.
Usually a separate track
Most subtitles are delivered as files like SRT or VTT that a player can toggle on and off.
Not always the same as captions
Subtitles focus on dialogue; captions typically include non-speech sounds and are used for accessibility needs.
Useful for localization
Translating subtitle text is a fast way to localize training and support videos across languages.
Examples
- •An L&D team adds English subtitles to software training videos so employees can follow along in an open office without sound.
- •A support team publishes Spanish and French subtitle tracks for the same troubleshooting video to reduce repeat tickets in new regions.
- •An ops team burns in subtitles for a warehouse SOP video that will be played on devices that do not support subtitle toggles.
- •A product team uses subtitle text as the base transcript to create a step-by-step help article with screenshots.
Frequently asked questions
Subtitles typically show dialogue only. Closed captions usually include dialogue plus non-speech audio cues and are designed for accessibility.
Not always. If subtitles are provided as a separate track, viewers can toggle them. If they are burned into the video, they are always visible.
SRT and VTT are the most common. SRT is widely supported; VTT is common for web players and can support more formatting.
They can indirectly help when the subtitle text is published as a transcript or used to create supporting content like help articles, which search engines can index.
Accuracy depends on audio quality, accents, and terminology. Auto subtitles usually need a quick review for product names, acronyms, and numbers.
Related terms
Learn more
- AI Subtitles Generator: Auto-generate subtitles, review timing and wording, and export for your videos.
- Video Translation: Translate videos into 65+ languages to support global training and support content.
- Turn videos into documentation: Convert a recording and its transcript into step-by-step documentation with screenshots.