TL;DR: YouTube captions make speech and important sounds readable on screen. Learn four benefits, how to correct automatic captions, and how to add subtitles in another language.
How to Add Captions to YouTube Videos
Uttaran Samaddar · 4 min read · Updated Sep 17, 2026
Reviewed by Darryl Rentz on Sep 17, 2026
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Adding accurate YouTube captions helps deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers follow your videos and gives viewers a way to read along with the audio. You can add captions in YouTube Studio or review and correct YouTube's automatic captions.
What Is a YouTube Caption?
YouTube captions display spoken words and meaningful sounds, such as music or applause, as text timed to the video. Viewers can turn closed captions on or off using the CC control when captions are available.
Benefits of Captions for YouTube
Captioning your content is an extra step in the editing or upload process, but it's worth the effort. Here's why!
1. Increased Accessibility
Captions help deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers follow the speech and important sounds in your videos. Equipping your video with written text helps you reach a broader audience and share your message with a larger number of people.
Captions also let viewers follow your video when they cannot turn on the sound, such as on public transport.
2. Better Viewing Experience
Captions give viewers a written version of dialogue to refer to while they watch. Accurate spelling and timing help viewers follow names, unfamiliar terms, and fast speech.
3. Finding Information Within a Video
On videos with captions, viewers can open Show transcript in the video description and click a line to jump to that moment. This makes it easier to find a passage without replaying the whole video.
4. Global Viewing Potential
Translated subtitles help viewers follow your video in another language. Automatic captions are generated in the video's default language, so add a separate subtitle track for each translation.
How Do You Add Captions to YouTube Videos?
YouTube can generate automatic captions, but accents, mispronunciations, and background noise can cause errors. Review the text and timing, then correct any mistakes. You can also upload a caption file or type captions manually in YouTube Studio.
Here's how to edit captions already on your video:
1. Sign in to your YouTube account and navigate to YouTube Studio.
2. Choose Subtitles from the left navigation bar.
3. Select the video to be edited.
4. For your video's language, select Edit in the Subtitles column. For automatic captions, choose Duplicate and edit. If you see a Continue prompt, it will overwrite your existing caption draft; check that draft before proceeding.
5. Click a line in the caption track panel to correct its text. Check the timing, then click Publish.
For a new track, select Add language if needed, choose the language, and click Add under Subtitles. Choose Upload file or Type manually. You can also add captions during upload.
What Are Subtitles?
Subtitles let you translate dialogue spoken in a different language or provide an alternative text for viewers. Captions, on the other hand, are primarily used to display the spoken dialogue and other sounds in a video, including sound effects and music cues.
How to Add Subtitles to a Video
To add subtitles in another language, use YouTube's built-in editor or upload a translated subtitle file.
Here's how to add a translated subtitle track:
1. Sign in to your YouTube account and navigate to YouTube Studio.
2. Choose Subtitles from the left navigation bar.
3. Select the video to be edited.
4. Click Add language and choose the language for your translated subtitles.
In that language's Subtitles column, click Add. Choose Type manually to enter your translation, check the timing, and click Publish.
If you have a translated subtitle file, choose Upload file instead. Select With timing or Without timing, click Continue, choose the file, and select Save.
Captions vs Subtitles: What Should You Use?
Depending on your audience, you might need both. Captions are helpful for all viewers on YouTube, but subtitles are essential and useful when you have a multicultural audience. For example, if you have both English-speaking and Mandarin-speaking viewers, you might consider subtitles for those languages so all viewers can understand your content.
For title and description tips, read our YouTube SEO guide.