How to add subtitles to short videos (TikTok, Reels, Shorts)
Updated Oct 9, 2026
A large share of people watch short videos with the sound off, at least for the first seconds. Subtitles keep them watching, make the video accessible and help the platforms understand what it is about. Here is how to add them, and how to make them readable.
How to add subtitles to a short video
- 1
Finish the edit first
Subtitles follow the timing of the speech, so cut the video before adding them.
- 2
Generate them automatically
Use auto captions in TikTok, Instagram or YouTube, or the automatic subtitles in your editor, to transcribe the speech.
- 3
Correct the text
Fix names, numbers and words the transcription got wrong. Split long lines into short ones.
- 4
Style and place them
Large, bold, high-contrast text, in the middle third of the screen, away from the platform's buttons.
Built-in captions vs. burned-in subtitles
TikTok, Instagram and YouTube can all generate captions automatically. They are easy, viewers can turn them off, and they are a good minimum. Their limits: you cannot style them much, and they are not always on by default.
Burned-in subtitles are part of the video image. They are always visible, look the way you designed them and travel with the clip to every network. That is why most creators who post on several platforms burn them in once, in the editor, before exporting.
Adding subtitles in PostingClips
The PostingClips editor can create subtitles automatically from the speech in your clip and lay them on the timeline as text lines you can edit, restyle and move. Automatic subtitles cost 2 credits per clip, charged only when it works. You can also type subtitles by hand with the text tool, which is free. The result is exported as part of the video, so the same clip carries its subtitles to TikTok, Reels, Shorts and everywhere else you post it.
Making subtitles readable
On a phone screen, subtitles have a few centimetres to work with. Keep them short and large, and keep them away from the parts of the screen the platform covers.
- One or two short lines at a time, 3 to 7 words each
- Bold sans-serif, white with a dark outline or a background box
- In the middle third of a 9:16 frame: the bottom fifth is covered by the caption and buttons
- Highlight one key word per line in colour, not every word
- Check spelling of names and numbers: auto transcription misses them most
Subtitles and reach
Platforms read on-screen text and spoken words to understand what a video is about, so clear subtitles help the right people find it. They also make your videos usable for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and for everyone scrolling in a quiet place.