How to Add Captions on TikTok Videos - 3 Smart Ways You Need to Try

Benefits of adding captions to TikTok videos

• Enhances accessibility: Incorporating captions to TikTok videos enhances their accessibility to deaf individuals. This enhances access, and everyone can understand video content, including people with hearing impairments.
• Engages audience more: If captions are put on TikTok videos, audiences view them till the end. Captions enable understanding of the content in loud environments or silent scrolling.
• Enhances interaction: The use of text on TikTok videos enhances the interaction of the videos and hence, likes, shares, and comments. With captions, you can encourage the audience to like, share, or save your videos.
• Helps non-native speakers: Adding bilingual captions helps non-native speakers understand your video. By doing this, your audience can watch comfortably from all over the world, and this brings about an overall boost in viewership.
• Enhances SEO and discoverability: TikTok's algorithm recognizes keywords used in captions, which means your videos become discoverable in searches. Engaging captions enhance the possibility of more users finding your content.

Way 1: Add captions to TikTok videos automatically using the TikTok app

STEP 1
1. Record or upload your video

To begin with, open the TikTok app and sign in to your account. Next, either capture a new clip or use an old one from your gallery.

STEP 2
1. Use the auto-captions feature

Then, locate the "Captions" option from the right-hand menu and choose it. Then, TikTok's AI algorithm will automatically create captions from your audio.

STEP 3
1. Edit your captions

Review the captions produced and click on the pencil symbol to create any corrections. Ensure that the text reflects the spoken word for professionalism and accuracy.

STEP 4
1. Position and style your captions

Drag the captions to adjust their placement on the screen, and then select from different colors and styles. Once satisfied, tap the "Save" option to confirm. Finally, hit "Post" to share the video with your followers.

Way 2: Add captions to TikTok videos manually using the TikTok app

STEP 1
1. Record or upload your video

First, open TikTok and either record a video at the spot or upload one from your gallery.

STEP 2
1. Add text using the text option

Click on the "Edit" option to go to the editing interface. Next, tap the "Text" option at the bottom of the screen. This will open a text editor, in which you can type in your captions.

STEP 3
1. Type and time the captions manually

Type the captions and adjust the timeline manually so that the captions align with the audio of the video. Drag the captions to the desired location on the editing screen. Ensure that the captions are visible and do not block the visuals. Adjust the color, size, and font to maintain a consistent look through the video.

Way 3: Auto-add text to TikTok videos in CapCut with more features

CapCut is a versatile video editing software that offers powerful editing features. It is also an excellent tool for automatically adding text to your TikTok video due to its Auto captions feature. The tool also features a text animation option, allowing you to add various text animations to the text, such as fade in and fade out. You can also choose from different text templates that match your video. Moreover, CapCut integrates with the TikTok app. After adding captions to the videos, you can share them directly on TikTok. Download CapCut today and use its editing features to add captions to TikTok videos!

STEP 1
1. Import your video

First, open CapCut and create a new project. First, open CapCut and create a new project. Next, click "Import" and select a video you want to add captions from your PC.

STEP 2
1. Add the captions

Once the video has been imported, click the "Captions" option in the top-left toolbar and select "Auto captions." Next, choose the spoken language and click "Generate" to automatically generate captions for your video. If you need a bilingual caption, select the target language in "Bilingual captions." Once the captions have been generated, you can adjust the color, size, and font, and add different effects, such as highlights or shadows.

STEP 3
1. Export the video

Once satisfied with the results, click "Export" in the top-right corner of the screen. Select your format and desired resolution, then click the "Export" button to save the video to your computer. Once exported, you can share it directly on TikTok.

Key features

• Auto captions: Use CapCut's Auto caption generator to automatically generate subtitles for your video, saving you time on manual transcription.
• Text animations: The software offers a variety of text animation options, such as fade-in and fade-out, that you can apply to your videos.
• Text templates: Choose from CapCut's pre-designed text templates to add high-quality captions and titles to your videos.
• Text effects: To make your captions more engaging, apply stylish effects to your videos, such as shadows, highlights, or outlines.

Practical tips for adding captions to TikTok videos

• Keep each subtitle short and concise

Clear, brief subtitles help users stay engaged with the main content without feeling overwhelmed or distracted. Shorter captions ensure better readability, especially on mobile devices. Tools like CapCut make it easy to trim, split, and adjust the timing of each caption, allowing you to maintain a natural rhythm and smooth viewing experience.

• Color distinguishes different speakers or topics

Using different colors for different speakers or topics helps keep the videos organized, visually engaging, and easy to follow. It allows viewers to quickly identify who is speaking or what subject is being discussed, enhancing clarity and flow. CapCut offers a wide range of font colors, styles, and effects, allowing you to customize your text creatively to match the tone, mood, and branding of your video.

• Use dynamic subtitles to attract attention

Dynamic and moving subtitles can instantly grab viewers' attention, making your videos more lively and immersive. With CapCut’s wide range of stylish text effects and animation options, you can creatively bring your subtitles to life, whether it's through bouncing words, fading transitions, or rhythmic motion synced to your audio.

• Subtitles should match the content

When subtitles align perfectly with the pacing and tone of the audio, viewers are more likely to stay focused and immersed. With CapCut's intuitive timeline adjustment feature, creators can effortlessly fine-tune subtitle timing, ensuring that every word appears precisely when it should, resulting in a smoother, more professional viewing experience.

• Font style matches content

Choosing the right font doesn't just enhance the overall mood of your video; it also helps convey the tone and message more effectively. CapCut offers a wide range of fonts and templates, making it easy to match the style of your content, whether you're creating a fun and casual vlog or a polished, professional promotional video. The right font choice ensures that viewers immediately feel the atmosphere you want to create.

• Flexible distribution of location

Captions should avoid important content areas to ensure that the audience can clearly see the details of the video. At the same time, users can also manually drag and adjust the text position in CapCut as needed, so that the subtitles do not obscure the subject while maintaining beauty and readability, thereby improving the overall viewing experience.

Conclusion

Adding captions to TikTok videos enhances accessibility and engagement. This article discussed how to add captions to TikTok videos using the TikTok app and CapCut. Remember to follow the pro tips for adding captions, such as keeping subtitles short, using different colors and dynamic text, and matching the font style. CapCut makes it easier to write text in TikTok videos and follow these strategies. Its features, such as auto captions, text animations, and text effects, help you create appealing videos. So, download CapCut today and use its editing features to add attractive captions to TikTok videos.

FAQs

1
1. Can I add captions to TikTok videos after they've been posted?

No, TikTok doesn't let you add captions to videos after they've been posted. To add captions to the same video, delete the previous one, re-edit it, and upload it again with the new captions. To avoid extra steps, prepare the TikTok video with captions beforehand. Tools like CapCut allow you to edit, refine captions, and upload videos directly to TikTok.

2
1. How can I use multiple languages when adding captions to TikTok videos?

Tools like CapCut's auto captions make it easy to add captions on TikTok videos in multiple languages. It offers the bilingual captions feature, allowing you to generate captions in two languages simultaneously. You can then use timeline syncing to ensure that the subtitles align perfectly with the audio.

3
1. How to convert your captions to speeches on TikTok videos?

The TikTok app allows you to convert text to speech; you need to add the text to the video and select the "Text to speech" feature. However, TikTok's speech voices are limited. You can try to use CapCut's text-to-speech feature, which provides more voice options and voice changers.