Adding closed captions to your video is a great idea to reach the widest audience possible. Captions were designed for people who are hard of hearing, but they have also grown in popularity with everyday viewers.
In this step-by-step guide, I will show you how to create and export a .srt file, the standard for closed captions on most video platforms. I will also show you how to add the .srt file to some of the most popular social media platforms.
Closed captions vs. subtitles
Closed captions and subtitles are similar in that both show text on screen but are used for different purposes. You can learn more about the differences in this article here, but let’s review a basic explanation.
Subtitles are typically used to translate a foreign language into English so the audience can understand what is being said.
Closed captions are like subtitles, but they are presented throughout a film or video with both spoken words and important sounds.
Captions do not have to be in a foreign language. Captions are designed for people who are hard of hearing so they can understand everything happening on screen.
We won’t touch on subtitles in this article, but the process would be very similar.
How to create an SRT file
As mentioned earlier, the .srt file is the standard file used for captions on most video platforms. This can be done manually or by using a third-party service.
We will focus on the manual method, but a service like Rev.com is a great alternative. Rev will create a .srt file that can be imported into Premiere for $1.50 per minute as this article was written.
Let’s create the caption file manually in a few easy steps.
1. Create a new caption track
Move into Premiere’s designated Captions workspace Window > Workspaces > Captions.
To create the caption file, you will have a few options: Transcribe sequences, Create a new caption track, and Import captions from the file.
We will use the Create New Caption track for this demonstration.
2. Choose Caption Track settings
A new dialogue popup window will appear after selecting Create new caption track.
The standard format for closed captions is CEA-708, so it would be best to select this option. Your region may differ, but this is the standard in the United States.
The dropdown menu for Stream will also have several options: Service 1-6. Service 1 is used for the primary captions, so we will use this for our file. Service 2 and so on are used for secondary languages.
You can create custom Styles to be reused in the future, but we will leave this box checked at None.
3. Add new captions segment
Align your playhead where you want the caption to start on the main timeline. To create a new caption, select Add new captions segment. This will create a new section for captions at the top of your timeline.
4. Add and edit text
In the Captions window, you can type in the spoken words or sound effects of importance.
Once complete, you can adjust the duration of the caption the same way you would any piece of media on the timeline. As you can see in the image above, the caption will appear the same way as a normal text file.
You can also change any of the available text properties that are shown in the essential graphics panel.
5. Add additional captions
To add another caption, right-click the current caption and select Add caption after. Repeat for all of the captions.
How to Export an SRT File
Exporting a .srt file inside of Premiere Pro is simple. The two primary methods for exporting a caption file are burning them directly into the video (otherwise known as Open Captions) or creating a separate sidecar file.
We will focus on creating a separate sidecar file as this is more common.
Go to Premiere’s export window using the keyboard shortcut Mac CMD+M or Windows CTRL+M.
Select your desired video settings and then move into the Captions tab near the center of your screen.
In the Export options, select Create Sidecar file.
Export the video like normal. You should see both the video file and the .srt file in the designated export location.
Now it’s time to upload your .srt file to your SoMe platform of choice. Uploading the .srt file to social media is very simple. Let’s look at a few:
How to upload an SRT file to YouTube
First, upload your video to YouTube. On the left side of the screen, select Video details and then Subtitles.
Hit the blue Add Language button and select your desired language. Select Add under Subtitles on the right side of the screen.
A large pop-up will appear. You can upload the .srt file by selecting Upload file. Be sure to select With Timing so your captions will match the spoken dialogue.
The captions will then appear on the bottom timeline of the main popup window. You can adjust any of the captions if needed.
How to upload an SRT file to Facebook
Facebook will be similar to YouTube. First, you will need to upload your video to the platform. Once uploaded, select the video from the Video page.
Select this three-dot icon circled in red above. This will be located in the post section of the video. Select Edit video from the dropdown menu.
A new popup will appear with the video. Select the Edit button circled in red above.
A new popup will appear with the option to Add Captions. You can upload the .srt file using the Upload button under the Add Captions dropdown menu. Once the upload is complete, save it.
How to upload an SRT file to LinkedIn
First, upload your video. You can do this directly on the feed at the top of the page. In the next window, click Select Video to share, and select the video inside your designated folder.
A new popup window will appear. At the bottom, you can hit Select Caption and upload your .srt file. Once you are finished, select Done.
Other platforms
The process will be very similar to the three above. If you are confused, these websites should have a section outlining the proper steps to upload the caption file.
Up Next: Shortcuts Premiere Pro Keyboard shortcuts you need to know for effective editing.
