Adobe Premiere Pro, a top-tier video editing software, provides robust tools to create and customize subtitles that are both practical and visually appealing.
Whether you’re a content creator, video editor, or marketing professional, mastering how to add subtitles in Premiere Pro can significantly enhance your video content.
In this article, we’ll guide you through a detailed, step-by-step process for adding subtitles in Premiere Pro, covering everything from basic caption creation to advanced customization techniques.
By the end of this tutorial, you’ll not only know how to add captions in Premiere Pro but also how to seamlessly integrate them into your projects to boost viewer engagement and expand your content’s reach.
Ready to get started? Let’s dive into the world of video editing with Premiere Pro and unlock the full potential of your videos through effective subtitling.
3 Reasons Why You Should Add Captions to Your Videos
Here are three key reasons why adding captions to your videos is a must:
-
Ensure Everyone Can Follow Along
Adding captions ensures that viewers who are hard of hearing can still understand your video. It’s a way to make your content accessible to everyone, letting all audiences enjoy what you’ve created. -
Expand Your Audience Reach
By including captions in different languages, you open your video to a global audience. It’s like welcoming viewers from around the world, inviting them to engage with your content without language barriers. -
Increase Your Video’s Visibility
Search engines can index videos with captions since they can read the text, much like a book. When you add captions, you’re giving search engines a clear map of your video’s content, helping it rank higher in search results and reach more viewers.
Adding captions to your videos isn’t just about text on the screen—it’s about ensuring everyone can enjoy and understand your message. It’s a simple yet impactful way to connect with a broader audience, improving your video’s reach and engagement.
Does Premiere Pro Have Subtitles and Captions?
Yes, Adobe Premiere Pro fully supports adding both subtitles and captions, making it an excellent tool for enhancing your videos’ accessibility and engagement.
With Premiere Pro, you can customize these elements to fit your video’s style, adjusting timing, appearance, and placement as needed. Whether you’re working with pre-made files or creating captions from scratch, Premiere Pro makes the process smooth, ensuring your content is accessible to all viewers.
Subtitles vs. Captions: What’s the Difference?
While often used interchangeably, subtitles and captions have distinct purposes and unique characteristics. Subtitles are essentially written versions of the spoken dialogue in a video, ideal for translating languages or assisting viewers who are hard of hearing. They act as a translation tool, helping audiences from diverse linguistic backgrounds enjoy movies, TV shows, and other videos without language barriers.
Typically, subtitles focus solely on spoken words and don’t include details like background noises, sound effects, or other audio cues unless they’re essential to the storyline. On the other hand, captions provide a deeper look into the video’s audio, capturing dialogue, sounds, music, and background noises. They’re designed to offer a full textual representation of the audio for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing.
There are also two types of captions: closed captions, which viewers can toggle on or off, and open captions, which are embedded in the video and cannot be turned off.
Types of Captions in Premiere Pro
Premiere Pro offers various types of captions, each tailored for specific purposes in your video projects. Before getting started, it’s helpful to understand the different types and when to use them.
-
CEA-608
This is an older standard but still widely compatible with many devices. However, it lacks some of the advanced features available in the newer CEA-708 standard. -
CEA-708
For TV and broadcast projects, CEA-708 is the preferred choice. It combines device compatibility with modern features for a seamless viewing experience. -
Teletext
Commonly used in Europe, this standard is perfect for adding subtitles in that region. -
Open Captions
Open captions are permanently embedded in the video, so viewers can’t turn them off. They’re ideal for ensuring the text is always visible. -
Subtitles
With a wide range of design options, subtitles are great for digital content where you want to customize the look to match your style.
How to Automatically Add Subtitles or Captions in Premiere Pro
Adding subtitles or captions in Premiere Pro is simple with its built-in automated captioning tool. This feature converts your spoken words into text, creating a caption track that you can edit and adjust as needed. Here’s a straightforward guide to using Premiere Pro’s automatic caption tool:
-
Open the Captions Workspace
Start by navigating to the top right of your Premiere Pro window and switch to the Captions workspace by selecting Workspaces > Captions.
-
Generate a Premiere Pro Transcription
Click on ‘Transcribe Sequence’ to begin the process. Select the language of your audio and choose whether to transcribe a specific segment or the entire video timeline. If your video has multiple speakers, enable speaker recognition to differentiate between them. For subtitles specifically, tag dialogue clips as ‘Dialogue’ in the Essential Sound panel. Once ready, click ‘Transcribe,’ and Premiere Pro will generate the transcription for you. -
Edit Your Premiere Pro Captions
After transcription, the text will appear in the top left corner of the Captions workspace. Play the audio while reviewing the transcription to spot any errors. Click on the text to make edits directly in-line. -
Create a Captions Track with Your Transcript
Click the ‘Create Captions’ button, and Premiere Pro will automatically add captions to your timeline, ready to enhance your video with accurate subtitles.
How to Manually Add Subtitles or Captions to a Video in Premiere Pro
If you prefer to add subtitles manually in Premiere Pro, here’s an easy guide to get started:
-
Go to the Captions workspace.
Instead of transcribing, select ‘Create New Caption Track,’ choose ‘Subtitle,’ and click ‘OK.’
-
A new subtitle track will appear in your timeline.
-
In the Text panel, click the ‘+’ icon to add a caption line.
Listen to the audio and type out the dialogue. -
Keep adding caption lines for the entire video.
Edit and adjust as necessary to ensure accuracy.
How to Import Captions Into Premiere Pro
If you already have a transcript file, importing it into Premiere Pro is a straightforward process. For example, if you’ve used a service like Subtitlewhisper and received your transcriptions in SRT format, the process is simple.
Just download your captions and prepare to import them into Premiere Pro. Subtitlewhisper also offers seamless integration with Premiere Pro for easy timeline exporting. Regardless of your transcript source, here’s how to import captions into Premiere Pro:
-
Set up your Premiere Pro project.
Click ‘Create Captions,’ then select ‘Import Caption from File’ and choose ‘Create Blank Track.’
-
Drag and drop your .SRT file into your project.
-
Adjust the length of your captions track.
Sync it with the audio for perfect alignment. -
Customize your captions in the Essential Graphics panel.
Modify the font, size, and alignment to make your captions stand out.
How to Customize and Edit Subtitles in Premiere Pro
To customize and edit your captions and subtitles in Premiere Pro, the Essential Graphics panel offers a variety of tools. Here are five ways to adjust the appearance of your captions:
-
Font
To change the font, head to the Essential Graphics Panel. Select the caption you want to style, then choose a new font from the drop-down menu. You can also tweak the size, alignment, and spacing to get the perfect look.
-
Position
To adjust caption placement, go to ‘Align and Transform.’ Use the ‘Zones’ box to reposition your captions or manually adjust the horizontal and vertical settings.
-
Appearance
Want to change the color, thickness, background, or add a shadow? Navigate to the ‘Appearance’ section in the Essential Graphics panel to make these adjustments.
-
Animation
Add some flair by applying animations or effects to your captions. Convert your captions into ‘source graphics’ by selecting ‘Graphics and Titles’ > ‘Upgrade Caption to Graphic.’ -
Setting Styles
For a consistent look, create a caption ‘template’ using Track Styles in Premiere Pro. This saves time and ensures all captions share the same font, alignment, and color settings. Apply a Track Style to one caption, and it will update all captions on that track.
By experimenting with these customization options, you can give your captions a unique style and maintain consistency across your video projects in Premiere Pro.
How to Export Your Video With Subtitles in Premiere Pro
When you’re ready to share your video with its polished subtitles, here’s how to export it:
-
Go to File > Export > Media.
Select your preferred file format.
-
Choose between open or closed captions.
Closed captions are separate files that viewers can toggle on or off—select ‘Create Sidecar File’ for this option. If you want open captions that are always visible, choose ‘Burn Captions into Video.’
Troubleshooting: Captions Not Displaying in Premiere Pro
When adding subtitles in Premiere Pro, you might occasionally find that your captions aren’t showing up. Here’s how to troubleshoot if your captions aren’t displaying:
The most common issue is captions not appearing during playback. Captions need the right settings to be visible, much like guests needing the right spot at a party. To fix this, follow these steps:
-
Enable captions in the Timeline panel.
At the top of your Timeline panel, click the “CC” button. Ensure the track is set to “Show All Caption Tracks” to make your subtitles visible.
-
Check the Subtitle Layer visibility.
If captions are still not showing, ensure the Subtitle Layer is set to “visible” in the Timeline to bring them into view. -
Adjust text color for visibility.
If your text blends into the background, tweak the text color to make it stand out against the video.
Alternatives for Captioning in Premiere Pro: Subtitlewhisper
While Adobe Premiere Pro offers a robust set of editing features, it comes with a cost and can be challenging for beginners to navigate. If you’re looking for a more user-friendly platform or prefer to handle recording, editing, and captioning in one place, Subtitlewhisper is an excellent alternative.
Powered by OpenAI’s Whisper technology, Subtitlewhisper allows users to transcribe video content effortlessly with up to 98.5% accuracy. Supporting over 50 languages, it’s perfect for creators and viewers worldwide who need fast, reliable transcriptions. (Try Subtitlewhisper for free!) Here’s how to add subtitles to your video using Subtitlewhisper:
-
Upload your video.
Start by uploading the video you want to transcribe or paste its YouTube link.
-
Transcribe your video with one click.
Click the “Generate subtitles now” button, and the AI will create an accurate transcript for your video.
-
Edit your transcript.
Once the auto-transcription is complete, review and edit the transcript using Subtitlewhisper’s online editor. Each subtitle is time-stamped and editable like a text document, making adjustments simple.
-
Download your transcription (optional).
Finally, download the transcript in formats like .srt, .txt, .docx, or .csv.
What sets Subtitlewhisper apart from other subtitling methods is its simplicity. With its intuitive interface, you can upload and transcribe videos in just a few clicks, saving time while ensuring high-quality results.
Whether you’re working on your own videos or someone else’s, Subtitlewhisper streamlines the process, letting you focus on content rather than technical details. Try Subtitlewhisper for free today!
Optimal Practices for Using Captions in Premiere Pro
Here are four practical tips to make the most of captions in Premiere Pro:
-
Personalize Your Captions
Explore Premiere Pro’s customization options to style your captions. Adding your unique touch ensures captions blend seamlessly with your content, rather than looking like an afterthought. -
Review and Revise
Always double-check your captions before publishing. Inaccurate captions can disrupt your video’s flow, so take the time to revise them. -
Maintain Consistency
Keep your caption style uniform throughout the video. Consistent font choices, positioning, and formatting enhance the viewer’s experience. -
Use Keyboard Shortcuts
Learn Premiere Pro’s keyboard shortcuts to speed up your workflow. You can even create custom shortcuts to suit your needs. Check out Premiere Pro’s default shortcuts to get started.
How to Add Subtitles in Premiere Pro: Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do you add subtitles in Premiere Pro?
You have three main options to add subtitles in Premiere Pro: create them manually, import an existing file, or use the built-in speech-to-text tool to generate captions automatically.
2. How do I open the captions tab in Premiere Pro?
To open the captions tab, navigate to Windows > Workspace > Captions and Graphics.
3. What’s the easiest way to get subtitles in Premiere Pro?
You have a couple of simple options. First, you can generate a transcription using Subtitlewhisper’s AI-powered tool and import it into Premiere Pro. Alternatively, use Premiere Pro’s built-in speech-to-text feature to create captions effortlessly.
4. Why can’t I find captions in Premiere Pro?
If your captions aren’t visible, you need to enable them. Click the ‘tool’ button, then select ‘Closed Captions > Enable’ to display your captions.
5. What version of Premiere Pro has auto-captions?
Most versions of Premiere Pro support captions. Note that the steps may differ slightly depending on whether you’re using Premiere Pro 14.9 and earlier or Premiere Pro 15.0 and later.
Subtitlewhisper – Transcription & Subtitling Made Simple
Powered by Whisper AI, Subtitlewhisper is a cutting-edge tool for subtitling and transcription, supporting over 50 languages worldwide. With Subtitlewhisper, you can effortlessly transcribe and translate audio or video content into accessible, searchable text, or add subtitles to videos with up to 98.5% accuracy in just minutes. Try Subtitlewhisper for free today!
