Add Captions to YouTube Shorts
To add captions to a YouTube Short, upload the vertical clip below, let the AI transcribe it, pick a style and position, and download a Short with captions rendered permanently into the frame — then publish it to YouTube as usual.
Shorts live or die on retention: the algorithm promotes clips people watch to the end. On-screen captions give viewers a second channel to follow — words plus voice — which keeps attention through all of your up-to-3-minute Short, sound on or off.
How to add captions to YouTube Shorts
- 1
Upload your Short
Add your vertical video, up to 500 MB. Select English, French, Spanish or German as the spoken language, or let auto-detect identify it during transcription.
- 2
Pick style and position
Choose between the bold TikTok highlight style, Classic subtitles or handwritten Dream text, then place captions at the bottom, middle, top, or a custom height clear of the Shorts UI.
- 3
Download and upload to YouTube
Save the captioned file and post it through the YouTube app or Studio. Because the text is burned in, it shows in the Shorts feed, embeds and every device identically.
Why use Video-Matic
Retention-friendly text
Synced on-screen captions give viewers a reason to keep reading — and keep watching — which is the metric Shorts distribution rewards.
Accurate AI timing
Speech recognition times each caption to the audio automatically; the TikTok style even highlights individual words as they are spoken.
One free Short included
The 3 free signup credits cover one full caption job, so you can judge the result on your own footage before buying a pack.
Hosted in the EU
Your Short is processed on EU-based servers in Paris, and the captioned version is only downloadable from your own account.
Frequently asked questions
Are burned-in captions better than YouTube automatic captions for Shorts?›
They serve different jobs. YouTube auto-captions are optional and plainly styled, and viewers must switch them on. Burned-in captions are always visible, styled the way you chose, and appear from the very first frame in the Shorts feed — which is where retention is won or lost.
How long can my Short be?›
YouTube currently allows Shorts up to 3 minutes, and this tool handles files up to 500 MB, which comfortably covers a 3-minute vertical clip. The AI transcribes the full duration and captions all of it in one job.
How much does captioning a Short cost?›
Each caption job costs 3 credits. A new account comes with 3 free credits, so your first Short is captioned free. Additional credits come from one-time packs on the pricing page — you buy only when you need more, with no subscription.
Will there be a watermark on my captioned Short?›
No. The output file has no added watermark or branding of any kind. What you download is your original video with just the captions rendered in, ready to publish under your own channel name.
Can I add captions to a Short I already published?›
Not in place — burned-in captions are part of the video file, and YouTube does not let you swap the file on a published Short. Caption the clip here, then upload it as a new Short and remove the old one if you do not want a duplicate. For future posts, make captioning the last step before upload.
Which caption style works best for Shorts?›
The TikTok style — bold text with each word highlighted as it is spoken — is the strongest fit for the Shorts feed, where fast-moving captions help hold attention. Classic suits tutorials and talking-head content where readability matters most, and Dream fits softer lifestyle clips. All three are burned in and readable with the sound off.