How to Add Subtitles to a YouTube Video (Upload an SRT or Fix Auto-Captions)

YouTube adds automatic captions to many videos, but they're often wrong on names, technical terms, and accents, and they don't exist for every language. If you want accurate subtitles on your own videos, the reliable route is to create a subtitle file and upload it in YouTube Studio.

This guide shows how to add subtitles to a YouTube video: make an accurate SRT file, upload it, fix auto-captions, and add translated subtitles for viewers in other languages.

Quick answer

1. Get an accurate transcript of your video (paste the YouTube link or upload the file to SkyScribe).
2. Correct names and jargon, then export an SRT file.
3. In YouTube Studio, open Subtitles, choose the video, add the language, and pick Upload file > With timing.
4. Select your SRT and publish.

Why upload your own subtitles

• Accuracy. Auto-captions miss names, brands, and jargon. Your viewers notice.
• Accessibility. Accurate captions make your videos usable for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers and for people watching with the sound off.
• Search. Correct captions give YouTube accurate text for your video, and the same transcript can become your description, chapters, or a blog post.
• More languages. Translated subtitles open your video to viewers who don't speak the original language.

Step 1: Create an accurate SRT file

An SRT file is a plain-text list of numbered captions, each with a start and end time. You can make one by hand, but transcribing first is much faster:

1. Paste your YouTube link into SkyScribe, or upload the original video file.
2. Read through the transcript and fix names, numbers, and technical terms.
3. Export as SRT (VTT also works on YouTube).

Detailed walkthroughs: YouTube transcript to SRT file and convert a video to SRT. If you're editing in DaVinci Resolve, you can also import the SRT into your timeline before export.

Step 2: Upload the SRT in YouTube Studio

1. Go to YouTube Studio and choose Subtitles in the left menu.
2. Click the video you want to caption.
3. Click Add language and pick the video's language, if it isn't set yet.
4. Under Subtitles, click Add.
5. Choose Upload file, select With timing, and pick your SRT.
6. Review a few lines against the video, then click Publish.

Your subtitles now appear in the CC menu, and viewers can turn them on or off.

Option: Fix YouTube's auto-captions instead

If the auto-captions are close, you can edit them directly: in Subtitles, open the video, find the automatic track, and choose Duplicate and edit. Fix the wrong words and publish. This works for short videos, but for long ones, correcting a transcript and uploading an SRT is usually faster and gives you a reusable file.

Add subtitles in other languages

To reach more viewers, add translated tracks:

1. Translate your corrected transcript or SRT into the target language. The subtitle translator can translate an existing SRT while keeping the timing.
2. In YouTube Studio, Add language for each translation.
3. Upload each translated SRT with Upload file > With timing.

More detail in how to translate an SRT file and translate a YouTube video transcript.

Subtitle quality tips

• Short lines. Aim for one or two lines per caption and about 40 characters per line.
• Readable timing. Keep each caption on screen long enough to read, generally at least a second.
• Check the timing at the start. If captions drift, the SRT timing may be offset. Re-export from the transcript rather than nudging lines by hand.
• Label sounds when they matter. For accessibility, add short notes like [music] or [laughs] where they help understanding.
• Reuse the transcript. Paste it into your description, turn timestamps into chapters, or repurpose it as a blog post. See YouTube transcript with timestamps.

Subtitles vs. burned-in captions

Uploaded subtitles (closed captions) can be turned on and off, translated into several languages, and read by YouTube. Burned-in captions are part of the video image: they always show and can't be translated or edited. For long-form YouTube videos, uploading an SRT is usually the better choice. For Shorts, many creators burn in styled captions for silent viewing and also upload an SRT.

FAQ

What subtitle formats does YouTube accept? YouTube accepts several formats, including SRT and VTT. SRT is the most widely supported and works almost everywhere.

Can I add subtitles to a video that's already published? Yes. You can add or edit subtitles in YouTube Studio at any time without re-uploading the video.

How do I add subtitles to someone else's YouTube video? You can't add subtitles to videos you don't own. You can still get a transcript of the video for your own notes or reference.

Are YouTube auto-captions good enough? Sometimes, for clear speech in common languages. For names, technical topics, accents, or professional content, an edited transcript is noticeably more accurate.

Do subtitles help YouTube SEO? Accurate subtitles give YouTube correct text for your video and make it accessible to more viewers. They support discoverability, though they're one factor among many.