YouTube

Having subtitles in a video has many more benefits than most people think of. Subtitles have been used for a long time to help deaf people or those speaking a different language. – Add Subtitles to YouTube

Google accurately translates the subtitles, expanding your audience’s reach beyond your native reach. Most people quickly forget that their YouTube videos are streamed by millions globally. 

It is advisable to add closed captions and subtitles to your videos to cater to your audience. YouTube sends the caption file to Google Translate, making the content fit for different audiences.

Closed captions and subtitles are indexed to act as metadata after verification, meaning your video will be easier to find through searches. 

This, in turn, boosts your views and overall rank. It is also advisable to translate your metadata and description if your videos do well abroad. Now let’s see how you can add subtitles to your Youtube and Vimeo videos. 

Adding subtitles to YouTube and Vimeo Videos

There are a few ways to add subtitles to videos, as adding subtitles to YouTube videos is a great way to make your content more accessible to a wider audience. You don’t need to be a YouTube creator or have any special skills. All you need is a YouTube account and a video that you want to add subtitles to. 

How to Add Subtitles to a YouTube Video

The subtitles/CC feature allows you to upload a transcript of your video and then automatically match the text to the audio. You can also create subtitles from scratch using this feature. 

To add subtitles to your YouTube video, follow these steps:

  1. Go to your Video Manager and select the video you want to add subtitles or closed captions to.
  2. Click Edit > Subtitles/CC.
  3. If you don’t see this option, make sure your video isn’t set as made for kids in YouTube Studio Beta.
  4. Select a language for your subtitles or CC from the drop-down menu. If you don’t see your language, click “Add new languages” and select your language from the list. If there are already subtitles or CC in another language on your video, click Action > Update Subtitles/CC to change them.
  5. To create subtitles or closed captions from scratch, click the “Add new subtitles or CC” button.
  6. To upload a file, click the “Upload a file” button. 
  7. Click “Publish”.

Your subtitles will start appearing on your video immediately after you click Publish. 

How to Add Subtitles to Vimeo Videos?

If you’re looking to add subtitles or captions to your Vimeo videos, there are a few different ways to go about it. For starters, you can use the Vimeo Captioning tool. This tool allows you to upload a text file with your subtitles or captions, and then sync them up with your video. 

Alternately, you can use a third-party captioning or subtitling service. These services will allow you to create subtitles or captions for your Vimeo videos, and then embed them directly into the video player. 

Finally, if you’re using the Vimeo Pro account, you can also upload your own caption files directly to Vimeo. It’s important to know what the compatible video format is, as it should be Vv/WebVVT before adding a caption. 

For uploading using the Pro account, first, you must log in to the Vimeo account and upload your preferred video. After uploading the photo go-ahead, edit it by choosing “edit settings.”  You must also select “advanced menu” and pick your desired caption file to include a caption file. 

On “completing the subtitle and caption edit”, you should save the changes and return to your video. There is a “CC” button on the screen’s bottom right that lets you turn off the captions and change languages.  

Benefits of Using Subtitles in your Video

The content creation sector is overgrowing, making business’ digital accessibility essential. Below we discuss why you should incorporate subtitles in your videos. 

It Enhances Accessibility 

The main advantage of using captions is that it makes your content more accessible to the deaf and people in different locations. It is advisable to include subtitles to increase views and a better client engagement. 

Research has stated that over 50 million people have hearing loss in the US alone, and you can reach this group by having subtitles. 

Extends Watch Time

Many people watch YouTube videos in public, meaning they can have issues hearing the sound well. It will help to use captions to enable your viewers to watch videos without disturbing others. Subtitles also extend the viewer’s watch time, thus more views. 

Google Indexes Professional Subtitles

Search engines do not listen to your audio or watch your video. Google indexes your content’s subtitles, but only if you do it correctly. 

You might have noticed that Google has an auto-generated subtitle option; suppose you have a YouTube channel. However, it does not go index because of its low quality. 

It is advisable to have subtitles accompanying your audio or video content to enable search engines to crawl the text efficiently. 

It Assists in Content Creation 

Content marketing is among the most famous marketing tactics. Marketers with good content are widely known on social media. SEO revolution has enabled Google to clear its mission, improving the website’s search rank. 

You must upload quality content to have the edge over your competitors. This makes subtitles vital since you can share your content on different platforms. 

They Create a Good Comprehension 

Your videos should not only entertain but also be a great educational source. Most institutions conducted research that stated that students find subtitles essential when improving their cohesion and learning. 

It is easy to remember something if you are hearing and reading it. Subtitles also help people who do not understand English to enhance compression. 

Final Thoughts 

Subtitles have many benefits when put in a video. They help deaf people and those who do not understand English enjoy your content. The above article has discussed adding subtitles to your Vimeo and YouTube videos.