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Screen recording

How to add captions to a screen recording

Turn your tutorial or demo narration into on-screen captions: upload the recording, auto-transcribe it, pick a style, and export with the captions burned in.

Quick answer

To add captions to a screen recording, upload your capture to AnimateCaptions, let it auto-transcribe the narration, correct any product names or technical terms, pick a clean high-contrast style, position the lines clear of the UI you're demonstrating, and export an MP4 with the captions burned in. There's no SRT file to build — the finished video has the captions in it, ready to post or embed.

Step by step

Caption a screen recording in minutes.

From raw capture to a ready-to-share MP4 with captions burned in.

  1. 01

    Upload your screen recording

    Drag your capture — a tutorial, product demo, or walkthrough — into the browser. Both vertical and landscape recordings work, up to 2 minutes and 500 MB on the free tier.

  2. 02

    Auto-transcribe the narration

    Your voiceover is transcribed automatically with Deepgram Nova-3 into timed caption lines, so you don't type out the walkthrough or build a separate SRT.

  3. 03

    Fix product names and technical terms

    Click any word to correct it. Feature names, menu labels, and technical jargon are exactly what speech recognition trips on, so a quick pass keeps your tutorial accurate.

  4. 04

    Pick a clean, readable style

    Choose from 32+ animated presets. For screen recordings, a clean high-contrast caption keeps the focus on what you're demonstrating while staying easy to read.

  5. 05

    Position captions off the UI you're showing

    Drag each caption line so it doesn't cover the buttons, menus, or cursor you're pointing at, keeping the on-screen action visible while people read along.

  6. 06

    Export with captions burned in

    Export an MP4 with the captions rendered into the frames — ready to post to YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, or embed in docs. No separate subtitle file to manage.

Editor walkthrough

Edit every word before you export.

Live caption preview, click-to-correct transcript, per-line drag positioning, and 32+ animated styles to pick from.

Common questions

Captions on a screen recording — FAQ.

How do I add captions to a screen recording?

Upload the recording to AnimateCaptions, let it auto-transcribe your narration, correct any product names, pick a caption style, position the lines clear of the UI you're showing, and export an MP4 with the captions burned in — no manual typing or SRT file.

Does it work for tutorials and product demos?

Yes. Screen recordings with voiceover — tutorials, demos, and walkthroughs — are an ideal fit. The narration becomes on-screen captions so viewers can follow the steps even with the sound off.

Can I caption a landscape screen recording, not just vertical?

Yes. Both landscape and vertical recordings are supported, and the captions are rendered to fit whichever aspect ratio you upload.

Will the captions cover the part of the screen I'm demonstrating?

Not if you position them. You can drag each caption line so it stays clear of the menus, buttons, or cursor you're pointing at, keeping the demo visible.

Do I need a separate caption file?

No. The captions are burned into the video frames, so there's no SRT or VTT file to create, sync, or upload alongside it — the finished MP4 has the captions in it.

Is it free?

Yes — auto-transcribe and export on a free tier with no credit card. Free exports carry a small watermark; paid plans from $7.99/month remove it.

Caption your screen recording, free.

Upload the capture, pick a style, export an MP4 with captions baked in. No SRT, no credit card.

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