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How-to guide

How to add captions to a video online

Add animated, word-by-word captions to any short video entirely in your browser — no software to install, no powerful computer needed.

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Quick answer

To add captions to a video online, open a browser-based tool like AnimateCaptions, upload your .mp4 or .mov, and let it auto-transcribe the audio. Pick a caption style, fix any words in the editor, then export a new MP4 with the captions burned in. Everything runs in your browser and the render happens on the servers, so it works on any device — macOS, Windows, Linux, or a phone — without downloading anything.

Step by step

How to caption a video online in 5 steps.

From raw clip to captioned MP4 — all in the browser, nothing to install.

  1. 01

    Open AnimateCaptions in your browser

    Go to animatecaptions.com in any browser on macOS, Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, or a phone. There is nothing to download or install — the whole tool runs online.

  2. 02

    Upload your video

    Drag an .mp4 or .mov into the page, or tap to pick a file. The free tier accepts clips up to 2 minutes and 500 MB, so most phone recordings fit straight away.

  3. 03

    Let it auto-transcribe

    The audio is transcribed automatically with Deepgram Nova-3, with 36+ languages detected on the fly. Your spoken words become timed captions — no manual typing.

  4. 04

    Pick a style and position it

    Choose from 32+ animated caption styles, then click any word to fix the transcript, drag lines to reposition them, and tweak font, colour, and size. The preview matches the export exactly.

  5. 05

    Export and download

    Hit export. The captions are rendered into your video on AnimateCaptions' servers at full resolution, then you download a finished MP4 — ready to post anywhere.

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

Adding captions to a video online — FAQ.

Can I add captions to a video online without downloading software?

Yes. AnimateCaptions runs entirely in your web browser, so there is nothing to download or install. You upload a clip, caption it, and download the result without ever leaving the page.

Does it work on any device or operating system?

Yes. Because it is fully browser-based, it works on macOS, Windows, Linux, and ChromeOS, as well as phones and tablets. Any device with a modern browser can add captions to a video.

Do I need a powerful computer?

No. The transcription and the final video render both happen on AnimateCaptions' servers, not on your machine, so a basic laptop or even a phone is enough to export a captioned video.

Is it free?

Yes, there is a free tier that auto-transcribes and exports captioned videos with no credit card. Free exports include a small AnimateCaptions watermark; paid plans from $7.99/month remove it.

Are the captions burned into the video?

Yes. The export is a standard MP4 with the captions rendered directly into the frames, so they show up on every platform without uploading a separate subtitle file.

What formats and length can I caption?

.mp4 and .mov files up to 2 minutes and 500 MB on the free tier. Portrait (9:16), landscape (16:9), and square (1:1) videos all work.

Caption your first video online, free.

Open the browser, upload a clip, pick a style, download a captioned MP4. No install, no powerful computer, no credit card.

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