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Kinetic typography

Kinetic typography generator for spoken video.

Kinetic typography is text that moves in time with audio. Here is how it is made by hand, and how to generate it from speech automatically.

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Quick answer

Kinetic typography is an animation technique where text moves, scales, and changes style in sync with spoken words or music. Traditionally it is keyframed by hand in After Effects. AnimateCaptions generates a speech-synced version automatically: it transcribes the video with word-level timing and applies presets such as Lyric, Verse, and Stack that reveal words progressively, enlarge emphasis words, and mix typefaces.

Key takeaways

  • Kinetic typography = text animated in sync with audio to express rhythm and emphasis.
  • Custom kinetic typography (camera moves, 3D, complex choreography) still requires After Effects or similar.
  • Speech-synced presets can produce kinetic-style captions automatically in about a minute.
  • Word-level timing is what makes automatic kinetic typography possible.

What is kinetic typography?

Kinetic typography ("moving type") animates words to match the timing, tone, and emphasis of audio. It is used in title sequences, lyric videos, explainers, and short-form social video.

Kinetic typography in After Effects

In After Effects, designers place each word as a text layer, keyframe position, scale, and opacity against the audio waveform, and add camera moves. It offers full creative control but takes hours per minute of video.

Kinetic typography generator: automatic approach

A generator replaces manual keyframing with word timestamps from speech recognition. Each word appears exactly when it is spoken, and style rules decide which words are enlarged or highlighted.

Kinetic typography animation presets in AnimateCaptions

Lyric builds lines word by word with oversized emphasis words in a contrasting brush font. Verse uses an italic serif with a glow. Stack accumulates words one by one. Pop- and fade-animated presets add entrance motion per word or chunk. All presets are editable.

After Effects vs automatic kinetic typography

FeatureAfter Effects (manual)AnimateCaptions (automatic)
Time per minute of videoHoursAbout a minute plus review
Sync methodManual keyframes to waveformWord timestamps from speech recognition
Creative controlUnlimitedPreset-based, editable fonts, colors, position
Best forTitle sequences, bespoke motion designTalking-head and short-form social clips
Step by step

Make kinetic typography captions in 4 steps.

  1. 1

    Upload your video

    Choose an MP4 or MOV file in the browser. The spoken audio is transcribed automatically with word-level timing.

  2. 2

    Review and correct the words

    Read the transcript against the preview and fix names, brands, numbers, or specialist terms before they reach your audience.

  3. 3

    Choose and customize a caption style

    Start from one of 32+ animated presets, then adjust the font, colors, outline, background, emphasis, and position for the video.

  4. 4

    Export a burned-in MP4

    Render the captions into the video and download a finished file whose text stays consistent across social platforms and devices.

Editor walkthrough

Edit and preview before you export.

Correct words, customize the style, reposition individual lines, and preview the burned-in result.

Related guides

Continue with a specific workflow.

Lyric video captionsMotion captions generatorWord-by-word captions
Common questions

Frequently asked questions.

What is kinetic typography?

It is the technique of animating text so its motion, size, and timing match spoken words or music.

Can you make kinetic typography without After Effects?

Yes, for speech-synced captions. Tools with word-level timing can animate words automatically; bespoke motion design still needs a motion graphics app.

Does it work with music?

Transcription is designed for speech. Sung vocals over music are less accurate, so expect to correct more words.

What video files can I upload?

AnimateCaptions accepts MP4 and MOV files up to 500 MB. It is designed for short-form clips up to two minutes long.

Can I correct the transcript before exporting?

Yes. You can click incorrect words in the browser editor, correct names or terminology, hide unwanted segments, and preview the result before export.

Are the captions permanently added to the video?

Yes. The export is an MP4 with open captions rendered into the video frames. They remain visible when the file is posted or shared.

Is AnimateCaptions free?

There is a free tier with no credit card required. Free exports include a small AnimateCaptions watermark; paid plans remove it.

Add accurate animated captions to your next clip.

Upload, correct, style, position, and export in one browser workflow.

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