Free auto caption generator
Get captions for a Short, Reel or TikTok without typing them. Fix any word, then download an SRT file or an MP4 with the captions burned in where the app’s buttons won’t cover them.
Free, no sign-up, no watermark. It runs in your browser, so your video is never uploaded.
Or drop a file onto the frame.
This browser can’t run the speech model. Try the latest Chrome, Edge or Firefox.
Your captions
Click a time to jump there. Edit any line; clear it to drop it.
Why captions matter on Shorts
- Many people scroll with the sound off. Without captions they don’t know what’s being said, and they scroll on.
- Short lines are easier to follow. Three or four words at a time keep up with fast speech; a full sentence on screen is read before it’s said.
- Placement matters. Captions at the very bottom sit under the app’s caption and username. Keep them in the lower middle, then check the result in the free safe zone checker.
- Cut first, caption second. Use the free video trimmer to cut the clip and make it 9:16, then caption the finished clip.
Questions
Is my video uploaded anywhere?
No. The speech model is downloaded to your browser and runs on your own computer, so your video and its sound never leave your device. The only thing downloaded is the model itself, once.
How long does it take?
The first time, your browser downloads the speech model (about 80 MB, or 45 MB for the faster one) and keeps it for next time. After that it depends on your computer: a recent one transcribes faster than the video plays, an older one can take two or three times as long. Captions appear as each part is done.
Which languages does it understand?
It uses a speech model that understands English best and also handles Hindi, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German and dozens more. Pick the language if you know it: that is more reliable than letting it guess. Check the words before you post, especially names.
What do I do with the SRT file?
Upload it next to your video: YouTube (Subtitles in YouTube Studio), Facebook and LinkedIn take SRT files, and editors like Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve and CapCut import them. TikTok and Instagram don’t take caption files, so for those download the MP4 with the captions burned in.
Where are the burned-in captions placed?
On a vertical video they sit in the lower middle, above the area TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels cover with the caption, username and buttons. On a landscape video they sit near the bottom.
How is this different from ClipIQ’s captions?
ClipIQ transcribes on its servers with a larger model, so its captions are more accurate, and it also finds the best moments in a long video, cuts them, reframes them to 9:16 and styles the captions. This tool is for a video you’ve already cut.
Captioning a whole podcast or stream?
ClipIQ finds the moments worth posting in a long video, cuts them, reframes them to 9:16 and adds animated captions, transcribed with a larger model on its servers. Free plan, no credit card.