Add automatic captions

Add Captions to Video

Upload your video and Pictory adds captions from the speech automatically. Choose a style, fix any word and download.

  • Auto captions timed to the voice
  • Captions top, center or bottom
  • Subtitles as files as well
  • Free trial, online in your browser
A fitness coach talking to the camera in a bright studio, with captions added by Pictory

4.6/5Trusted by over 20,000 teams and institutions worldwide.

  • Colibri Group logo
  • Kajabi logo
  • Royal Canin logo
  • BizLibrary logo
  • Regis Company logo
  • Forbes logo

How do you add captions to a video?

To add captions to a video, upload it to Pictory and choose its language. Pictory transcribes the speech and adds captions timed to the voice. Choose a caption style and position, fix any word in the transcript, then download the video with its captions.

Automatic captions, then your edits. The captions come from the transcript, so a fix in the text is a fix on the video. No timeline, no typing captions by hand.

Pictory is an AI video editor with captions built in. For the tool itself, see the AI caption generator.

A teacher at her desk adding captions to a lesson video in Pictory

Auto captionsEnglish (US)

Captions addedLesson 3

Your source, any format

Start with your video

Upload a video or audio file, or make a video from a script. The AI caption generator covers every way captions get made.

How it works

How to add captions to a video automatically

To add captions to a video automatically, upload it to Pictory and choose its language. The AI transcribes the speech and puts captions on the video, timed to the voice. Fix any word in the transcript, choose a style, the position and the number of lines, then download.

  1. Upload your video

    Pick the language the video is in.

  2. Fix any word

    Edit the transcript. The captions follow.

  3. Set the style and position

    Lines, position and a caption style.

  4. Download

    The video with captions, and the subtitle files.

Subtitles

Add subtitles to video as well as captions

To add subtitles to a video, follow the same steps: Pictory makes the subtitles from the transcript. Download them as files in a ZIP to upload next to your video, or keep the captions on the video itself. Subtitles for videos and captions come from one transcript.

Features

Automatic captions features: styles, position and editing

Auto captions

Captions added automatically

Pictory transcribes the speech and adds the captions for you, each one timed to the voice. Speakers are marked in the transcript, so an interview reads right.

  • Timed to the voice
  • Speakers marked
  • MP4, MOV or WebM
See video transcription
A guest answering questions in a studio in an interview video with automatic captions from Pictory

Auto captionsTwo speakers

Timed to the voiceEnglish (US)

Style

Choose the style and where captions sit

Put the captions at the bottom, in the center or at the top, with one, two or three lines. Pick a style, or apply your brand kit.

  • Top, center or bottom
  • One to three lines
  • Brand kit fonts and colors
How to use subtitle styling

Edit

Fix a word and the caption follows

Edit the transcript like a document. Search and replace a product name, remove filler words and silences, and every caption updates with it.

  • Search and replace
  • Filler words removed
  • Silences removed
How to remove filler words
A marketing manager at his desk fixing a product name in the captions of a video in Pictory

Replace allNorthwind

Captions updated6 changes

Languages

Captions in other languages

For a video made from a script, a page, a document or slides, Translate makes a copy with the captions in another language. For a video you upload, replace the caption lines with your translation in the transcript editor. The Academy guide shows both.

More AI video features

Your complete AI video generation tool

  • AI avatars

    Add a talking presenter, or a digital twin of you.

  • Captions

    Accurate, synced captions in your brand style.

  • Translation

    Captions and voiceover for every market.

  • Text editing

    Edit the transcript to edit the video.

  • Team workspaces

    Share projects and brand kits with your team.

  • API

    Generate branded videos from your own product.

AI Studio

Create any image or video you need with generative AI

The latest image and video models, built into the editor. Generate it, then drop it straight into your scene.

  • A white vase on the left and the same vase turned purple on the right, after the prompt "Make it purple"

    Generate and edit images

    Describe it, or edit an existing image with a prompt.

  • The same woman in a forest and on a city waterfront at sunset, matched to her reference photo

    Keep characters consistent

    Use reference images to keep the same person or product in every scene.

  • A barista talking to the camera in her cafe, with a play button and audio waveform

    Create video clips with sound

    Generate clips with audio. Yes, characters can talk.

  • A hiker on a mountain summit above the clouds, with a filmstrip showing the clip being extended
    Original clip, frame 1: sunrise over the clouds beside a mountain ridgeOriginal clip, frame 2: a hiker with a red backpack climbing toward the summitOriginal clip, frame 3: clouds below the rocky ridgeExtended clip, new frame 1: the sun low over a sea of cloudsExtended clip, new frame 2: the hiker standing on the summit with both arms raisedExtended clip, new frame 3: clouds rolling past the far ridges

    Extend any clip

    Keep any clip going with a new prompt, even one you uploaded.

  • Four versions of a lakeside cabin scene, with one selected

    Get four options at once

    Generate up to four versions and keep the best one.

  • A lavender water bottle styled with brand kit colors

    Stay on brand

    Your brand kit’s colors guide every generation.

Choose your model

Pick a model for stills or 5 to 10-second clips.

Also in AI Studio: Nano Banana Lite for images and Omni Flash for video.

Use cases

Who is using automatic captions?

  • A yoga instructor in a bright studio in a class video with captions added by Pictory
    Fitness

    Captions for workout videos

    Add captions so people can follow the class with the sound off.

  • A history teacher in a classroom in a lesson video with captions added by Pictory
    Education

    Captions for lessons

    Caption each lesson so every student can read along.

  • A guest talking to an interviewer off camera in a studio, in a video with captions added by Pictory
    Interviews

    Captions for interviews

    Each speaker marked, every answer captioned.

  • A cafe owner filming a short video behind the counter, with bold captions added by Pictory
    Social

    Captions for short vertical videos

    Add bold captions to a 9:16 clip for muted feeds.

Why Pictory

Loved by creators, trusted by enterprise teams

From solo creators to global marketing teams. Read the case studies

  • 4.6 / 5

    Average rating on G2, plus Capterra’s Best Ease of Use award for 2025.

    • Capterra Best Ease of Use 2025 badge
    • Capterra Shortlist 2025 badge
    • Software Advice Front Runners 2025 badge
    • GetApp Category Leaders 2025 badge
  • 20,000+

    companies and institutions creating video with Pictory.

  • SOC 2

    and GDPR compliant, ready for enterprise security reviews

    AICPA SOC sealISO 27001 sealGDPR

Case studies

Teams that scaled video with Pictory

  • Whirlybird Labs logo over a bright glass office

    “Pictory is the easiest, most efficient way to get from an idea in text to multimedia imagery on the screen. It’s the critical component to get us out of death by PowerPoint.”

    Jason Hoss, Founder & CEO
    Read the Whirlybird Labs case study
  • VRC Investigations logo over a woman leading a meeting

    “Pictory helps us consistently deliver the high-quality videos we’re known for, content we’re proud of and our clients are proud to use. They always get a five-star response.”

    Curtis Whitfill, VP of Continuing Education
    Read the VRC case study
  • AppDirect logo over a presenter showing a chart to his team

    “82% of our 10,000+ partners keep coming back to our training videos even though they aren’t mandatory courses. That’s how we know the content’s working.”

    David Landsberger, Director of Partner Enablement
    Read the AppDirect case study
  • NetRock Custom Cybersecurity logo over a team working at their computers

    “It increased subscriber growth by 78% and cut my video creation time from a couple of hours to a few minutes. It’s been a godsend.”

    Christian Wentz, Owner
    Read the NetRock case study
  • Online Super Tutors logo over a tutor presenting a lesson

    “Through Pictory videos, leads up by 500%, video production costs are down 90%.”

    Andrew Reid, Founder
    Read the Online Super Tutors case study
  • Game of Yield logo over a man working at his computer

    “We only launched our new app a few months ago and already have over 500 subscribers. People come back regularly to watch more videos made with Pictory.”

    Dr. Yuri Kotik, Founder
    Read the Game of Yield case study

See all case studies

Compare

Add captions to video with AI vs. video editing software

One 10-minute video, captioned two ways.

Comparison of adding captions with Pictory and with traditional video editing software
StepWith PictoryTraditional editing software
The wordsTranscribed from the speech for youTranscribed in a separate step, or typed
TimingEach caption timed to the voiceSet on a timeline, line by line
Fixing a wordEdit the transcript and the caption updatesFind the caption on the timeline and retype it
StylePick a style, or apply your brand kitSet fonts and colors in the caption settings
Filler wordsRemoved from the transcript and the video togetherCut by hand on the timeline
DownloadAn MP4 with captions, plus subtitle filesExported with the project settings

Video API

Make video at scale from your own product

Send text, links or slides to the Pictory API and get branded videos back, automatically.

POST /v1/video/storyboard
{
  "videoName": "q3-update",
  "scenes": [{ "text": "Q3 in 90 seconds..." }]
}

Enterprise

Enterprise video at scale

Custom plans, onboarding and support for company-wide rollouts.

  • SOC 2 and GDPR compliant
  • Custom plans and personalized onboarding
  • Shared brand kits and team workspaces
  • Dedicated support

FAQ

FAQ: add captions to video

Can’t find your answer? Contact our team.

Upload the video to Pictory and choose its language. Pictory transcribes the speech and adds captions timed to the voice. Fix any word in the transcript, choose a style, then download the video with its captions.

Start a free trial of Pictory, upload your video and the captions are added automatically. The trial includes 50 AI credits, and videos downloaded on it carry a watermark. Paid plans start at $25 a month, billed annually.

Yes. Pictory adds automatic captions from the speech in your video, timed to the voice. You only check the words and choose a style.

Yes. Pictory makes subtitles from the same transcript. Download them as files in a ZIP to upload next to your video.

Yes. Choose a style, the font, size and colors, and put the captions at the bottom, in the center or at the top, with one, two or three lines.

You choose the language when you upload. Captions work in languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Hindi and Russian.

Limited Offer: 40% Off Pro Annual + 2X AI Credits

Limited Offer: 40% Off Pro Annual
+ 2X AI Credits