How to subtitle and translate videos with AI

In this guide you’ll learn to subtitle and translate videos with AI, step by step and without knowing video editing. The AI transcribes what’s said, you fix a couple of words, and in minutes you have subtitles ready (even in another language).

Subtitles aren’t a luxury: many people watch videos without sound, and clear subtitles make your message reach more people. We’ll use free tools first and I’ll tell you when it’s worth paying.

Tap each step to open and follow it.

In short: upload your video to CapCut or YouTube Studio, let the AI generate the automatic captions, fix the errors, translate them if you want and export. Free for most cases.

1 Pick your tool

You don’t need all of them; pick one based on what you do:

CapCut (free, app and browser): the most complete free option. Automatic captions in more than 50 languages, animated styles and translation. Great for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
YouTube Studio (free): if you upload to YouTube, the channel generates automatic captions on its own, and the viewer can turn on automatic translation. Zero cost.
VEED (paid, browser): more than 100 languages and more polished translation. Good if you work with clients.

My tip: start with CapCut if it’s for social media, or with YouTube Studio if the video lives on your channel.

2 Upload your video and generate the captions

With CapCut (the most common example):

Open CapCut (on your phone or at capcut.com) and create a new project.
Upload your video (drag it in or tap Import).
Find the Captions or Auto captions option (sometimes under “Text”).
Choose the language spoken in the video and tap Generate.
In seconds the captions appear, synced with the audio.

With YouTube Studio: upload the video to your channel, go to Subtitles in the menu, and YouTube creates an automatic version in a few minutes. You can edit it right there.

3 Fix the errors

AI is fast but not perfect. It almost always trips on the same things:

Proper names (people, brands, places).
Technical words or words in another language.
Punctuation (where a comma or period goes).

Go through the text once, listening to the audio. Tap any line to edit it. This step takes little time and makes the difference between amateur and professional subtitles. Don’t skip it.

4 Translate into another language

This is where AI opens doors: your Spanish video can have English subtitles (or the other way around) in one click.

In CapCut: with the captions already generated, find the Translate option and pick the target language.
In YouTube: the player itself lets the viewer turn on automatic subtitle translation, without any extra work from you.
In VEED: pick the target language when generating and it gives you a more careful translated version.

Always review the translation. AI sometimes changes the meaning of a phrase or mistranslates a local expression. Read it before publishing, especially for a client.

5 Style and export

Last step: decide how the subtitles come out.

For social media (TikTok, Reels, Shorts): burn the subtitles into the video (that way they always show, even if the viewer has the sound off). In CapCut, adjust the size, color and font, and export the final video.
For YouTube or your site: export an SRT file (separate subtitles) and upload it. That way the viewer can turn them on, off or translate them.

Tip: large subtitles, with good contrast and at most two lines at a time. Less is more.

If you want to go further, check my tutorial on how to create social media content with AI and the one on how to create videos with AI.

If something goes wrong

Problem	Fix
The subtitles don’t sync	Confirm you picked the correct audio language before generating
Many errors in the text	The audio has noise or loud music; record with better sound and regenerate
The translation sounds off	That’s normal, review it by hand; AI doesn’t catch slang or double meanings
I can’t find the subtitles option	Look under “Text”, “Captions” or “Subtitles”; the name changes by app

Frequently asked questions

Can you subtitle videos with AI for free?

Yes. CapCut generates automatic captions for free in more than 50 languages, and YouTube Studio creates automatic captions at no cost for videos you upload to your channel. For most people, that's more than enough.

How good is automatic subtitle translation?

Very useful for understanding and for social media, but not perfect. AI makes mistakes with proper names, slang and double meanings. Always review the translation before publishing, especially for a client or something formal.

What is an SRT file?

It's a text file with the subtitles and their timings. It's used to upload subtitles separately to YouTube, Vimeo or a player, without burning them into the video. Almost every tool lets you export as SRT.

Should I burn in subtitles or keep them in a separate file?

For social media (TikTok, Reels, Shorts) it's better to burn them in, because many people watch without sound. For YouTube or your site, upload them as an SRT file: that way the viewer can turn them on, off or translate them.

Do I need to know video editing?

No. These tools do the heavy lifting: you upload the video, the AI transcribes and you just fix the text. It's one of the easiest tasks to start with AI.