Add Subtitles To Video Online

Why add subtitles to videos?

Increased Accessibility

Approximately 15 percent of American adults are living with some kind of hearing impairment, according to the National Institutes of Health. If any of these 37 million viewers stumble upon your website and see that your videos lack subtitles, they'll likely head over to a different site that properly addresses their needs.

If you make the simple decision to incorporate subtitles into your videos, you'll allow all of your viewers to have a more accessible experience on your site. This also gives you the chance to attract a larger customer base.

Larger Demographic

To expand your target audience, be sure to take other cultures into account. Viewers who speak a different language or have trouble understanding English will benefit immensely from subtitles. Take some time to research the most commonly spoken languages worldwide to make your captions as effective as possible.

Enhanced SEO Strategy

Believe it or not, adding subtitles to videos can even boost your SEO strategy. On one hand, viewers are likely to spend a longer time watching your video if they have to follow along with captions. In addition, subtitles give search engines the chance to index the keywords in your text, which may help you rank higher on Google or another search giant.

Greater Convenience

The benefits of subtitles don't just apply to non-English speakers or those who are hard of hearing. Videos with subtitles also offer a greater sense of convenience to all types of viewers. Whether they can't turn on the volume for some reason or prefer to read along as they watch, customers have various reasons for wanting captions included in their videos.

Stronger Message

When done correctly, subtitles can reinforce the message of your video by giving viewers a compelling visual component. Your audience is more likely to retain the information in your video when it's presented to them through text.

In addition, adding subtitles to your content makes it easier for others to understand what the main concept of your video is. When the dialogue and narration are clearly spelled out for your audience, they'll have an easier time absorbing your message.

Plus, to tie into the increased SEO value of your video, your content is also more likely to reach more viewers if you use subtitles. This is because customers who are searching for the specific message of your video will be more likely to stumble upon it if you spell it out with captions.

More Memorable Brand

The main goal of your videos is to give your customers a reason to think of you in the future. When you add subtitles, you give your viewers the chance to connect with your content on a more meaningful level. Once they've internalized your message, your customers will be more motivated to think of your company later on and possibly purchase your products or services.

Increased Versatility

Without subtitles, your viewers can only watch your videos in settings where doing so is appropriate. This means that office meetings, class sessions and family dinners are out of the question. However, by adding subtitles to videos, you can let your viewers secretly enjoy one of your creations in all kinds of situations without anyone knowing about it. This instantly makes your videos more versatile than they'd be without subtitles.

Fewer Incomplete Views

If you've noticed that a good chunk of your audience starts watching your videos only to abandon them seconds later, you probably have a lack of captioning to blame. Not only do subtitles keep your customers engaged for a longer time, but they also prevent them from moving on before they even finish watching the entire video.

Heightened Interest

Adding subtitles to videos isn't just about keeping your viewers watching for a longer time. When you enhance your content with subtitles, you're also more likely to attract your viewers' interest on a deeper level. Captions help give your videos another element for your audience to focus on, and this means they'll be more inclined to stay interested throughout the duration of the clip.

Improved Brand Reputation

The amount of work you put into forming the perfect video speaks volumes about your company. If your customers see that you simply threw together an uninspired, low-budget clip, there's a good chance they won't be coming back for more. On the other hand, a well-designed video shows your audience that you care about your craft and that you spent a lot of time making sure that the final product was exactly what you wanted.

Incorporating subtitles into your content is an easy way to demonstrate a genuine commitment to your business. When you send the message that you care about what your company stands for, you'll be more likely to improve your reputation and retain more loyal customers in the long run.

How to Add Subtitles with FFMPEG

Advance users can use FFMPEG directly to add subtitles to your video. Create a .srt(subtitle file) that contains the text.

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -i subtitles.srt -c copy -c:s mov_text output.mp4