If you’ve ever watched a video without sound, you know how helpful captions can be. Along with tools like background remover and noise reduction that make your videos look more polished, captions, also known as subtitles, help viewers understand what’s happening in the video, even when they can’t hear it.. For many content creators, adding captions is an important part of making their videos accessible and engaging.
But when it comes to creating captions, there are two main options: auto captions and manual subtitling. So, which one is better for your videos?
So, let’s get in and find out which captioning method is best for your videos!
What Are Auto Captions and Manual Subtitling?
So, what is the main difference between auto captions and manual subtitling?
Auto Captions
Auto captions are captions that are created automatically by a video editor. They use artificial intelligence (AI) to listen to the audio in a video and turn it into text. Many popular platforms like YouTube, Zoom, and Facebook offer auto-captioning services. The process is quick and simple. Once you upload your video, the video editor will generate captions for you, usually in just a few minutes.
Manual Subtitling
Manual subtitling, on the other hand, involves a person listening to the video’s audio and typing out the text. This text is then carefully synced with the video so that the words appear on the screen at the right time. It’s a process that requires a lot of attention and effort. Because of this, manual subtitling can be slow and expensive, especially for longer videos.
Why Choose Auto Captions?
There are many reasons why auto captions are becoming more popular than manual subtitling. Let’s look at some of the biggest benefits.
- Speed and Efficiency
One of the best things about auto captions is how fast they are. With auto-captioning, you can have captions ready for your video in just a few minutes. This is especially useful if you need to share your video quickly.
For example, if you want to convert your educational lecture of 45-minutes into captions, a good video editor for PC, like the CapCut desktop video editor, will only take a few seconds to auto caption it. However, manual subtitling just can’t match this speed.
- Cost-Effectiveness
Another big advantage of auto captions is that they are much cheaper than manual subtitling. Hiring a professional to create manual subtitles can be expensive. For long videos, the cost can add up quickly. Auto captions, on the other hand, are usually very affordable and even free sometimes.
- Scalability
If you have a lot of videos to caption, auto captions are the best choice. Because they are created by a computer, auto captions can be done on a large scale. You can add captions to dozens or even hundreds of videos without spending a lot of time or money. This is perfect for people who create a lot of content, like vloggers, online educators, or companies with big video libraries.
But What About Accuracy?
One of the main concerns people have about auto captions is accuracy. It’s true that in the past, auto captions weren’t always reliable. Sometimes, the AI misunderstand words or phrases, leading to funny (and sometimes confusing) mistakes. However, the technology has come a long way in recent years.
- Improved AI Technology
Today’s auto-captioning software is much more advanced than it used to be. With an improvement in AI, auto captions are now more accurate. They can recognize different accents, handle background noise, and even understand complex sentences.
While they’re not perfect, they are getting better all the time. For most videos, auto captions can capture the audio with a high level of accuracy.
- Editing Options
Even if the auto captions aren’t 100% correct, you can still edit them. Most platforms that offer auto captions let you go in and make changes. This means you can fix any mistakes the AI made without having to type out the whole thing yourself.
How to Add Auto Captions to Your Videos
Adding captions to your videos is now easier due to the excellent video editors. Whether you’re making tutorials, social media videos, or online courses, auto captions can help you save time and reach a larger audience.
Step 1: Upload Video
To begin, download and install a good video editor for PC, like the CapCut desktop video editor. Once it is ready to use, sign into your account and click on the “Import” button.
Step 2: Adding Auto Captions
After uploading your desired videos, go to the “Caption” tab, located on the top toolbar. Then, click on Auto Captions > Select your Spoken Language > Generate. The tool will automatically generate the captions in your spoken language. However, you can also identify the filler words and eliminate them from your video to make it more engaging and professional.
Step 3: Export and Share
Once your are done with auto captioning your video, click on the “Export” button. Modify the settings according to your choice and click on the “Export” button. Moreover, you can also directly share your videos on YouTube or TikTok.
Conclusion
Both auto captions and manual subtitling have their benefits, but for many people, auto captions are the better choice. They are faster, cheaper, and easier to use. With advances in AI, auto captions are becoming more accurate every day, and they are a great option for anyone who wants to make their videos accessible to a wider audience.
Of course, manual subtitling still has its place, especially for videos that need perfect accuracy, like movies or TV shows. But for most content creators, auto captions offer a practical and efficient solution. If you haven’t tried auto captions yet, give them a try now.
