Easy Way to Add Subtitles to Videos

Creating automated subtitles and captions using VLC Media Player is relatively easy. VLC Media Player is a free, open-source multimedia player that allows users to easily add captions and subtitles to videos and movies. Since VLC Media Player is not a “caption editor” per se, there are a few extra steps versus using something like Handbrake.

Want to know how to add subtitles to a video with just a few clicks? You’ll need to use Sonix for automated transcription and then once you have the transcript from Sonix, you can easily export an SRT file to VLC Media Player. With Sonix’s advanced transcription engine and editor, it’s easy to add subtitles to video.

How to Add Subtitles to a Video in VLC: Step-by-step instructions

Using Sonix’s revolutionary auto subtitle generator, you can now add captions to videos in six easy steps.

STEP 1: Upload video to Sonix

Sonix accepts multiple file formats. Simply locate your file on your desktop and upload it to Sonix. If you don’t have a Sonix account you can create a free trial here: https://sonix.ai/accounts/sign_up

STEP 2: Polish / edit your transcript in Sonix

Sonix has a built-in text editor so you can edit the text while watching the video. It’s like magic!

STEP 3: Export SRT

Click EXPORT in Sonix and then select SRT and adjust your subtitle’s length and number of lines.

STEP 4: Add subtitle file to VLC

To encode subtitles in VLC on Mac, go to the “File” tab, then select “Convert and Stream” and add the subtitle file by clicking on “Open Media”. 

STEP 5: Choose profile

Go to the “Choose profile” and choose DVB Subtitle, then check the box next to Overlay subtitles on the video.

STEP 6: Save your file

Click on “Apply”, then “Save File”, then “Browse”. Select a folder island then save your file. 

That’s it! It’s pretty simple once you know your way around the VLC Media Player.

Why Add Subtitles to Videos?

So what’s the big deal about subtitles anyway? Is it really worth it to spend time adding captions to all your video content? The short answer is a resounding yes. 

There are several major benefits to adding subtitles to your videos, including:

Increased Reach & Accessibility

Adding subtitles to videos boosts your reach and gives you access to a larger audience. Studies have found that the majority of videos on social media are watched on mute. For example, 85% of all Facebook Videos are viewed without sound. If you don’t add subtitles to your video content, you’re missing out on a huge chunk of users. Not to mention, subtitles increase accessibility for those who are hard-of-hearing. Adding captions opens up an entirely new world for viewers everywhere. 

Increased Engagement

Make your audience truly feel like they’re part of the experience! With subtitles, you can draw them in with words and phrases that emphasize important moments and key messages. Studies have shown that videos with captions are more likely to be understood and — more importantly — remembered by viewers. When you create an immersive viewing experience with image, sound, and text, you transform video content into something memorable and actionable.

Increased Searchability 

Google can’t watch your video content, but it can crawl text files containing transcripts and captions. Adding subtitles to your videos can help increase organic search traffic, which in turn helps push your content higher in the rankings. Increased traffic and search engine rankings get your content in front of more people, leading to higher engagement and a boost in revenue.    

Discover the Power of Sonix

VLC subtitles offer a powerful tool for sharing your brand’s video content. Create subtitles quickly with advanced transcription technology that delivers fast and accurate results. With Sonix, you can even auto-generate subtitles from video offline for easy transcription on the go! 

Reach a broader audience by making your content accessible to those who are hard of hearing, people who prefer to watch with subtitles, or those who speak a different language. Sonix can translate voice to text in over 40 languages, allowing you to take your brand global.

Sonix makes it easy to add subtitles to video using VLC Media Player, providing fast and accurate transcriptions every time. But what makes Sonix the leading transcription platform?

Automatic Speech Recognition

Meet the smartest subtitle generator in the industry, powered by deep learning neural networking. Sonix records speech from your videos with impeccable accuracy and provides transcriptions in record time. Adding subtitles to video has never been easier or faster.

Speaker Recognition

Say goodbye to long hours spent manually labeling different speakers for each video. Our auto subtitle generator uses robust AI technology to recognize each individual speaker and label them accordingly so you can focus on what matters most — sharing your content with the world. 

Multi-Channel Recognition

Recording videos on multiple channels and devices? No problem! You can use the subtitle generator from audio files on various platforms to streamline your transcription process. Upload complex multi-channel recordings to Sonix, and our video caption generator tool will recognize each channel separately and combine the audio into a single transcript. 

Powerful API

Sonix is built for the future. Transcribe and add subtitles to video with an API built to scale with your business. Our technology incorporates next-generation technology and a highly-customizable API, designed to boost your output to record levels at the click of a button.

Global Vocabulary

Sonix combines words, dialects, and variants from more than 40 world languages to create more accurate transcriptions and subtitles — no matter what part of the world you’re in. Translate videos in minutes and engage with viewers around the world.  

Noise Cancellation

Let’s face it, not every video is recorded in perfect conditions. Stop worrying about how to add subtitles to a video with ambient noise or multiple speakers. Simplify your next project with a powerful transcription and subtitle creator that does all the work for you. Sonix transcribes accurately without missing a beat — no matter what’s going on in the background. 

Automated Punctuation

Stop spending your valuable time formatting, correcting, and improving grammar in your captions. Our subtitle creator automatically corrects any grammatical issues in real-time, providing an accurate and grammatically-correct transcript from the get-go. 

Want to try it out for yourself? You can now add subtitles to video, free with our 30-minute trial. Start transcribing today!