What is the difference between captions and subtitles?

Captions are a transcription of the spoken dialogue and non-speech audio (like sound effects) in the same language, intended for viewers who cannot hear the audio. Subtitles are a translation of the spoken dialogue into another language, intended for viewers who can hear the audio but don't understand the language spoken.

What are closed captions?

Closed captions (CC) are captions that the viewer can turn on or off via their video player. They exist as a separate file (like an SRT or VTT file) alongside the video. Open captions, in contrast, are permanently burned into the video image and cannot be turned off.

What file format are captions in?

The most common caption formats on the web are SRT (SubRip Subtitle) and VTT (WebVTT). Both are plain text files that contain the text to be displayed along with exact start and end timestamps.

Do I need software to create captions?

No. You can generate captions in your browser for free using Konthora. By uploading your video or audio file, Konthora uses automatic speech recognition to transcribe the audio and provides downloadable SRT or VTT files, with no account required.

Can I add captions to a YouTube video?

Yes. YouTube allows you to upload an SRT or VTT caption file for your videos. You can use Konthora to generate an SRT file from your video's audio, download it, and then upload it to your YouTube Studio under the Subtitles section.

Are captions required for accessibility?

Yes, in many jurisdictions and under standards like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), providing closed captions for pre-recorded video is a requirement to make content accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Captions and Subtitles: What They Are and Why They Matter

What Are Captions?

Captions provide a text display of spoken words in a video, presented in the same language that is being spoken. Their primary purpose is to provide an alternative for viewers who cannot hear the audio track.

Crucially, captions do not just transcribe speech. They also include textual descriptions of non-speech audio elements that are important to understanding the video. This includes speaker identification (e.g., "John: Hello"), sound effects (e.g., "[doorbell rings]"), and musical cues (e.g., "[upbeat music playing]").

What Are Subtitles?

Subtitles provide a text translation of spoken words in a video into a different language. They assume the viewer can hear the audio but does not understand the language being spoken.

Because subtitles assume the viewer can hear, they typically do not include descriptions of sound effects, musical cues, or speaker identifications unless the speaker is off-screen and it is unclear who is speaking.

Captions vs. Subtitles: The Key Differences

Feature	Captions	Subtitles
Primary Audience	Viewers who cannot hear the audio	Viewers who do not understand the language
Language	Same language as the spoken audio	Translated into another language
Non-Speech Audio	Included (e.g., sound effects, music)	Not typically included
Speaker IDs	Included	Usually omitted

Open Captions vs. Closed Captions

Closed captions (CC) are separate from the video file itself. They can be turned on or off by the viewer using their video player. They are usually delivered as a separate text file, such as an SRT or VTT file, which is uploaded alongside the video.

Open captions (also known as "burned-in" or "hardcoded" captions) are permanently encoded into the video image. They cannot be turned off by the viewer. Open captions are useful when a video player does not support closed captioning or when you want to ensure the captions are always visible, such as on social media platforms where videos often autoplay without sound.

Caption File Formats: SRT and VTT

To display closed captions or subtitles, video players require a text file that contains the dialogue alongside precise timing information. The two most common SRT and VTT file formats used on the web are SRT and WebVTT.

SRT Files

SRT (SubRip Subtitle) is the most widely supported caption format. It is a simple, plain-text format containing a sequence number, a start and end timestamp, and the caption text.

1
00:00:01,500 --> 00:00:04,200
Welcome to our video on captions.

2
00:00:04,500 --> 00:00:07,800
Today, we will learn about SRT and VTT files.

VTT Files

VTT (WebVTT) is the modern standard for HTML5 web video. It is similar to SRT but supports additional styling and positioning data, allowing captions to be moved around the screen to avoid obscuring important video content.

How to Create Captions for Your Video

You can generate SRT or VTT files automatically using Konthora's free speech-to-text transcription tool.

Upload your file

Go to Konthora’s audio-to-text tool. Upload your MP4, WebM, MOV, or audio file. Konthora extracts the audio track automatically.

Select a timestamp mode

Choose sentence-level or paragraph-level timestamps, as caption files require these timings to display text on screen correctly.

Transcribe

Click Transcribe Audio. Konthora uses speech recognition to convert the spoken audio into text with timestamps.

Export as SRT or VTT

Download your transcript in SRT or VTT format. You can then upload this file alongside your video on platforms like YouTube.

Generate Captions Free — Export as SRT or VTT

Why Captions Matter for Accessibility

Captions are a critical tool for digital inclusion and accessibility. They ensure that video content is available to millions of people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Beyond primary accessibility, captions benefit everyone. They allow viewers to consume content in noisy environments or quiet spaces where audio cannot be played. They also help viewers understand heavily accented speech or complex technical terminology. Providing captions is not just a best practice—it is often a legal requirement for public and educational content under standards like WCAG.