how to create TikTok subtitles
Before discussing how to create TikTok subtitles, it is essential to understand the value of subtitles in the dissemination of TikTok videos. Subtitles are not merely supplementary text; they are an important tool for enhancing video quality. Research shows that over 69% of TikTok users watch videos in silent mode (source: TikTok Official Creator’s Guide). Without subtitles, this group of viewers might quickly swipe past the video. Subtitles help viewers understand the content even in noisy environments or when the video is played in mute mode, thereby increasing the viewing duration. An increase in viewing duration boosts the video’s completion rate, which is a crucial reference indicator for TikTok’s recommendation algorithm.
At the same time, subtitles can effectively break down language barriers and expand the audience range of videos. For non-native speakers, subtitles are the key to quickly understanding the content. According to a report by the third-party research platform Wyzowl, videos with subtitles receive an average of 12% to 15% more interactions than those without. Higher interaction and retention rates make videos more likely to be recommended by the system to the “For You” page, thus achieving greater exposure. This is why more and more creators and brands are making the addition of high-quality subtitles an indispensable part of their TikTok video production.
TikTok subtitles are a feature that converts the audio content of videos into text and displays it synchronously with the visuals. They can help viewers understand the video content more clearly and also enhance the accessibility of the video in different viewing environments.
TikTok offers two types of subtitles: automatic subtitles and manual subtitles. Automatic subtitles are generated by the system’s speech recognition function, which is fast and easy to operate, suitable for quick video posting. However, the recognition accuracy can be affected by accents, background noise, and speaking speed, and thus requires post-checking and modification. Manual subtitles are input and adjusted by the creator themselves, ensuring precise content, but it takes longer.
The advantage of the built-in subtitle function of TikTok lies in its convenient operation, no need for additional tools, and direct adaptation to the platform display format. However, its disadvantages are also obvious, such as limited subtitle style selection, inflexible editing functions, and low efficiency in batch processing.
In contrast, professional subtitle tools (such as Easysub) offer higher speech recognition accuracy, support multi-language subtitle generation, and provide personalized settings for font, color, and position. They also enable batch processing and export in various formats. This makes them more efficient and professional for creators and enterprises that frequently release videos and strive for brand consistency and high-quality presentation.
The role of subtitles in TikTok videos goes far beyond “text descriptions”. They are an important factor influencing the exposure rate of the videos and user engagement. Here are the key benefits:
Subtitles can help deaf users and those watching in noisy environments easily understand the content of the video.
Even when users are in places like subways or offices where it’s inconvenient to have audio, they can still fully obtain the information through subtitles.
According to official data from TikTok, more than 80% of users watch videos in silent mode.
Subtitles can break down language barriers and enable users from different countries to understand the content of the video.
If accompanied by multilingual subtitles, the video has the potential to reach a wider international audience.
A social media marketing report indicates that multilingual subtitles can increase overseas viewership by approximately 25%.
Subtitles can guide users to follow the rhythm of the video, thereby enhancing their concentration and content absorption rate.
Studies have shown that the average completion rate of videos with subtitles can be increased by 30%.
A higher completion rate helps TikTok’s algorithm to push the videos to more viewers.
Subtitles can enhance the transmission of information, making it easier for viewers to comment, like or share.
In videos with dense content or complex information, subtitles can assist viewers in understanding the details, thereby stimulating discussions.
Data shows that the number of video comments with subtitles has increased by an average of over 15%.
The text content in the subtitles will be captured by TikTok’s internal search and search engine.
By appropriately embedding keywords, the video can increase its visibility in related search results.
For instance, including popular topic tags or key phrases in the subtitles can significantly improve the search ranking.
| Method | Advantages | Disadvantages | Suitable For |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok Built-in Subtitle Feature | Easy to use, no extra software needed; fast auto-recognition; ideal for quick publishing | Accuracy affected by accent and background noise; limited editing features; only supports videos within the platform | Individual creators, short-video beginners |
| Manual Addition (Premiere Pro, CapCut, etc.) | Highly precise and controllable; customizable fonts, colors, and animation effects; suitable for branded content | Time-consuming; requires video editing skills; higher software learning curve | Professional editors, brand marketing teams |
| AI Auto-Generation Tools (Easysub) | High recognition accuracy; multi-language support; efficient batch processing; online editing and export in TikTok-compatible formats | Requires video upload; internet connection needed | Content creators, cross-border sellers, teams needing high-efficiency subtitle production |
TikTok offers an automatic caption generation feature, with a low learning curve and being highly suitable for beginners. Simply turn on “Automatic Captions” in the video editing interface to generate the captions.
The advantages are fast speed and no need for additional tools. The disadvantages are that the recognition rate will be affected by accents, speaking speed and background noise, and the customization ability of subtitle styles is relatively weak.
Manually creating subtitles allows for highly customizable options, including precise timelines, personalized fonts, colors, and animations.
This method is suitable for creators who have specific requirements for video branding. However, the production process is time-consuming and requires a certain level of video editing skills. It is less efficient for long videos or multiple batch productions.
Easysub utilizes AI technology to quickly identify video and audio content and generate highly accurate subtitles. It supports multiple languages and cross-border content. You can use Easysub to automatically add subtitles to TikTok videos.
Compared with the built-in subtitles, Easysub offers more powerful editing capabilities, allowing for batch processing, online adjustment of subtitle styles, and direct export of the vertical screen video format suitable for TikTok.
This method is particularly suitable for creators, brand owners and cross-border sellers who need to produce a large amount of videos. It can significantly save time and improve the quality of subtitles.
brand_topic_tiktok_zh_1080x1920_OC.mp4). Easier for later retrieval.Workflow: Upload → Automatic Subtitles → Proofreading → Timeline Fine-tuning → Style Standardization → Export 1080×1920 MP4 (for burning or SRT) → Upload to TikTok.
Naming convention: Project_Topic_Language_Platform_Resolution_Whether_to_burn_Date.mp4
Team Collaboration: Develop a “Subtitles Style Guide” and a “Terminology List”, which will be used repeatedly over time to ensure consistency in the series of videos.
First of all, controlling the length of the subtitles is crucial. It is recommended that each line should not exceed 15 Chinese characters (approximately 35 English characters), and keep within one to two lines. This way, viewers can easily read them in a short period of time, which is particularly suitable for TikTok videos with a fast pace.
The color of the subtitles should have sufficient contrast. The common practice is to use “white text with black borders”, or to add a semi-transparent dark background strip below the text. This ensures that the subtitles are clearly visible in any background, and is also convenient for users with complex lighting conditions or with weak vision.
The position of the subtitles is also very important. When placing them, avoid the core areas of the video, such as the mouth movements of the characters, product details, or key information areas. Generally, it is recommended to place the subtitles below the screen and keep a safe distance of more than 5% from the edge of the screen to avoid blocking important content.
Most TikTok videos adopt a 9:16 vertical screen ratio, so the font size and line spacing of the subtitles need to be optimized for small-screen devices. After the video is completed, it should be previewed on screens of different sizes to ensure that the text remains legible even when viewed from 1 meter away.
When adding subtitles to TikTok videos, inadequate attention to details can significantly affect the viewer experience and even lead to a decrease in video traffic. Here are some common mistakes and their impacts:
If the subtitles do not match the audio, viewers will need to think extra hard to understand the content, and their attention is likely to be interrupted. Especially in fast-paced short videos, this delay can significantly reduce the completion rate. During production, the timeline should be checked repeatedly, and if necessary, adjustments should be made frame by frame.
Using all capital letters will reduce readability and give a sense of oppression; too small a font size will make it difficult for users to read on their mobile devices. It is recommended to use a combination of capital and lowercase letters and maintain an appropriate font size to ensure clear readability even when viewed in portrait mode.
If multilingual subtitles contain literal translations, awkward translations, or inappropriate cultural expressions, they may cause misunderstandings or even resentment among the target audience. Cross-language content should be proofread by people who are familiar with the local culture to ensure that the language use is natural and in line with the context.
The color of the subtitles has insufficient contrast with the background, which may make it difficult for some users to distinguish, especially for those with red-green color blindness or blue-yellow color blindness. High contrast color combinations should be chosen, such as white text with black borders or semi-transparent dark backgrounds, to ensure that all viewers can read clearly.
The color of the subtitles has insufficient contrast with the background, which may make it difficult for some users to distinguish, especially for those with red-green color blindness or blue-yellow color blindness. High contrast color combinations should be chosen, such as white text with black borders or semi-transparent dark backgrounds, to ensure that all viewers can read clearly.
The accuracy of TikTok’s built-in subtitle recognition is affected by factors such as accent, background noise, and speaking speed. Easysub employs a deep learning speech recognition engine and supports noise optimization processing, making its recognition of various accents and industry terms more accurate. Even for videos recorded in outdoor or noisy environments, it can maintain a high recognition rate.
The native subtitle function of TikTok is mainly designed for users with a single language. Cross-language subtitles require manual translation. Easysub supports automatic recognition and translation of multiple languages, and provides cultural context optimization to make the content more in line with the expression habits of the target market. This is particularly important for cross-border e-commerce and international brands.
The built-in function of TikTok can only process one video at a time. Easysub, on the other hand, enables batch upload and batch generation of subtitles, and supports the application of a unified style, significantly shortening the production cycle. For teams that require stable output of content, this feature can significantly reduce labor and time costs.
Easysub offers a timeline visualization interface, allowing for frame-by-frame adjustment of subtitle entry and exit points, as well as complete customization of font, color, and position. Compared to TikTok’s fixed style options, Easysub better meets the need for brand visual consistency.
In the short-video competition on TikTok, subtitles are no longer an optional add-on feature. Instead, they have become an important tool for enhancing the viewing experience, prolonging the viewing time, and increasing search visibility. High-quality subtitles enable the content to transcend language and hearing impairments, allowing more viewers to understand and engage with the videos. They also help creators gain more recommendations and organic traffic.
Easysub makes this process simpler and more efficient. It features high-precision AI recognition, multilingual support, batch processing, and visual editing capabilities. You can generate professional and TikTok-compatible subtitles within just a few minutes. You don’t need complex editing skills. Nor do you have to spend a lot of time manually adjusting. Just upload the video, and the rest is handled by Easysub.
Start adding subtitles to your TikTok videos right now to make the content more shareable and influential. Click Register Now for Easysub to experience the fast, accurate, and customizable subtitle production process. Your next hit video can start with professional subtitles.
Thanks for reading this blog. Feel free to contact us for more questions or customization needs!
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