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Captions: Closed vs. Open

Add captions via upload (toggleable, multi-language) or burn-in (always on); includes pros/cons and when to use each.

Updated over a week ago

Captions are essential for narrated tutorials. You can add them in two ways:

A) Closed captions

Pros

  • Viewers can toggle captions on/off and change language.

  • Often searchable and indexable

Cons

  • Most players show captions off by default.

  • In muted/autoplay embeds, viewers may miss that audio is available.

  • Styling varies by platform; requires a host that supports caption files.

How to

  • Generate your video, then go to Export → download a caption file (.srt, .sbv or .vtt).

  • Upload the file to your video host (YouTube, Vimeo, LMS, etc.). Make sure you select the 'With timing' option.

B) Open (burned-in) captions

Pros

  • Always visible—great for feeds where sound is off by default (LinkedIn, X).

  • Consistent look that matches your brand.

  • Works everywhere, even where caption files aren’t supported.

Cons

  • Not toggleable

  • May cover on-screen UI

  • If the player also shows closed captions, you’ll get duplicate text and viewers will need to turn off closed captions.

How to

  • Open the Captions tab in the video toolbar and configure your caption styling

Quick guidance

  • Social feeds / muted autoplay: Burn-in.

  • YouTube, LMS, multi-language: Upload caption files.

  • Avoid enabling both at once to prevent duplicate captions.

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