Detailed Tutorial on How to Hardcode Subtitles

If you’ve been following video trends on social media, you’ve likely noticed that subtitles are becoming more and more prevalent. Some platforms auto-generate captions to increase inclusivity, but these are often inaccurate or incomplete. That’s why a lot of video creators are interested in how to add subtitles permanently to their videos.

Before we discuss how to hardcode subtitles, let’s talk about what hardcoded subtitles are and why you might want to take this step for some or all of your videos. Hardcoding subtitles or captions into a video or movie means that the subtitles are permanently embedded in the video and cannot be turned on or off. Softcoded subtitles, on the other hand, can be turned on or off by the viewer. While this might seem like the preferred option, consider that not all formats will give the user the option to turn subtitles on. So, if you have softcoded subtitles on an Instagram or TikTok video, your viewers may not be able to see them. Let’s talk about a few of the big reasons to hardcode your subtitles.

• Improved syncing between your video and your subtitles. Auto-generated subtitles tend to lag video content, which can be especially frustrating for viewers who have a hearing impairment or who simply don’t have the option to watch with audio. With hardcoded subtitles, you can control when the subtitles appear and how long they stay on the screen – thereby improving your audience’s overall experience with your video.

• Better accessibility on all platforms. Consider all of the people who want to watch and understand your videos, but who may not be able to listen to them. As we mentioned above, you may not always have the option to let your viewers turn subtitles on or off. While viewers who are not hearing impaired and viewers who have the liberty to watch your videos with sound may not prefer subtitles, including hardcoded subtitles is a great way to engage more people, no matter how you share your videos.

• Increased engagement on social media. Studies have shown that viewers engage more with videos that have closed captions or subtitles. When your subtitles are accurate, synced well, and look good, you’re very likely to see more engagement with hardcoded subtitles than without them.

• More accurate subtitles. You want your audience to hear (or read) what you say in your videos, right? You want to give them the best possible experience, and that means ensuring that all viewers hear (or read) the same content. However, there’s no way to guarantee that level of accuracy and inclusion with auto-generated subtitles. Worse, you can’t guarantee that every platform will even automatically include subtitles on videos that don’t have them hardcoded into the video file. Don’t leave people out – use hardcoded subtitles to ensure that everyone gets the best experience with your videos.

You can also use VLC to add subtitles to your video. Just follow these steps:

1. Launch VLC player and import your video into the app.

2. From the Media tab, choose Stream. This should open a media panel.

3. In the media panel, check the Use a subtitle file box and click + Add to import your SRT file.

4. Browse for your subtitle file and upload it into VLC Player.

5. Click Stream and then click Next. 

6. Choose a destination to save your stream file and click Next again.

7. In the pop-up window in VLC player, check the box next to Activate Transcoding.

8. A new window will appear. Open the Subtitles tab and select the checkboxes for Subtitles and Overlay subtitles on the video.

9. Click Save to save your video with subtitles.

While there are a lot of options out there to hardcode or softcode subtitles into a video, hardcoding is usually the easier and more universally useful option for most video creators. It ensures that your videos will be inclusive and engaging for all audiences on most online platforms. And, with the right tools, it’s actually really easy to do. Why not download a free trial of Movavi Video Editor to try it out?