Closed captions vs subtitles: what each term means
Closed captions vs subtitles explained: definitions, SDH, translation, open and closed captions, burned-in versus sidecar files, platform behavior and WCAG context.
9 min read · Updated 2026-10-28
Subtitle guides
Each guide solves one concrete problem: choosing a format, fixing timing, understanding Whisper accuracy, uploading to a platform or making captions accessible. The guides are written and maintained by the VoiceToTextFree team and link to primary sources where a factual claim depends on one.
Start with SRT vs VTT if you only need a file format, or how to improve Whisper accuracy if the transcript needs work.
How does Whisper work? The model behind browser subtitles
How does Whisper work? Follow audio through a log-Mel spectrogram, an encoder-decoder Transformer and 30-second windows, then see how it runs on WebGPU or WASM.
9 min read · Updated 2026-10-28
How to add captions to Reels: three routes that actually work
How to add captions to Reels with the in-app sticker, a burned-in export or an SRT for an editor. Compare the routes, safe zones and caption sizing.
9 min read · Updated 2026-10-28
How to add subtitles to TikTok: in-app text, auto captions or burn-in
How to add subtitles to TikTok with in-app text, automatic captions where available, or a burned-in SRT. Covers safe areas, short cue timing and phone checks.
9 min read · Updated 2026-10-28
How to add subtitles to YouTube Shorts without breaking the vertical frame
How to add subtitles to YouTube Shorts with a clean SRT: generate cues, review timing, upload in YouTube Studio, and check safe areas on a phone.
9 min read · Updated 2026-10-28
How to burn subtitles into video: a practical burn-in guide
Learn how to burn subtitles into video with ffmpeg.wasm in the browser, check readability, and see when a sidecar file is still the accessible choice.
10 min read · Updated 2026-10-28
How to create an SRT file: syntax, timing and safe edits
How to create an SRT file with exact cue syntax, timestamp math and safe editing steps, plus fixes for overlaps, wrong separators and encoding problems.
9 min read · Updated 2026-10-28
How to improve Whisper accuracy for cleaner subtitles
How to improve Whisper accuracy with better audio capture, explicit language selection, measured model sizes, overlap handling and a practical human review workflow.
9 min read · Updated 2026-10-29
How to open an SRT file on a computer, phone or video player
How to open an SRT file in a text editor, VLC, a browser, YouTube Studio, Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro or CapCut, and fix common errors.
9 min read · Updated 2026-10-28
How to sync subtitles
How to sync subtitles when every line is late or the gap keeps growing: measure drift, apply an offset or a stretch factor, and handle frame-rate mismatch.
8 min read · Updated 2026-10-28
How to translate subtitles into another language: an honest workflow
How to translate subtitles into another language when Whisper only translates to English: export SRT, edit cue by cue, protect timing and review idioms.
10 min read · Updated 2026-10-28
SRT for Premiere Pro: import SRT into video editors without drift
SRT for Premiere Pro: import SRT into video editors with verified steps for Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro and CapCut.
10 min read · Updated 2026-10-28
Is browser transcription private? What stays on your device
Is browser transcription private? See what runs locally, what hosting logs and model downloads still reveal, and how to verify the network behaviour yourself.
9 min read · Updated 2026-10-29
Netflix subtitle guidelines: what the published timed-text guide says
A neutral walkthrough of Netflix subtitle guidelines: published timing, reading speed, line length, shot changes, speaker IDs, music and SDH, with attribution.
9 min read · Updated 2026-10-28
Right to left subtitles and non-Latin scripts: a practical guide
Right to left subtitles need UTF-8, bidirectional text, correct punctuation, suitable fonts and player testing. A practical guide to RTL SRT and WebVTT.
11 min read · Updated 2026-10-28
SRT not working? Why your subtitles are not showing
SRT not working? A step-by-step diagnosis for subtitles not showing: file type, filename match, encoding, timestamps, overlaps, player limits and cache.
8 min read · Updated 2026-10-28
SRT vs VTT: which subtitle format should you use?
SRT vs VTT explained with real examples: timestamp syntax, compatibility, styling and a simple decision path for video editors, YouTube and the web.
9 min read · Updated 2026-10-29
Captioning workflow: from recording to delivery
A practical captioning workflow from planning and audio cleanup to local transcription, review, CPS checks, validation, player QA and archiving.
9 min read · Updated 2026-10-28
Subtitle best practices: a practical guide to cleaner captions
Subtitle best practices for real playback: clause-level segmentation, two-line limits, reading speed, punctuation, speaker IDs, SDH and a clean review pass.
9 min read · Updated 2026-10-28
Subtitle glossary: 46 terms for captions, timing and delivery
A subtitle glossary of 46 captioning terms: cue, timecode, CPS, CPL, SDH, sidecar, burn-in, SRT, WebVTT, TTML and more, defined in plain language.
9 min read · Updated 2026-10-29
Subtitle line length
Subtitle line length explained: the 42-character convention, two-line limits, counting spaces, line balancing and scripts such as CJK, Arabic and Urdu.
7 min read · Updated 2026-10-28
Subtitle reading speed
Subtitle reading speed explained: the CPS formula, 15-20 CPS guidelines, minimum duration, the 1-7 second range and how to fix cues that are too fast.
8 min read · Updated 2026-10-29
Subtitle timing guidelines: duration, gaps and cue length
Subtitle timing guidelines for editors: practical duration ranges, cue length, gaps, shot changes, frame-rate rounding, sync and lead-in, with a scenario table.
9 min read · Updated 2026-10-28
Subtitles for accessibility: what WCAG requires and how to deliver it
Subtitles for accessibility explained with WCAG 2.2: captions for prerecorded and live audio, speaker IDs, sound descriptions, timing and WebVTT delivery.
9 min read · Updated 2026-10-28
What is a VTT file? The WebVTT subtitle format explained
What is a VTT file? Learn how the WEBVTT header, dot timestamps, cue settings and the HTML5 track element work, with valid and invalid examples.
9 min read · Updated 2026-10-29
What is an SRT file? Inside the plain-text subtitle format
What is an SRT file? Learn how numbered cues, comma timestamps and UTF-8 text work, how to inspect an SRT, and how to create or export one.
8 min read · Updated 2026-10-29
Whisper model sizes compared: tiny, base and small in a browser
Whisper model sizes compared using measured browser downloads: tiny, base and small, their parameters, memory tradeoffs and a practical way to choose.
8 min read · Updated 2026-10-28
Word aligned subtitles and styled captions: what is possible
Word aligned subtitles need per-word timing, but VoiceToTextFree exports plain timed cues. Learn what word-level timing, styled captions and animation require.
10 min read · Updated 2026-10-28