YouTube can generate automatic captions after you upload, but they can take a while to appear and often misspell names and jargon. Making your own caption file first lets you fix those words before anyone sees them, and gives you a file you can reuse on other platforms.
This generator listens to your video with a speech model that runs in your browser, so the file stays on your device. You review the lines, correct them and download the result.
YouTube caption generator: what to know
Why make your own file
You control the spelling of your brand, product and guest names, you can fix timing before publishing, and you keep a transcript you can turn into a blog post or description.
What to check before you upload
Read the whole transcript once, especially numbers, names and any technical words. Then upload the file in YouTube Studio under Subtitles and preview a few lines against the audio.
Long videos
For videos over about ten minutes, process them in parts or use the Tiny model for speed. Very long files can run out of memory in a browser tab.
How to use
- Add your video or audio. Drop an MP4, MOV, WebM, MP3 or WAV file into the tool. Files up to about 10 minutes work best.
- Pick a language and a speed. Leave the language on auto-detect or choose yours. The page shows an estimated wait for each model size, measured on your device after the first run.
- Fix any words. Read through the generated lines and correct names, brands and jargon. If you only change spelling, the word timing stays exact.
- Export or burn in. Download an SRT or VTT to upload in YouTube Studio, or choose a caption style and create a new MP4 with the captions drawn onto it.
Limits and good to know
- Works best on clips up to about 10 minutes. Longer files use a lot of memory on phones.
- The first run downloads the speech model once, then your browser keeps it.
- Burning captions in records the video in real time, so keep the tab open and visible until it finishes.
FAQ
Do I still need YouTube's automatic captions?
You can use both. Your own file replaces the automatic track for that language once you publish it.
Is it free?
Yes, with no account and no watermark.
Does it work for languages other than English?
Yes, the model supports many languages. Choose yours instead of auto-detect for the best result.
Is the caption generator free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no daily limit.
Is my video uploaded?
No. The speech model runs in your browser on your own device.
Which file does YouTube want?
Download the SRT or VTT and upload it under Subtitles in YouTube Studio. Both are accepted.