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Add Subtitles in Final Cut Pro

Make an SRT from your video in Exemplary AI, import it into Final Cut Pro as closed captions, then style it or turn it into subtitle titles.

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To add subtitles in Final Cut Pro, open your project and choose File > Import > Closed Captions, then pick an SRT file: the captions land in a closed caption lane at the top of the timeline.

Final Cut Pro's own Generate Captions writes captions from the audio, but only in U.S. English and only on a Mac with Apple silicon. For other languages, or an Intel Mac, make the SRT in Exemplary AI: upload the video, correct the transcript and download it. Free plan: 500 one-time credits; files up to 500 MB and 30 min long; 720p video exports with a watermark.

Subtitles in Final Cut Pro at a glance

Facts checked .

Import
File > Import > Closed Captions: SRT, iTT or CEA-608 (.scc); not VTT
Where they land
A closed caption lane at the top of the timeline
SRT styling
Bold, italic, underline and color; Duplicate Captions to Subtitles for full title styling
Generate Captions
Edit > Generate Captions: U.S. English only, on a Mac with Apple silicon
Export
File > Export Closed Captions for a file; burn in from the Share window
Free plan
500 one-time credits; files up to 500 MB and 30 min long; 720p video exports with a watermark
How it works

How to add subtitles in Final Cut Pro

A transcript in Exemplary AI downloaded as an SRT file

Generate Captions or an imported SRT?

Final Cut Pro writes captions itself with Edit > Generate Captions: Closed Captions (Shift-Command-C) makes an iTT caption track, and Subtitles (Shift-Command-S) makes animated subtitle title clips, with a Vertical Social Media Safe option. Both need a Mac with Apple silicon, and both are U.S. English only. Final Cut Pro for iPad generates captions in U.S. English too, and Apple’s iPad guide has no topic on importing caption files.

For speech in any other language, or on an Intel Mac, import an SRT from Exemplary AI instead. It brings the spoken language detected for you, a transcript you correct like a document before it reaches the timeline, speaker names in the file if you want them, and translation into any of 116 languages, each language as its own SRT; import each language under its own language subrole.

Final Cut Pro checks SRT captions as they come in: no overlapping times and no runs of blank lines inside a caption. If it reports a problem, fix the line in the transcript and download the SRT again. When you export captions as SRT, Apple recommends turning off Include Formatting. The menu names here follow Apple’s Final Cut Pro 12.4 guide.

Using another editor? See DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro or CapCut. Have a VTT file? Switch it to SRT with the SRT to VTT converter, which works both ways.

What it does

An SRT for Final Cut Pro, Made from Your Video

Exemplary AI writes the caption file; Final Cut Pro puts it in a caption lane for you to style.

Beyond U.S. English

Generate Captions is U.S. English only. Exemplary AI detects the spoken language, so the SRT works for interviews and videos in other languages.

Works on an Intel Mac

Generate Captions needs Apple silicon; importing an SRT doesn't.

Corrected before import

Fix names and jargon in the transcript like a document, so the captions arrive spelled right.

A caption role per language

Translate into any of 116 languages and import each SRT under its own language subrole.

Keep going

From spoken words to finished captions

Create a subtitle track, choose how it looks, or make the captions part of the video.

Browse all 155 tools
Questions

Common questions

How do I import SRT subtitles into Final Cut Pro?
Open the project and choose File > Import > Closed Captions, then pick the .srt. Choose a caption role and language and where the captions start; they land in a closed caption lane at the top of the timeline.
Can Final Cut Pro import VTT files?
No. It imports SRT, iTT and CEA-608 (.scc). Convert a .vtt to .srt first, for example with our free SRT to VTT converter, which works both ways.
How do I style SRT captions in Final Cut Pro?
In the Closed Caption inspector, SRT captions take bold, italic, underline and text color only. For fonts, sizes and animation, choose Edit > Closed Captions > Duplicate Captions to Subtitles, which turns them into subtitle title clips you can style like any title.
Does Final Cut Pro make captions automatically?
Yes, with Edit > Generate Captions (as closed captions or as subtitle titles), but only for U.S. English and only on a Mac with Apple silicon. For other languages, import an SRT.
How do I burn captions into the video in Final Cut Pro?
In the Share window, open Roles and choose to burn in the captions for the language you want. Subtitle title clips are titles, so they are always burned in.
Can I export an SRT from Final Cut Pro?
Yes. Choose File > Export Closed Captions; you get one file per language subrole. For an SRT, Apple recommends turning off Include Formatting.
Is it free to make the SRT for Final Cut Pro?
Yes, on the Free plan: 500 one-time credits; files up to 500 MB and 30 min long; 720p video exports with a watermark. The Free plan watermark applies to video exports, not to subtitle or transcript downloads.

Discover more Subtitles & Captions

Give your words a place on screen

Upload a video to review its transcript, adjust the captions, and export the finished result.

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