Captions vs Subtitles

Captions are for viewers who can't hear the audio, so they include sounds and who is speaking. Subtitles are for viewers who can hear but need the words. Here is where open, closed and SDH fit.

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Captions are a text version of a video's audio for viewers who can't hear it, so besides the dialogue they name who is speaking and describe sounds that matter, such as music, laughter or a door slamming.

Subtitles assume the viewer can hear: they carry the dialogue, usually translated into another language. Closed captions are a separate track viewers can turn on and off; open captions are burned into the picture and can't be turned off. SDH (subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing) are subtitles written like captions, with the sounds and speaker names included.

Captions, subtitles, open, closed and SDH

Facts checked October 2026.

Captions: The dialogue plus speaker IDs and sound cues, for viewers who can't hear the audio
Subtitles: The dialogue, often translated, for viewers who can hear it
Closed captions: A separate track viewers turn on or off, such as an SRT or VTT file
Open captions: Burned into the picture; they can't be turned off
SDH: Subtitles with sound cues and speaker IDs, as close to word for word as possible
In the UK and elsewhere: "Subtitles" is often used for captions too

How it works

How to choose between captions and subtitles

A video frame with a Spanish subtitle line

The same moment, three ways

Example: one line of dialogue, with a sound in the scene

Subtitles (Spanish)
No puedo creer que lo guardaras todo este tiempo.

Closed captions
[door creaks]
MAYA: I can’t believe you kept it all this time.

Open captions (burned in)
I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU KEPT IT ALL THIS TIME.

What the standards say

The W3C’s accessibility guidelines, WCAG 2.2, define captions as a synchronized text alternative for both speech and the non-speech audio needed to understand the content: sound effects, music, laughter, who is speaking and where. They contrast that with dialogue-only subtitles, and note that in some countries captions are simply called subtitles. WCAG asks for captions on prerecorded video with audio (success criterion 1.2.2, Level A) and on live video (1.2.4, Level AA).

WCAG also separates the two delivery methods: closed captions can be turned on and off in the player, open captions can’t, for example text burned into the video. On U.S. television, the FCC’s closed captioning rules ask for captions that are accurate (background noises and other sounds included), synchronous, complete and properly placed; they cover TV programming, not a video you post yourself.

Subtitles in the traditional sense are written for viewers who can hear, usually the dialogue only, often edited, as DCMP describes foreign film subtitles. SDH borrows from both: subtitle files that carry sound effects and speaker identification, as close to verbatim as possible. Netflix’s English (USA) timed text style guide sets SDH at 42 characters per line, up to 20 characters per second for adult programs, with speaker IDs and sound effects in brackets.

What Exemplary AI makes

Exemplary AI writes the dialogue from the speech, with timings and, if you name the speakers, their names. From that one transcript you can download closed captions as SRT, VTT or TXT files, burn open captions into an MP4 (H.264) in one of 26 caption styles, or translate it into any of 116 languages for subtitles.

It doesn’t add sound descriptions on its own. For full captions or SDH, type the sound cues into the transcript yourself, in brackets, before you download or export.

More on the choice: open vs closed captions, burning subtitles into a video, the SRT generator and the subtitle translator.

What it does

Captions and Subtitles from One Transcript

Write the words once, correct them, then take them out as whichever kind your viewers need.

Closed captions as SRT or VTT

Download the transcript as SRT, VTT or TXT and upload it to YouTube or a player as a track viewers can switch on.

Open captions burned in

Export an MP4 (H.264) with the captions in the picture, in one of 26 styles, for apps people watch with the sound off.

Subtitles in other languages

Translate the transcript into any of 116 languages and download each language as its own subtitle file.

Speaker names

Name the speakers in the transcript and include their names in the download, the way captions identify who is talking.

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Questions

Common questions

What is the difference between captions and subtitles?

Captions are for viewers who can't hear the audio, so they include speaker names and sounds as well as the dialogue. Subtitles are for viewers who can hear it, and carry the dialogue only, usually translated into another language.

Are closed captions the same as subtitles?

Not quite. Closed captions are captions on a track the viewer can turn on or off, with sound cues included. Subtitles are often delivered the same way, as a separate track, but are written for hearing viewers and leave the sounds out. In the UK and some other countries, people say subtitles for both.

What does SDH stand for?

Subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing: subtitle files written like captions, with sound effects and speaker identification included and the dialogue as close to word for word as possible. Streaming services use them where their players take subtitle files rather than closed captions.

What are open captions?

Captions burned into the video picture. Nobody can turn them off and they look the same in every app, which is why they're common on TikTok, Reels and Shorts, where many people watch with the sound off.

Do I need captions for accessibility?

WCAG 2.2, the W3C's accessibility guidelines, asks for captions on prerecorded video with audio (Level A) and on live video (Level AA). Dialogue-only subtitles don't meet that on their own, because captions also cover the sounds needed to follow the video.

Does Exemplary AI add sound descriptions?

No. It writes the dialogue from the speech, with speaker names if you set them. Add sound cues such as [laughter] or [music] to the transcript yourself before you download captions or export the video.

Can I make captions or subtitles for free with Exemplary AI?

Yes, on the Free plan: 500 one-time credits; files up to 500 MB and 30 min long; 720p video exports with a watermark. Download the transcript as SRT or VTT for closed captions, or export the video with the captions burned in.

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