How to Add Subtitles / Captions to YouTube Videos Automatically for FREE (2023)

Summary of the video subtitles (technology + how-to focus)

Purpose of the tutorial

The speaker (Jennifer Marie) provides a complete, free guide to:

• Turn on YouTube captions (CC) for viewing
• Add subtitles to old videos (previously uploaded)
• Upload new videos and attach captions
• Use automatic captions, then improve them with AI-based punctuation/capitalization
• Manually add captions
• Upload subtitle files such as .SRT, including syncing/timeline options

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1) Turning on captions (viewer-side)

How to enable CC

• On computer: open the video and click the CC (closed captions) icon to enable captions (if the creator provided them).
• On phone/tablet: hover over the video and tap the CC icon.

Customizing caption appearance

You can adjust captions via Settings, including:

• Choose which captions/languages to view (if multiple exist)
• Enable Auto-translate to another language
• Adjust font, font size, text color, and background color

Key note: The tutorial emphasizes that if subtitles are distracting or poorly formatted, viewers can simply toggle CC on/off.

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2) Adding subtitles to previously uploaded videos (creator-side)

Where to do it

1. Log into YouTube
2. Open YouTube Studio
3. Go to the Subtitles section
4. Select a video

Automatic captions workflow (fastest approach)

• YouTube may already generate automatic captions (“Automatic captions”).
• The tutorial recommends:
  • Duplicate and edit automatic captions
  • Work with the transcript in “Edit as text”
  • Use AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Grammarly, or Microsoft Word) to improve formatting

AI editing for punctuation/capitalization

• Copy the auto-generated transcript.
• Prompt the AI to add:
  • punctuation (periods, commas, question marks, etc.)
  • proper capitalization
  • while not changing the words
• Then:
  • copy the improved transcript back into YouTube
  • clear existing text (if needed)
  • use Edit timings so captions sync to audio automatically

Bulk text correction

If the AI makes a consistent spelling mistake (example: “Studio gen” vs “Studio j-e-n”):

• Use Notepad + Find/Replace to correct all instances
• Paste the corrected text back into YouTube before generating timings

Manual perfection option

After syncing, you can further refine:

• Split/adjust caption lines using Edit timings
• Use keyboard-based line breaks for formatting

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3) Adding subtitles when uploading a new video

Required setting

If captions can’t be added, the tutorial says to ensure you select the video language under Language & captions.

Options available during upload (video element stage)

• Upload a subtitle file: supports .SRT
  • with timing or without timing
• Upload transcript text:
  • paste an existing transcript
  • choose Edit timings so YouTube syncs it to the timeline

Syncing warning handling

If syncing takes too long (e.g., “taking longer than expected”):

• Save and close
• Finish syncing/publishing later

Auto publish timing

Captions may publish after a few hours, depending on processing.

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4) Manual caption entry (slower, precise)

The tutorial also covers manual caption creation:

• Use Type manually
• Play the video and type caption text per segment
• Adjust timing by dragging caption regions
• Use multi-line formatting (e.g., Shift + Enter)
• The speaker briefly mentions an external tool for structuring captions:
  • autodraw.com (as an example within the manual workflow)
• Finish with Done

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Key recommendations from the tutorial

• For most creators: use automatic captions + AI punctuation/capitalization + re-sync, because it’s fastest.
• For viewers: CC toggling is enough if subtitles are distracting.
• Captions are positioned as a way to reach a larger audience.

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Main speakers/sources

• Speaker: Jennifer Marie (YouTube channel “Jennifer Marie”)
• Tools mentioned for editing/syncing:
  • YouTube / YouTube Studio (automatic captions, timing sync, caption upload/edit)
  • ChatGPT (AI punctuation/capitalization editing; “free version” stated)
  • Notepad (bulk find/replace)
  • (Optionally mentioned) Grammarly, Microsoft Word
  • .SRT subtitle files (external subtitle input)
  • (Briefly mentioned) autodraw.com