It’s been nearly 100 years since “talkies” put an end to the era of silent films. Since then, movies, television and online videos have used the powerful combo of imagery and sound to bring stories to life.
From blockbuster films to quick clips on social media, video has become one of the most common ways we connect, share and learn. We stream them during our work breaks, binge-watch them at night and even rely on them to learn something new quickly.
But while visuals and audio are both major parts of the video experience, we hit “mute” more often than you’d think. Whether we’re in a noisy coffee shop or trying not to disturb a quiet office, video captions make it possible to watch without sound. It’s not just a nice-to-have but essential for accessibility, engagement and making sure your message is communicated no matter where (or how) someone is watching.
Let’s take a closer look at what video captioning is, why it matters more than ever and how you can start using it to make your videos more inclusive, engaging and effective.
A Brief History of Captioning
Captioning has been around for more than 50 years now, and it’s come a long way since its early days.
Captions for the hearing impaired first appeared in 1972, when “The French Chef” with Julia Child aired as an open caption program, meaning the captions were visible to everyone watching and couldn’t be turned off. Just a year later, WETA in Washington, D.C. successfully tested a closed captioning system, allowing viewers to turn captions on or off as needed.
By 1980, the first closed-captioned pre-recorded television programs were available, although viewers needed to buy a separate decoder box to see them. Two years later, the Academy Awards became the first live event to feature real-time closed captioning. That same year, “World News Tonight” became the first regularly scheduled program to be captioned in real time.
Throughout the 1980s and into the early ’90s, more and more programming — from prime-time series and movies to morning shows, political debates and even the Super Bowl — began to include captions. This momentum led to the Television Decoder Circuitry Act of 1990, which required all new TVs 13 inches or larger to include caption decoders starting in 1993.
The 1996 Telecommunications Act expanded captioning accessibility further by also requiring digital TV receivers to contain caption-decoding technology. In 2012, the FCC stepped in again to establish closed captioning requirements for online programming.
Why Captioning Matters More Than Ever
According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 5 people worldwide live with hearing loss. For this community, video captions aren’t optional — they’re essential.
But accessibility is just the beginning. Captions also make videos easier to understand in all kinds of everyday situations, from loud environments, like crowded buses or busy cafes, to scenarios where you don’t want to play audio, like in an open office or waiting room.
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In fact, a growing number of people actually prefer to have video captions on by default. Gen Z viewers especially have embraced captions across the board, with a recent study finding that 59% of Gen Z watch content with subtitles. Similarly, the BBC reported that 4 out of 5 viewers between the ages of 18 and 25 use subtitles some or all of the time while watching TV.
So why is this? Subtitles simply make content easier to follow, especially when dialogue is in an unfamiliar accent or language, hard to hear or mixed too low (which happens a lot more these days).
Video captions are particularly useful when learning and absorbing information. A study from Oregon State University found that 98.6% of students found captions helpful, and 52% of those who used captions said they were a learning aid that helped improve comprehension.
In short, video captions don’t just support accessibility — they improve the way all of us watch and understand video content.
Captions Keep Your Brain (And Viewers) Engaged
Thoughtful captioning can also be used as a powerful engagement tool. Creative video captioning — whether with stylized fonts or on-screen animation — can help tell the story visually, pull viewers in and keep them watching longer.
Think of it this way. Watching a video is a relatively passive experience. Our brain is able to process visuals 60,000x faster than reading text, which makes video great for getting your message across quickly. However, that’s only assuming your viewer is paying attention and has their sound on.
Text, on the other hand, makes our brains do a little more work. It serves as a sort of anchor. When text is on screen, it naturally draws the eye, giving your audience multiple ways to absorb the message. Video captions help the viewer lock into the content, even if they’re easily distracted, in a noisy room or watching on mute.
In fact, 80% of viewers are more likely to finish a video with subtitles and one company even saw a 7.32% increase in YouTube views after adding subtitles. That’s a pretty strong case for how a few lines of text can keep people tuned in.
So while video captions might feel like a small detail, they do a lot of heavy lifting. They turn passive watching into active viewing and help your message land and stick.
Silent Videos Have Made a Comeback
The average American checks their phone 205 times a day, or nearly once every 5 minutes while they’re awake. And we’re not just checking texts or emails. We’re scrolling through social media feeds, watching short videos and catching up on the latest news at work, in waiting rooms or during our daily commute.
In many of those everyday moments, playing a video with the sound on just isn’t practical — or welcome. That’s part of why captions for videos have become so important.
While sound-off video isn’t the default for everyone, it’s definitely become a major trend, especially on social platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, where users regularly scroll through content quickly with their volumes down.
Of course, silent video is replacing sound altogether. It’s just that video captions can’t be an afterthought anymore. Brands and creators need to go beyond just visuals and voiceovers. If someone can’t hear your video, can they still understand it? Captions make sure the answer is yes, no matter the setting or volume level.
Captioning Can Help Improve SEO
Search algorithms can’t “watch” your videos, but they can read captions and transcripts and use that text to understand and index your content.
Social media algorithms also factor in caption text when recommending content. Platforms like TikTok analyze what’s said on screen (alongside engagement metrics) to decide which videos appear in users’ feeds. This is becoming increasingly important as more people start to use social media as search engines.
According to Forbes, about a quarter (24%) of people say they primarily use social media to search online. When it comes to Gen Z, though, that number nearly doubles, with about half of Gen Z (46%) only or primarily using social media to find information online. By adding captions, you make your videos more findable and more engaging across the internet.
Subtitles Break Language Barriers
At the Golden Globes in 2020, Bong Joon Ho accepted the award for Best Foreign Language Film for “Parasite” (which later won Best Picture at the Oscars) and said, “Once you overcome the 1‑inch‑tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” This insight applies to all video content, even outside the movie theater.
By adding subtitles in multiple languages, you immediately broaden the range of people who can enjoy your content and increase viewership. This is especially important in today’s globalized world, where video reaches audiences far beyond its original language and location.
Take Ubisoft’s campaign celebrating Assassin’s Creed’s 15th anniversary. The recap videos thanked viewers for the memories shared and highlighted each player’s personal journey with the game. But with millions of users worldwide, the company knew it needed to localize and ensure that each viewer could follow along, no matter what language they spoke.
By offering subtitles in multiple languages, Ubisoft was able to connect with its diverse player base and strengthen the loyalty of its players around the world.
How To Add Captions to Videos
What started as a simple way to make TV more inclusive has become a standard feature across all kinds of video content. And with today’s technology, it’s easier than ever to add captions to your own videos — no decoder box required.
But before we take a look at how to do it, let’s start with the basics.
Closed vs. Open Captions: What’s the Difference?
We touched on this earlier, but let’s break it down a bit more. There are 2 main types of captions you can add.
- Closed captions (CC) can be turned on or off by the viewer. You’ve seen these on YouTube and streaming platforms, where you click the CC to toggle them. They’re becoming more common on social media, too, as platforms continue to improve accessibility features.
- Open captions are embedded into the video itself and can’t be turned off. These are especially popular on social media, where videos often autoplay without sound and built-in CC options weren’t always available.
The video below can help you see the difference between open and closed captions. It features a split screen showcasing 4 different Dynamic Video Ads by O2, with each one tailored to user data (in this case, their past purchase history). The open captions are embedded into the video, ensuring that the message is clearly communicated.
Because this video was uploaded on YouTube, you can also hit the CC icon to see the platform’s auto‑generated closed captions. They won’t be as precise as the open captions, but you’ll get a sense of how closed and open captions differ in practice.
Now let’s explore how to actually add captions to your videos. Here are 4 approaches.
1. Use Built-in Captioning Features on Video Platforms
Most video and social platforms, including TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, now offer automatic captioning tools. You simply upload your video and the platform generates closed captions using speech recognition. While not perfect, these automatic video captions are a good starting point. Just be sure to review and edit for accuracy, especially if your content includes names, jargon or accents.
2. Use a Video Captioning Tool
There are also automated tools you can use to generate captions for your video content. For instance, with Adobe Express, you upload your video, generate and edit the open captions and then download the new video. There are also tools that generate closed captions by providing a subtitle file (usually in .SRT or .VTT format) that you can upload separately.
Some tools give you both options, letting you download a captioned video and a subtitle file for flexibility. Many video captioning tools also allow you to tweak the style and timing to match your branding.
3. Manually Add Captions
If you prefer full control, you can add captions manually. This gives you precision in terms of timing and language, though it does require a bit more effort.
One way is to type in and sync each caption directly within your video editing software, adding them as open captions. Another option is to write (or hire someone to write) your captions and upload them as a subtitle file to the video hosting platform.
4. Use AI
For a streamlined all-in-one solution, use an AI video creator that can handle captioning too. Our enterprise-grade AI, Lucas, does it all — script, voiceover, visuals, interactive CTAs and, of course, captions. Lucas can even be trained on your brand content using retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), so the videos he creates are always accurate, relevant and on-message.
Check out this example created directly from a donation webpage. It includes charts, images, voiceover narration and captions, all generated with a few clicks. It’s a sneak peek at how quickly you can turn existing content into a polished, fully captioned video.
Maximize Your Video Impact With Captions
Video captions aren’t just a nice add-on. They play an important role in making your content accessible, engaging and discoverable. Whether you choose closed captions or open subtitles, automated tools or manual uploads, the investment is small compared to the payoff.
Have questions about how to best integrate captions into your videos with our Next Generation Video Platform? Reach out to one of our video experts at Idomoo, and we’ll be happy to help.
