Videos should be accessible. Audiences now expect it. But beyond doing the right thing, there’s a selfish reason to caption your video: most people watch with the sound off.

They’re on the bus, in a waiting room, or sneaking a look at their desk. If your video relies purely on audio, they’ll scroll past.

Facebook says adding captions can boost view time by 12%.

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So, how do you do it? There are two main ways.

1. Baked-in Captions (Open Captions)

This is when the text is "burned" permanently onto the video file.

Pros:

• Total Control: You decide exactly how they look (your brand font, brand colours, size).
• Universal: They work on every single platform, even ones that don’t support caption files (like Instagram Stories or digital billboards).
• Design: You can place them carefully so they don’t cover faces or important graphics.

Cons:

• Permanent: The viewer can’t turn them off.
• Not Searchable: Search engines view these as pixels, not text, so they don’t help your SEO.
• Delays: Baked in captions often contain a tiny error that no one picks up until it's published. Re-editing the caption takes ages.

2. SRT Files (Closed Captions)

An .srt is a tiny text file that travels alongside your video. You upload it separately to YouTube, LinkedIn, or Facebook.

Pros:

• User Choice: The viewer can toggle them on or off (the "CC" button).
• SEO Gold: Google and YouTube can read this file, helping your video show up in search results.
• Responsive: The text resizes automatically for mobile or desktop screens.
• Easier to edit: You can fix tiny problems quickly

Cons:

• Generic Look: You are stuck with the platform’s default font (usually generic white text on a black bar).
• Extra Step: You have to remember to upload the file along with the video.

Which One Should You Choose?

At ChopChop, we can do both.

• Choose Baked-in for social media (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn clips) where grabbing attention instantly is key and branding matters.
• Choose SRT for your website, YouTube, or long-form interviews where accessibility and SEO are the priority.