More watch time
With subtitles, viewers understand in the first second what your Short is about. The value is obvious instantly – so they keep watching instead of swiping away.
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YOUTUBE SHORTS · AI SUBTITLES
Add Subtitles to YouTube Shorts Automatically (with AI)
Most Shorts are watched on mute. Viewers decide in seconds. Subtitles make your message readable, international – and stop your Short from disappearing in the feed.
- Optimized for vertical 9:16 Shorts
- Perfectly readable on small mobile screens
- Works for Shorts, TikTok & Reels
🔇 Built for muted, mobile-first scrolling
🌍 Translate your Shorts for global audiences
🎨 Use your own brand fonts & colors
Why subtitles matter for YouTube Shorts
Shorts are fast, vertical and often watched on mute. If your message only lives in the audio track, you lose viewers in the first seconds. Subtitles keep people in your video – even while they scroll on the go.
Better readability on small screens
On a 6-inch display there is no room for clutter. Clean, high-contrast subtitles help viewers follow along in bright daylight, noisy environments or with the sound off.
More reach – also internationally
Your Shorts don’t have to be limited to one language. Auto-generate subtitles, translate them with a few clicks and make every video understandable worldwide.
How to add subtitles to YouTube Shorts automatically
Follow this simple workflow from raw Short to fully captioned vertical video. You can reuse this exact 6-step structure one-to-one in your blog article later.
1
Get your Short into Subvideo.ai
Step 1: Load your Short (YouTube link or MP4)
Open the Subvideo.ai studio and either paste the URL of your YouTube Short to load it directly from YouTube – or use the original MP4 file from your editor. No manual download–upload loop required.
2
Upload to Subvideo.ai
Step 2: Upload it to Subvideo.ai
Start in guest mode and upload your Short or any vertical video. Select the spoken language – or let AI detect it automatically. 9:16 formats are handled cleanly.
3
Auto-generate subtitles
Step 3: Generate subtitles automatically
Subvideo.ai uses Whisper-level AI models to turn your audio into accurate subtitles. The tool creates time-coded lines that match your Short, even with fast cuts and dynamic speech.
4
Edit timing & style
Step 4: Edit timing & style (brand colors, fonts)
Polish line breaks and timing in the timeline editor, then apply your brand colors, fonts and background styles. Your subtitles will look like your channel – while staying perfectly readable on mobile.
5
Export
Step 5: Export SRT or a burned-in MP4
Export a clean SRT file if you want YouTube to render the captions – or create a new MP4 with burned-in subtitles that looks consistent across Shorts, TikTok and Reels.
6
Publish
Step 6: Upload the subtitled Short back to YouTube
Upload the new version as a fresh Short or integrate it into your existing workflow. Now viewers can understand your content instantly – even with the sound off and in noisy environments.
Try it with your next Short
Upload a vertical video or your YouTube Short and let AI generate subtitles automatically. You’ll be redirected to the full editor as soon as processing is done.
Hosted in the EU – GDPR-compliant 
Secure 256-bit encryption 
No account needed to start Turn your next Short into a fully captioned, scroll-stopping clip
Don’t publish another Short without subtitles. Let AI handle transcription and timing so you can focus on hooks, storytelling and thumbnails.
Subtitle my Short now
No account needed to try – limited free minutes in guest mode.
YouTube Shorts subtitles – FAQ
A few quick answers about vertical formats, branding options and support for other platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Does this work with vertical videos?
Yes. Subvideo.ai is designed for vertical 9:16 formats like YouTube Shorts, TikTok and Reels. Subtitles are positioned safely inside the visible area so they don’t clash with UI elements.
Can I use my own fonts and colors?
You can customize fonts, font sizes, colors and background styles to match your branding. Create a style once and reuse it across multiple Shorts for a consistent channel look.
Does it support other platforms like TikTok and Reels?
Absolutely. Any vertical video you upload can be exported with subtitles that work great on TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels and other mobile-first feeds.