Captions vs Subtitles: Surprising Differences 2024

Captions vs Subtitles: What’s the Real Difference?

Many people believe captions and subtitles are the same thing, but that's not true. Both appear at the bottom of screens on services like YouTube or Netflix, but they serve different purposes. Understanding the difference helps you pick the right tool for your project or viewing needs.

This guide explains the main differences between captions and subtitles, highlights their uses, advantages, and limitations, and provides best practices to maximize accessibility. By the end, you’ll also discover how GoTranscript’s transcription services can help you create effective content for all audiences.

What Are Captions?

Captions display all spoken words and important sounds onscreen for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing. Unlike subtitles, captions also include things like:

• [Music playing]
• [Dog barking]
• [Laughter]
• Speaker identification (e.g., John: Hello!)

Captions are often created in the same language as the spoken content. They transcribe all audio, not just dialogue.

Types of Captions

• Closed Captions (CC): These can be turned on or off by the viewer. Most internet videos, TV shows, and streaming services offer this option. If you see the [CC] icon, it means closed captions are available (learn more about closed caption services).
• Open Captions: These captions are always visible and can’t be turned off. They are part of the video image itself and play automatically for everyone. Open captions are great for social media videos or platforms that don’t support closed caption files.

Why Use Captions?

Captions are essential for accessibility. In the United States, about 15% of adults report hearing trouble (CDC, 2020). Captions also help everyone, including:

• People in noisy places (like gyms or airports)
• Language learners improving their listening skills
• Viewers who prefer watching without sound

Drawbacks of Captions

• May cover important visuals when not formatted correctly
• Require proper timing and clear fonts for readability
• Open captions can’t be turned off and may distract some viewers

Best Practices for Captions

• Keep lines short (32 characters or less per line)
• Show no more than two lines at a time
• Time-synchronize captions with speech and sound
• Use mixed case letters, not all caps
• Identify speakers clearly when more than one is present
• Describe sound effects and music cues in brackets
• Maintain correct spelling and punctuation
• Choose easy-to-read fonts like Helvetica
• Position captions to avoid covering graphics or faces

Captioning standards align with recommendations from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

What Are Subtitles?

Subtitles are translations of dialogue for viewers who can hear but do not speak the language spoken in the video. Subtitles assume the audience can hear background sounds, music, and emotions; they only provide written versions of speech.

• Subtitles translate spoken words, not sound effects or speaker tags
• They are most common on foreign films and international TV shows
• Subtitling helps more people enjoy global content (see subtitling services)

Benefits of Subtitles

• Open up content to a worldwide audience through translation
• Support language learning by exposing viewers to new vocabulary (PLOS ONE, 2016)
• Easier and often less expensive to create than captions

Limitations of Subtitles

• Don’t convey non-speech audio cues: viewers may miss important sounds
• Localization may change some meanings for readability and cultural context
• Do not help deaf viewers fully understand the content

Where Are Subtitles Used?

• Foreign films and TV shows for global audiences
• Educational videos to support language and literacy
• Online content targeting multilingual viewers

Subtitles also support language comprehension advances among learners, as seen in several educational studies (PLOS ONE, 2016).

Captions vs Subtitles: Which Should I Use?

The choice depends on your audience and goals. Use this simple guide:

• Use captions when you want to make content accessible for deaf or hard of hearing viewers, or for anyone in sound-off environments.
• Use subtitles to translate dialogue, making content understandable to viewers who speak a different language.

Many producers choose both to reach the largest and most diverse possible audience.

Platform Considerations

• Streaming services (like Netflix or YouTube) support both captions and subtitles
• Social media videos often use open captions for accessibility
• DVDs and movie theaters may use either, depending on the needs of the viewers

How to Use Captions and Subtitles Effectively

Make sure your captions and subtitles help your audience, not hinder them. Follow these quick tips:

• Display one or two lines max per screen
• Limit each line to 32-40 characters
• Time each segment to match natural speech (3–7 seconds)
• Keep font clear and large enough to read on all screens
• Align text to the left whenever possible
• Synchronize captions and subtitles with the audio
• Avoid placing text over crucial visuals
• For captions, add speaker labels and important sound cues
• Proofread for spelling, grammar, and timing issues (learn about transcription proofreading)

Getting Started: Tools and Services

Creating accurate captions and subtitles is easy with the right help. Consider the following:

• Professional transcription services for films, educational material, or business needs
• Automated transcription to quickly turn audio or video into text
• AI transcription subscriptions for frequent, scalable needs
• Text translation services and audio translation services for full multilingual support
• Check transcription rates and captioning services pricing to match your budget
• Easily order transcription and order captions for your next project

Conclusion

Captions and subtitles serve different but important functions for making video content accessible and enjoyable for all. Captions help deaf and hard of hearing viewers fully experience media by transcribing all sounds, while subtitles break down language barriers by translating speech into different languages.

Using both maximizes the reach and impact of your videos. For affordable, high-quality solutions customized to your needs, trust GoTranscript to deliver expert captioning, subtitling, and trusted proofreading—ensuring your content is accessible and engaging for everyone.