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Add SRT subtitles to CapCut for free
Updated 9 November 2026 · by Szymon at szy.monster
CapCut's auto captions are handy, but what's included for free changes between versions and regions, and the language support is limited. If you want the same subtitles in several apps, or you want Whisper's accuracy, make an .srt file for free and import it into CapCut's desktop app.
1. Make the SRT
Open AutoSubtitler, drop in your video, and press Make subtitles. The default style of short one-line chunks fits vertical video well. Download the .srt when it's done. Nothing is uploaded.
2. Import it into CapCut (desktop)
- Open your project with the video on the timeline.
- Go to the Text or Captions panel. Look for Local captions or Import captions; the name depends on your version.
- Pick the .srt. CapCut places the captions on the timeline as a caption track.
If you can't find the import option, update CapCut. Older and mobile versions don't always have it.
3. Style them
Select the caption track and pick a font, colour, stroke and animation in the right-hand panel. Changes can apply to all captions at once, which keeps them consistent.
4. Export
CapCut burns captions into the exported video, which is what TikTok, Reels and Shorts need. If you also want a separate subtitle file for YouTube, use the .srt from step 1. See how to upload an SRT to YouTube.
Tips
- Captions line up with the start of the timeline. If your video doesn't start at 0:00, move the caption track to match.
- For fast talkers, keep the short chunks. For slower interviews, try Classic two-line sentences under More options.