Auto Captions for Kdenlive
Auto captions for Kdenlive: render your timeline, upload to Sycamore, and get animated captions that stay in sync with every spoken word.
Create an account to generate and export your captions.
Why you need auto captions in Kdenlive
Kdenlive lets you cut, color and mix audio, but it has no built‑in tool to generate word‑level captions. Adding them by hand means pausing the video, typing each line, and guessing the timing.
Sycamore does the heavy lifting. It transcribes the audio, gives you a clickable transcript, and lets you correct any word while keeping the timing intact. The result is a clean, animated caption track you can burn into your export.
Common captioning mistakes in Kdenlive
Leaving captions at the bottom where Kdenlive’s title and credits appear.
Put captions at the top or center so the project title stays visible.
Exporting a long video and then trimming it, which breaks sync.
Trim in Kdenlive first, then upload the final cut to Sycamore.
Choosing a font color that blends with the background footage.
Use the highlight color option to make the text pop against any scene.
Animated styles that fit a Kdenlive edit
Mozi
Beast
Word Pop
Staircase
Add captions in four simple steps
Export from Kdenlive
Render your timeline to MP4, MOV or WebM. Keep the file under 10 minutes for the free plan.
Upload to Sycamore
Drop the video in the browser. Sycamore creates a word‑by‑word transcript with timing.
Fix and style
Click any mis‑heard word to edit it. Choose a template, set the position, and adjust colors or words per line.
Export the final clip
Export a new MP4 with the animated captions burned in. Use it back in Kdenlive or share directly.
Sycamore features you’ll use
Word‑level timing
Captions follow each spoken word automatically
15 animation templates
From Beast to Mozi, pick a style that matches your edit
In‑place editing
Click a word, type the correction, timing stays
Position control
Top, center or bottom placement only, no dragging needed
Multi‑aspect support
Works with 9:16, 16:9 and 1:1 videos
Final export checklist
- Captions are at top, center or bottom as intended
- Transcript has no spelling errors
- Words per line fit the visual rhythm
- Highlight color contrasts with background
- Video length is under 10 minutes for free plan
Frequently
Asked Questions
How do I add auto captions to a Kdenlive project?
Render your edit to MP4, upload it to Sycamore, let the service transcribe it, fix any errors, choose an animated template, and export the captioned MP4.
Can I keep my Kdenlive timeline after adding captions?
Yes. The exported captioned MP4 can be re‑imported into Kdenlive for further trimming or layering.
What caption positions are available?
You can place captions at the top, center or bottom of the video. Choose the spot that keeps your titles and graphics visible.
Do I need to pay to caption a short clip?
The free plan gives you 10 minutes of captioning on sign‑up, no credit card required. Longer projects need a paid plan starting at $19 per month.
Which video formats does Sycamore accept?
MP4, MOV and WebM files are supported. Export from Kdenlive in any of those formats before uploading.