iMovie Subtitle Generator
An iMovie subtitle generator for the step after your edit. Upload the exported video and every word gets timed to your voice.
Create an account to generate and export your captions.
From iMovie export to subtitled video
Finish your edit in iMovie
Get the cuts, music and transitions where you want them. Skip any title text you planned to use as subtitles.
Export the movie and upload it
Save the project as a video file and drop it into Sycamore. MP4 and MOV both work, and so do WebM and MP3.
Choose a style and check the words
Sycamore transcribes the audio and times each word. Try a few caption styles, then click any word it got wrong and type the fix.
Export with subtitles burned in
Download an MP4 in the original frame, or switch it to 9:16, 16:9 or 1:1 before you export.
Subtitles in iMovie vs. Sycamore
iMovie gives you titles, which are text you place over a clip. It doesn't listen to your audio, so every subtitle starts as a blank title you fill in.
Getting the words
- iMovie titles
- You type each line yourself
- Sycamore
- Transcribed from your audio
Timing
- iMovie titles
- Drag each title to match when the line is said
- Sycamore
- Every word timed to your voice
Spoken word highlight
- iMovie titles
- Not available
- Sycamore
- Built into styles like Mozi, Beast and Highlight Words
Changing the look
- iMovie titles
- Font, size, color and alignment per title
- Sycamore
- Switch the whole style at once, then tweak colors, size and position
After an edit changes
- iMovie titles
- Move the titles that no longer line up
- Sycamore
- Upload the new export and caption it again
| iMovie titles | Sycamore | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting the words | You type each line yourself | Transcribed from your audio |
| Timing | Drag each title to match when the line is said | Every word timed to your voice |
| Spoken word highlight | Not available | Built into styles like Mozi, Beast and Highlight Words |
| Changing the look | Font, size, color and alignment per title | Switch the whole style at once, then tweak colors, size and position |
| After an edit changes | Move the titles that no longer line up | Upload the new export and caption it again |
Why subtitles take so long in iMovie
iMovie's titles are made for an opening card, a name on screen or end credits. They work fine for that. Subtitles are a different job. A one-minute talking clip can need 20 or more short lines, and each one is its own title that you type, place and trim to the right length.
Short-form viewers also expect a few words at a time with the spoken word lit up. iMovie has no way to animate single words, so you can't get that look there no matter how long you spend.
Captioning the export in Sycamore skips all of that. You keep iMovie for what it does well, the cutting and the music, and the subtitles get added as the last step.
Styles to put on your iMovie export
Mozi
Beast
Stack Emphasis
Blur Pop
Highlight Words
Typing Text
Word Pop
Staircase
Word Reveal
Subtitle your next iMovie project
Frequently
Asked Questions
Does iMovie have auto subtitles?
No. iMovie lets you add titles over your clips, but it doesn't transcribe your audio. You type and time each subtitle yourself, or caption the exported video in a tool like Sycamore.
How do I use an iMovie subtitle generator?
Finish the edit in iMovie, export the movie as a video file and upload it to Sycamore. It transcribes the audio, times every word and exports an MP4 with the subtitles burned in.
Can I get word-by-word captions on an iMovie video?
Yes, by captioning the export. Styles like Mozi, Beast and Highlight Words show a few words at a time and highlight each word as you say it.
Can I bring the subtitles back into my iMovie project?
No. Sycamore exports a finished MP4 with the subtitles burned in, not a file iMovie can edit. Lock your edit before you caption so you don't need to go back.
Does it work with videos edited in iMovie on iPhone?
Yes. Any video you export from iMovie on iPhone, iPad or Mac works, as long as it's MP4, MOV, WebM or MP3.