YouTube Shorts Caption Generator
This YouTube Shorts caption generator times every word you say and burns animated captions into your vertical video, ready to upload.
Create an account to generate and export your captions.
YouTube auto captions vs. Sycamore
YouTube can generate captions for your Shorts on its own. They help with accessibility, but they aren't built to keep someone watching.
Who sees them
- YouTube auto captions
- Viewers who turn captions on
- Sycamore
- Everyone, because they're part of the video
Look
- YouTube auto captions
- One plain style
- Sycamore
- 9 animated styles you can restyle
Word-by-word highlight
- YouTube auto captions
- No
- Sycamore
- Yes, in styles like Mozi and Highlight Words
Fixing mistakes
- YouTube auto captions
- Edit the transcript in YouTube Studio
- Sycamore
- Click the word and type the fix before export
Posting the same clip elsewhere
- YouTube auto captions
- Captions stay on YouTube
- Sycamore
- The captions go wherever the file goes
| YouTube auto captions | Sycamore | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sees them | Viewers who turn captions on | Everyone, because they're part of the video |
| Look | One plain style | 9 animated styles you can restyle |
| Word-by-word highlight | No | Yes, in styles like Mozi and Highlight Words |
| Fixing mistakes | Edit the transcript in YouTube Studio | Click the word and type the fix before export |
| Posting the same clip elsewhere | Captions stay on YouTube | The captions go wherever the file goes |
Why Shorts need burned-in captions
A lot of people scroll Shorts with the sound low or off. If your words aren't on screen, those viewers only get the picture, and most of them swipe before your point lands.
YouTube's own captions sit behind a setting, so plenty of viewers never see them. When the captions are rendered into the video, every viewer reads along from the first second.
Animated captions also give the eye something to follow. When each word lights up as you say it, people keep reading, and reading keeps them on your Short longer.
Shorts play in a tall 9:16 frame, and YouTube puts your title, channel name and buttons along the bottom and right side. Keep captions a little above the middle with only a few words at a time, so nothing covers them and they stay easy to read on a small screen.
Pick a style for your channel
Mozi
Beast
Stack Emphasis
Blur Pop
Highlight Words
Typing Text
Word Pop
Staircase
Word Reveal
Caption a Short in three steps
Upload your Short
Add your 9:16 clip as an MP4, MOV or WebM file. Sycamore transcribes it and times every word.
Choose a style
Try a few templates on your own footage. Change the colors, font size or position so captions stay clear of your face and YouTube's buttons.
Check the words and export
Fix any names or slang the transcript missed, then export the video and upload it to YouTube.
Built for posting every day
Save your look
Save a style as a preset so every Short on your channel uses the same captions.
Vertical first
Made for 9:16 Shorts, and it also exports 16:9 and 1:1 if you cut the same clip for other formats.
30+ languages
Transcribe in one language and translate your captions into another to reach viewers abroad.
Put captions on your next Short
Frequently
Asked Questions
How do I add captions to YouTube Shorts?
Upload your Short to Sycamore, pick a caption style and export. The captions are burned into the video, so you upload the finished file to YouTube as usual.
Does YouTube add captions to Shorts automatically?
YouTube can generate automatic captions, but viewers have to turn them on and they come in one plain look. Burned-in captions show for everyone and can highlight each word as you say it.
What is the best caption style for YouTube Shorts?
Bold styles with a highlighted spoken word, like Mozi or Beast, suit talking-head clips. Calmer styles like Staircase or Word Reveal fit voiceovers and storytime.
Where should captions go on a YouTube Short?
Keep them near the middle of the frame. The bottom and right edge of a Short are covered by the title, channel name and buttons, and you can move Sycamore captions to the top, center or bottom.
Can I use the same captioned video on TikTok and Reels?
Yes. The captions are part of the exported video, so the same 9:16 file works on TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.