Caption Types and a Four‑Step Workflow Anyone Can Follow

Captions come in flavours, each built for a different context. Closed captions can be toggled on or off, making them ideal for YouTube courses or training videos because they include audio cues like [applause] or [music] . Open captions are burned in and perfect for Instagram or TikTok’s silent autoplay . Live captions support webinars by appearing in real time, and subtitles translate dialogue for multilingual audiences .

Once you know which style suits your channel, adding them is straightforward:

1. Manual captioning—transcribe the audio and set timings in an editor such as YouTube Studio or Premiere Pro for full accuracy . 
2. AI auto‑captioning—tools like Videomagic, VEED or Descript create a first draft in seconds; you just proof‑read for errors . 
3. Upload an SRT/VTT file—export your captions and sync them on YouTube or Vimeo for on/off control . 
4. Burn them in for platforms where users can’t toggle captions, ensuring every viewer sees the text . 

If you want a clearer walkthrough—with screenshots of each step—open the step‑by‑step caption workflow midway through planning. For teams that need the same steps done faster, Videomagic automates nearly everything: upload your script, pick a style and export multiple aspect ratios without hopping between tools.