Introduction
When adding subtitles to your videos, you have two main choices: Hardcoded (burned-in) or Softcoded (closed captions).
Understanding the difference is crucial for video editing, SEO, and accessibility. This comprehensive guide breaks down the pros, cons, and best use cases for each.
What are Softcoded Subtitles?
Softcoded subtitles (also known as Closed Captions or CC) are separate files (usually .SRT or .VTT) that play alongside the video. The viewer can turn them on or off.
Pros:
- SEO Friendly: Search engines can read the text file, helping your video rank.
- User Control: Viewers can toggle them or change the size/font.
- Multilingual: You can have multiple subtitle tracks for one video.
Cons:
- Requires a player that supports them (YouTube, VLC, Web Players).
- Not always supported on social media feeds (like Instagram Stories or TikTok).
What are Hardcoded Subtitles?
Hardcoded subtitles (Open Captions) are permanently "burned" into the video frames. They are part of the image itself.
Pros:
- Universal Compatibility: Works on any device or platform, even those without caption support.
- Styling Control: You control exactly how the font looks, ensuring brand consistency.
- Social Media Ready: Perfect for autoplay videos on Instagram/TikTok where sound is often off.
Cons:
- Permanent: Cannot be turned off or edited later.
- No SEO: Search engines cannot "read" the pixels (though some AI now can).
- Quality Loss: Re-encoding the video to burn captions can slightly degrade quality.
Which Should You Use?
| Platform/Use Case | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| YouTube / Vimeo | Softcoded (Upload SRT) - For SEO and user control. |
| TikTok / Reels | Hardcoded - For engagement and style. |
| Netflix / Streaming | Softcoded - For multiple languages. |
| Offline Presentations | Hardcoded - To ensure they display correctly without setup. |
How to Create Both
- Create the Subtitles: Use a tool like IntlPull Generator to create an SRT file.
- For Softcode: Simply upload this SRT file along with your video to YouTube.
- For Hardcode: Import the SRT into your video editor (Premiere, DaVinci) or use an online tool to "burn" it into the video export.
Need to create the initial subtitle file? Start here for free.
