How to add captions or subtitles to my video

This article explains how to add captions or subtitles to your video on your settings page under the Languages menu.

In this article: 

• Adding subtitles or captions to your video with an existing file
• Adding subtitles or captions to your video without a file 
• Automatic subtitles
• Translating videos with AI
• Managing subtitles and captions

Adding captions or subtitles with an existing file

Vimeo supports SRT and WebVTT files for captions and subtitles. We recommend using WebVTT. To ensure special characters display correctly, caption files must be encoded in UTF-8 format.

To add captions or subtitles to your video: 

1. Navigate to your Library and open the desired video. 
2. Select the Languages button in the toolbar to the left of the player. 
3. Select the + button at the top of the languages window.
4. Upload your files from your computer. 
5. Use the dropdown menus next to the file name to select the Language and Type (Subtitle or Caption). 
6. Select Upload. 
7. Once the file is uploaded, toggle it on to activate it. 

Adding captions or subtitles without a file 

If you don’t have captions or subtitles files for your video, you can purchase them through Rev, our trusted supplier. This option is also available in the Languages tab.

• Rev (FAQs for captions and subtitles)

If you have any additional questions, please contact our Support team. Include which type of caption or subtitle file you tried to upload, the link to the video you tried to upload the file to, and any further details that would help us troubleshoot. 

Automatic Subtitles: 

Creators on paid accounts have access to automated subtitle transcription. Read more at ‘How to enable or disable default automated subtitles’.  

Translating videos with AI

Creators on paid Vimeo plans can use Vimeo AI to translate their video's subtitles into other languages. Learn how at How to use Vimeo AI to translate my video's subtitles.

Managing subtitles and captions 

In addition to toggling your captions on and off, you can select the overflow menu next to each  (represented by three vertical dots (⋮) to download, replace, delete, or edit your files from your video.