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How do captions work in Synthesia?

Synthesia offers three types of captions to suit different accessibility, branding, and video export needs: Closed, Burned-in, and Dynamic. This guide will help you understand the differences between them and how to use each effectively.

Meg avatar
Written by Meg
Updated yesterday

Caption Types Explained:

Closed Captions (CC)

  • Captions that viewers can toggle on/off in the video player.

  • Appear in the same language as your video script.

  • Not customizable in terms of font, size, or style.

  • Can be downloaded as .srt or .vtt files for external use.

Burned-in Captions

  • Captions that are permanently embedded in the video.

  • Cannot be turned off by viewers.

  • Not customizable.

  • Added at the video generation stage.

Dynamic Captions

  • Fully customizable captions that display on screen like other visual elements.

  • Sync automatically with your script.

  • Can be styled with:

    • Fonts, sizes, and colors

    • Text shadows

    • Word-by-word animation

  • Movable and resizable on the canvas.

  • Ideal for branded or stylized videos.

How to use Dynamic Captions:

  1. Click Captions in the top menu bar of the video editor.

  2. Choose a preset (default shows the full scene script).

  3. On the right-hand Inspector panel, customize:

    • Font and text size

    • Color and shadows

    • Active word highlighting

    • Animation type

  4. Move and resize the caption box as needed.

  5. Use Triggers to control when specific parts of the script appear in each caption element.

💡 Dynamic Captions adhere to your brand kit fonts and colors.

How to Burn-in Captions:

  1. Click Generate on your video.

  2. Toggle Burned-in captions on before clicking the blue Generate button.

  3. Burned-in captions will be visible in the final video and cannot be turned off by viewers.

How to Download Caption Files:

Once your video is generated:

  1. Click the three-dot menu next to the video.

  2. Select Download subtitles.

  3. Choose between .srt or .vtt formats.

💬 FAQs

Can I edit closed captions?

Yes, indirectly. Closed captions reflect exactly what’s written in your script.

To change how something appears:

  • Edit your script text directly.

  • Type your script as you want the captions to appear, and use the pronunciation tool to adjust pronunciation if needed.

See the How do I change pronunciation? article to learn how to use the pronunciation tool.

Can I change the size or font of Closed Captions or Burned-in Captions?

No. Only Dynamic Captions can be styled and formatted. Closed and burned-in captions are fixed.

Can subtitles appear in a different language than the script?

No. Captions always match the language of your video script.

Where can I manage my caption file downloads?

After generating a video, use the video menu to download captions as .srt or .vtt.

Do captions automatically translate if I change the script language?

Yes, captions regenerate based on your script language.

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