Subtitles show the words that are spoken, for viewers who can hear the audio but want or need to read along, often because it's in another language. Closed captions are written for viewers who can't hear the audio, so they show the words plus everything else the sound tells you: who's speaking, sound effects like [door slams], and music. Both are usually turned on or off by the viewer. In short, subtitles assume you can hear; captions assume you can't.
![The same video frame twice. Top: subtitles, showing only the line 'Listen to the forest.' with the English track selected. Bottom: closed captions, showing '[birds singing]' and 'NARRATOR: Listen to the forest.' with the English (CC) track selected](/images/blog/closed-captions-vs-subtitles/compare.webp)
Closed captions vs subtitles at a glance
| Subtitles | Closed captions |
|---|---|
| For viewers who can hear the audio but want to read along. | For viewers who are Deaf or hard of hearing, or watching with the sound off. |
| Show the dialogue only. | Show the dialogue plus speaker names, sound effects and music. |
| Often a translation into the viewer's language. | Usually in the same language as the audio. |
| Common on films and series in another language, and on DVDs, Blu-rays and streaming. | Required on most US TV programs, and on streaming services for the shows that aired on TV with captions. |
| Not enough on their own for accessibility rules, which ask for sounds as well as speech. | Meet accessibility rules when they're accurate and in sync. |
| Usually listed by language, such as "English" or "Spanish". | Usually marked CC or SDH, such as "English (CC)". |
What are subtitles?
Subtitles are the spoken words written on screen, timed to appear as they're said. They were made for viewers who can hear the audio but don't understand the language, which is why most subtitle tracks are translations: a French film with English subtitles, or an English series with Spanish ones.
Subtitles leave out sounds because the viewer can hear them. A door slamming, a phone ringing or a song playing in the background isn't written down, and the speaker isn't named, because you can see and hear who's talking.
There are a few kinds you'll see in a subtitle menu:
- Translated subtitles. The dialogue in another language. This is what most people mean by "subtitles".
- Same-language subtitles. The dialogue in the language that's spoken, for viewers who like to read along, have trouble with accents, or are watching somewhere noisy.
- Forced subtitles. Short subtitles that show even when subtitles are off, to translate a line in another language or a sign on screen. If a character in an English film says one line in Russian, forced subtitles translate just that line.
- SDH. Subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing. These are subtitles written like captions, with speakers and sounds included. More on them below.
What are closed captions?
Closed captions are a text version of everything you'd hear: the dialogue, and the sounds that matter to the story. "Closed" means viewers can turn them on or off, usually with the CC button. (Captions that are always on, because they're burned into the picture, are called open captions. Our guide to open captions vs closed captions covers that difference.)
Closed captions add three things subtitles leave out:
- Who's speaking, when you can't tell from the picture: a name or label such as NARRATOR, or a speaker off screen.
- Sound effects that matter, in square brackets: [door slams], [phone buzzing], [laughter].
- Music and how things are said: [tense music], ♪ song lyrics ♪, [whispering], [sarcastically].
In the US, closed captions began on TV, sent with the broadcast signal and drawn by the TV itself, which is why they often look like white letters on a black box. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules require captions on most TV programs, and on those shows when they're later put online. Streaming services also offer them for most of their own shows.
The main differences
Who they're for. Subtitles are for hearing viewers who need the words; captions are for viewers who can't hear the audio. That one difference explains the rest.
What they include. Subtitles show speech. Captions show speech, speakers and sounds. If you watch a horror film with subtitles only, you won't know about the creak behind the door; with captions, you will.
Language. Subtitles are often a translation. Captions are usually in the same language as the audio, because they stand in for the sound rather than translate it.
Where you'll find them. Captions are what US TV carries and what accessibility rules ask for. Subtitles are what DVDs, Blu-rays and foreign films have traditionally used, often alongside an SDH track.
The words people use. In the US and Canada, "captions" and "subtitles" mean the different things above. In the UK and Ireland, "subtitles" is the everyday word for both, so British TV channels offer "subtitles" that include sounds and speakers. Online, most people use the two words for the same thing, and YouTube's CC button turns on whichever track a video has.
What is SDH?
SDH stands for subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing. It's a subtitle track written to do the job of closed captions: it includes the dialogue, speaker names and sounds. Streaming services and Blu-rays use SDH because their players handle subtitle tracks rather than the TV caption signal.
For a viewer, SDH and closed captions give you the same information. The differences are technical: SDH usually looks like ordinary subtitles (white text, often with a shadow, near the bottom), while TV-style closed captions often use a black box and can move around the screen to show who's talking.
On Netflix, look for the SDH badge on a show's details page. In the subtitle menu, a track marked CC or SDH, such as "English (CC)", includes sounds and speakers, while plain "English" is usually dialogue only. Netflix notes that not every season or episode has SDH, and that without it you may get subtitles with dialogue only.
Our guide to SDH subtitles goes further: what goes in an SDH track, SDH vs CC, and how to write SDH for your own videos.
Which should you use?
As a viewer:
- You're Deaf or hard of hearing: choose the CC or SDH track, so you get sounds and speakers as well as words.
- You can hear, but want the words (accents, noisy room, sound down low): plain subtitles in the same language are less cluttered. Some viewers prefer CC anyway, because it catches quiet lines and background sounds.
- The film is in another language: choose subtitles in your language. If you're also hard of hearing, look for SDH in your language.
As a creator:
- For accessibility, make captions. Accessibility rules ask for captions, not dialogue-only subtitles. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which most US and UK accessibility rules point to, define captions as including the sounds needed to understand the video, not just the dialogue.
- For viewers in other languages, add subtitles. Translate your captions into each language your viewers speak. On YouTube you can upload one file per language.
- For social media, burn them in. TikTok and Instagram don't take caption files, and many people scroll with the sound off. Burned-in captions (open captions) show for everyone. Most talking-head videos have little sound to describe, so the spoken words are what matters; add a sound tag when a sound is part of the joke or the story.
How to add subtitles or captions to a video
Both start the same way: get the spoken words down, in time with the video. Then decide whether viewers turn them on (a caption file) or always see them (burned in).
With AutoSubtitles, in your browser, with no account:
- Open autosubtitles.com, click New Video and choose your video. Your video stays on your device; only the audio is sent for transcription.
- Check the words. The subtitles appear a few seconds later, line by line. Click any line to fix a word or its timing.
- Make them captions, if you need to. Type speaker names and sounds that matter into the lines where they happen, for example "[laughs]" or "SAM: Ready?".
- Burn them in or download a file. Pick one of 28 caption styles and export the video with the captions burned in, free for videos up to 10 minutes (720p, small watermark). On Pro ($9/month) you can also download an SRT file or VTT file to upload as closed captions, and translate them into other languages for subtitles.
Already have a subtitle file? Our free subtitle editor opens SRT and VTT files in your browser, so you can add new lines for sounds between the speech and save the file again. If the lines are all early or late, the subtitle shifter fixes the timing in one go, and the subtitle converter switches between SRT, VTT and plain text.
To upload the file to YouTube, open YouTube Studio, choose Subtitles, click your video, click Add in the Subtitles column, choose Upload file, select With timing, pick the file and click Publish. Our guide on how to add subtitles to a video has the steps for TikTok and Reels too.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between closed captions and subtitles?
Subtitles show the words that are spoken, for viewers who can hear but want to read along, often in another language. Closed captions are for viewers who can't hear the audio, so they also show who's speaking and the sounds that matter, such as [door slams] or [music].
Is CC the same as subtitles?
Not quite. CC means closed captions: they include sounds and speaker names as well as the dialogue. Subtitles are usually the dialogue only. Many players, including YouTube's, use the CC button for both, so the words get mixed up in everyday use.
Should I watch with subtitles or closed captions?
If you're Deaf or hard of hearing, choose closed captions or SDH, so you know about sounds and who's speaking. If you can hear and just want the words, subtitles in your language are less cluttered.
What does SDH mean in subtitles?
SDH stands for subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing. An SDH track includes speaker names, sound effects and music cues, like closed captions, but is delivered and shown as a subtitle track. Streaming services and Blu-rays use it. See what SDH subtitles are for examples.
What is the difference between "English" and "English (CC)" on Netflix?
"English (CC)" is the closed caption or SDH track: dialogue plus sounds and speakers. Plain "English" is usually dialogue only. On some shows, "English" may be the only track, and it may have no sound descriptions.
Why do British people say subtitles instead of captions?
In the UK and Ireland, "subtitles" is the everyday word for any text on screen, including what Americans call closed captions. British TV "subtitles" for the deaf and hard of hearing include sounds and speakers, just like US captions.
Do subtitles count as captions for accessibility?
Only if they include the sounds needed to follow the video. WCAG defines captions as covering dialogue and important sounds, so dialogue-only subtitles don't meet the requirement, while SDH and closed captions do.
Are auto-generated captions closed captions?
Yes, when viewers can turn them on and off. YouTube's auto-generated captions are closed captions, but they usually write down the speech only and can get names and jargon wrong, so check them before relying on them for accessibility.