How to add captions to short-form video clips
85% of social media videos are watched without sound. Captions aren't optional — they're essential. Here's how to add professional captions to your clips with multiple style options.
Upload your video or generate clips
Upload a long-form video and let Kllivo generate clips, or work with clips you've already created. Kllivo automatically transcribes all speech.
Open the clip editor
Click Edit on any clip to open the built-in editor. The transcript is already generated and synced to the video timeline.
Choose a caption style
Pick from 6 styles: Modern (clean white text), Bold (yellow, larger), Minimal (subtle), Karaoke (word-by-word highlight), Outline (purple border), or None.
Customize position and color
Drag captions to any position on screen. Adjust the scale for larger or smaller text. Change the highlight color to match your brand.
Save and download
Click Save to render the clip with your captions burned in. The captions are embedded in the video file — they work everywhere, no platform-specific subtitle file needed.
Pro tips
Karaoke-style captions (word-by-word highlighting) get the highest engagement on TikTok and Reels.
Place captions in the lower third of the frame — it's where viewers' eyes naturally go.
Use contrasting colors. White text with a dark border works on almost any background.
Keep captions under 2 lines. If a phrase is too long, the AI automatically chunks it into readable groups.
Frequently asked questions
- Are captions automatic?
- The transcript is generated automatically using AI speech-to-text. You can edit any words in the caption editor if the AI got something wrong.
- Can I edit individual caption words?
- Yes. The caption editor lets you correct any word in the transcript. Edits are saved and applied when you render.
- Do captions work on all platforms?
- Yes. Captions are burned into the video file as part of the render. They display on any platform — TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter — without needing SRT files.
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