Add subtitles or captions to your VideoPress videos by uploading a .vtt or .srt file, or by using auto-generated subtitles.
VideoPress is available with Jetpack Complete, Jetpack Security, and the standalone VideoPress plan. You can upgrade your plan to access VideoPress features.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure the following requirements are met:
- Jetpack is installed and connected to your WordPress.com account.
- Your site has an active Jetpack Complete, Jetpack Security, or standalone VideoPress plan.
- You have a subtitle file in .vtt (Web Video Text Tracks) or .srt (SubRip Text) format, or you plan to use auto-generated subtitles.
Adding subtitles or captions to your VideoPress videos makes them accessible to a wider audience. You can upload a subtitle file in .vtt (Web Video Text Tracks) or .srt (SubRip Text) format, or let VideoPress generate subtitles automatically. SRT files are automatically converted to .vtt format on upload.
You can upload a .vtt or .srt file at any time to override auto-generated subtitles.
Auto-generated subtitles
New uploads automatically receive auto-generated subtitles. This applies to new uploads only; videos uploaded before this feature went live are not retroactively transcribed. Videos without an audio track do not receive a transcript.
You can still upload a .vtt or .srt file to add or override auto-generated subtitles at any time.
To access auto-generated subtitles on an eligible video:
- Click on the video player’s Settings.
- Select Captions.
- Select Auto-Generated.
Add a subtitle file to a VideoPress video
You can upload a .vtt or .srt file to add subtitles or captions to any VideoPress video. If you upload an .srt file, VideoPress automatically converts it to .vtt format. Follow these steps to add a subtitle file:
- Upload your video using the VideoPress block.
- Click on the Text Tracks icon in the block toolbar
- Click Upload track to upload your .vtt or .srt file. The Label and Source Language fields are automatically populated if you leave them empty.
- Click Save.
- Preview your post to verify the subtitles appear correctly. The subtitles’ menu should be visible in the VideoPress player, with your subtitles track listed as an option.
Turn on captions on the published page
Captions and subtitles are turned off by default when someone watches your video on the published page. Uploading a subtitle file does not make captions appear automatically. Each viewer chooses whether to display them, and the same is true when you preview your own published page.
To turn captions on while watching a video:
- Click the Settings icon in the video player.
- Click Captions.
- Select the subtitle track you want to display.
These steps apply to both the subtitle files you upload and auto-generated captions. If you do not see your subtitles after publishing, your file is still working correctly. Open the Settings menu and select your track to display it.
Subtitle file formats
VideoPress accepts .vtt (Web Video Text Tracks) and .srt (SubRip Text) files. SRT files are automatically converted to .vtt format on upload.
Subtitles limitations
You cannot associate a subtitle file directly with a video in the Media Library. You must add the VideoPress block first. However, when you upload a track file to the video using the steps above, it is associated with the media file itself. If you reuse the video file elsewhere, the track is already in place.
Customize caption appearance
Viewers can use the Captions Settings menu in the VideoPress player on the front end of the site to customize the appearance of the subtitles or captions.
Privacy information
Subtitle processing may involve transmitting audio data for transcription. For details on how VideoPress handles data, refer to the Jetpack privacy information page. This section is pending review by the DRI/Editor-in-Chief.
Still need help?
Please contact support. We’re happy to advise.
Related articles
The following articles cover other VideoPress features and setup tasks:
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