How to Add Hard/Soft Coded Subtitles to MP4 Videos [Guide]

Looking to make your MP4 videos more engaging and accessible by adding subtitles? Whether you have a ready-made SRT file or need to create captions from scratch, here are 5 easy ways to add subtitles to MP4 videos. You can use different methods for different needs, including adding hardcoded subtitles, typing subtitles word by word, creating subtitles automatically with AI recognition, and more. Read this article to learn more about how to add subtitles to MP4.

Best Way to Add Subtitle File to MP4 Videos on Windows/Mac

For users who want a powerful, reliable, and hassle-free experience, a dedicated tool like 4Easysoft Total Video Converter is the best choice. In addition to adding SRT/ASS and more subtitle files to MP4, you can also add text as subtitles one by one manually. You can also adjust the subtitle delay to sync it with your MP4 video during the process. Moreover, it provides many powerful features for editing and enhancing videos. What are you waiting for? Start using it to add subtitles to MP4 movies or created MP4 vlogs by your own.

Step 1Launch 4Easysoft Total Video Converter and click the "Add Files" button to upload your MP4 videos. Then, click the "Edit" button under the video to add subtitles to the MP4.

Step 2Under the "Subtitle" tab, you can click the "Add" button to upload SRT/ASS/SSA/VTT files for your movies. Remember to adjust the delay to sync the subtitle. Then, you can also set the font, position, color, and more settings.

Step 3If you want to manually add the text subtitle to the MP4, you can go to the "Watermark" tab. Here, you can add text individually, which is best to make your created videos more engaging. At last, choose the format and click the "OK" and "Convert All" buttons to save them.

Default Way to Add Subtitles on MP4 on Mac through iMovie

iMovie is a readily available option for Mac users who prefer a free, built-in solution to add subtitles to MP4. It's great for quick projects, but unfortunately, it doesn't support external subtitles in any format. You can only add typed captions to MP4 with iMovie, which is time-consuming and unsuitable for long videos. Check the detailed steps below to add subtitles in iMovie:

Step 1Open iMovie on your Mac and create a "New Project." Drag your MP4 video file into the project, and then check it in the timeline.

Step 2In the top toolbar, click the "Title" button with the "T" icon. This will open a menu showing iMovie's built-in title and subtitle animations.

Step 3Scroll through the options and look for styles labeled "Lower Third" or "Subtitle". These are designed to appear at the bottom of the screen. Select the style that best fits your video's aesthetic.

Step 4Drag your chosen subtitle style onto the video clip in the timeline, placing it exactly where you want the caption to appear. A text box will overlay your video preview. Double-click on the default text "Add subtitle text here" and type in your correct caption to add subtitles to MP4.

Manually Add Subtitles to MP4 Videos Online with Kapwing

You can also add subtitles to MP4 online with Kapwing, an easy-to-use video editor tool available on any browser. Like iMovie, you can only use Kapwing to add text manually, but it provides more customized settings to change the subtitle styles. You can also check the effects and adjust the delay while adding subtitles to MP4.

Step 1Go to the official Kapwing website and drag your MP4 videos to upload. Then, you should click on the video in the timeline.

Step 2Click the "Text" button from the top menu, and then you can type in the text as subtitles. You can set the time duration, subtitle size/font/color, and even add several subtitles simultaneously.

2 More Tips to Automatically Create and Add Subtitles to MP4

When you want to add subtitles to your own MP4 videos before sharing, you'd better use AI-powered tools to automatically generate and add subtitles for what you said. You don't need to waste time writing down subtitles and finding the correct time point to add subtitles. Here are two excellent online services to save you time and effort.

Method 1: Zubtitle

Zubtitle is a powerful online platform specifically designed to automatically transcribe videos, create accurate subtitles, and provide robust tools for editing and styling them. Although the generated subtitles may contain mistakes, they're still perfect for content creators who prioritize speed and engagement.

Step 1Create an account on Zubtitle's website and start a new project. Upload your MP4 video file directly. Then, it will automatically generate subtitles in a few minutes.

Step 2Before adding subtitles to your MP4 videos, you can edit the automatically generated text and change the styles, including the font, color, size, background, and position of your subtitles.

Step 3Once you are satisfied, you can download your final video with the hardcoded subtitles. You can also download the SRT file separately for use in other projects.

Method 2: Subtitles.love

Subtitles.love (formerly known as Happy Scribe) offers a speedy and straightforward solution for getting an SRT file. Although it's known for fast and accurate transcription, adding subtitles to MP4 directly with the complex editor tool is relatively difficult. Thus, you'd better export the subtitles in SRT files and then add SRT to MP4 with 4Easysoft Total Video Converter.

Step 1Go to the Subtitles.love website and drag and drop your MP4 file onto the page. Its AI will transcribe the speech and generate synchronized subtitles.

Step 2You can now play the video alongside the text and correct any mistakes the AI made in its transcription. After making your edits, click the "Export" button to download the subtitles as an SRT file. This file contains all the text and timing data.

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