How to Add Captions to a Video

It seemed like a simple request. “Show me how to add captions to my video.” Two hours later, I was exasperated and chastising ChatGPT.

What would turn a seasoned video editor and author into a raving woman?

I sought the help of ChatGPT after a conversation with one of my coaching clients on how she used Canva to add captions. It seemed so easy when she explained what she did.

I had recorded the 3 minute 30 second video using my phone, edited it in Camtasia to add footage and still images, and words, and then saved in using Camtasia.

Using Canva to add captions

ChatGPT took me through the steps to add captions using Canva

When I followed the directions, Canva transcribed the first word of the video and then quit. ChatGPT told me the reasons this could occur were that the video had not finished uploading, only a portion of the video was selected, the caption generation stalled, or the audio track had a problem.

The fixes included verifying that Canva can hear the audio, refreshing the project, duplicating the page, re-uploading the video and trying a different browser.

Nothing I tried worked. ChatGPT concluded that the “MP4 had an audio encoding that Canva’s captioning AI doesn’t like.”

Wonderful. AI does not like my file.

Using YouTube to add captions

After following additional instructions, I was directed to upload the video to YouTube to generate captions.

This was not a straightforward operation but eventually I got subtitles and further instructions on how to edit the captions. And YouTube allowed me to download the file. But the captions were not visible.

I inserted the YouTube version at the bottom of this post.

My original intent was to upload this video to LinkedIn, and I wanted the captions visible. ChatGPT advised me that I could upload the captions as an SRT file to LinkedIn. Knowing nothing about SRT files, I asked for help creating the captions in Camtasia.

Using Camtasia to add captions

By then, I’d put in a solid hour and 15 minutes on this project, and I was getting annoyed. ChatGPT directed me to Camtasia’s captioning feature, which was cleverly hidden.

ChatGPT spit out the instructions in rapid fire, making me respond, “We’ve gotta start slower here.” I was forced to read the menu options to Chat to explain what I was seeing, and wound my way through explanations of captions, dynamic captions, generate buttons and properties. I feel like the characters in Hansel and Gretel, who leave breadcrumbs to find their way back home, while the birds are behind them, obliterating their trail.

As I waded through the steps, many of which were hidden, ChatGPT assumed an encouraging tone. “Great! No worries! I am here to help!” As my frustration built, it started saying, “I understand. It can feel frustrating when the tool is not doing what we expect.” No kidding.

When it tried to send me back to YouTube, I stopped it and insisted we focus on Camtasia. And no, I was not going to pay for Otter.ai or Rev to get captions.

When I wrote, “You know, I’ve been working on this for over an hour and going around in circles,” it responded, “I can understand how frustrating that is, especially when it feels like a loop.”

Camtasia has a companion program called Audiate, which creates captions. By the time I worked my way to it, I’d put in almost 2 hours of problem-solving. I had to update the version of the Camtasia file I was using, find the tools, figure out how to export the audio of the video, figure out the bitrate for the audio file, generate the captions, export the captions, and make the captions show up with the video, then resave the video with the captions.

I have to confess that I was way too annoyed to carefully proofread the captions and I decided that was OK.  At the end of this ordeal, I asked ChatGPT for a step-by-step procedure for adding captions to a Camtasia video using Audiate. I’ve included the instructions here.

If you use Camtasia, you are welcome.

What did I learn from this?

1. What sounds simple can be hugely complex.
2. The programmers for ChatGPT use a variety of techniques to soothe you.
3. Yelling at ChatGPT and telling it to slow down are perfectly normal responses to a challenging situation.
4. It is only a machine. It does not have feelings.

Adding Captions to a Camtasia Video Using Audiate

Goal

Use Audiate to transcribe the video audio, correct the captions, and send them back into Camtasia.

Part 1: Start in Camtasia

1. Open the Camtasia project that contains your video.
2. Confirm that the video shows on the timeline.
3. If you already have the video audio in the project, do not add another audio file unless Camtasia requires it.
4. Save the Camtasia project before sending anything to Audiate.

Part 2: Send Audio to Audiate

Best method:

1. In Camtasia, right-click the audio portion of the video on the timeline.
2. Choose Edit in Audiate if that option appears.
3. Audiate should open and begin working with the audio.

Backup method, if “Edit in Audiate” does not appear:

1. In Camtasia, export the audio as a basic M4A.
2. Choose 192 kbps for the bitrate.
3. Open Audiate.
4. Choose Import File.
5. Select the M4A audio file.
6. Let Audiate transcribe the audio.

Part 3: Edit the Transcript in Audiate

1. Review the transcript carefully.
2. Correct names, punctuation, medical words, and anything Audiate misunderstood.
3. Save your Audiate project.

Part 4: Send the Captions Back to Camtasia

In Audiate:

1. Click Export.
2. Choose Export to Camtasia.
3. When Audiate gives you a choice, choose Export to Timeline.

Do not choose Export to Media Bin unless you only want to store the file and place it manually later. TechSmith describes the Media Bin as storage for source files, while Timeline places the media into the actual video sequence. (TechSmith)

Part 5: Watch for Duplicate Audio

After exporting to the timeline, Camtasia may add:

• a new audio track, and
• a caption/text track.

If you hear your voice twice, Camtasia has added duplicate audio.

To fix it:

1. Do not delete both new tracks together.
2. Look for the extra audio waveform track.
3. Mute the duplicate audio track first, instead of deleting it.
4. Play the video.
5. If the duplicate voice is gone and the captions remain, leave that duplicate audio track muted.
6. If needed, lock the captions/text track before deleting any audio.

Safer rule: Mute first, delete later only after confirming the captions stay.

Part 6: Export the Final Captioned Video

When the captions look right:

1. Go to Export in Camtasia.
2. Choose Local File.
3. Export as MP4.
4. Play the exported MP4 before uploading it anywhere.
5. Confirm that:
   • the video shows,
   • the audio plays once,
   • the captions appear at the right time.

Important Notes

YouTube captions are usually separate from the downloaded MP4, so they may disappear when you download your own video. That is why Audiate plus Camtasia is a better route when you want captions visible in the final video.

Dynamic captions in Camtasia can work, but if Camtasia does not show a clear generate option, Audiate is the more reliable path because it gives you the transcript first, lets you edit it, and then sends it back into Camtasia. TechSmith confirms that Camtasia can send timeline media to Audiate for transcription and text-based editing. (TechSmith)

My Preferred Short Version

1. Open the video in Camtasia.
2. Right-click the audio and choose Edit in Audiate.
3. Edit the transcript in Audiate.
4. Export from Audiate to Camtasia.
5. Choose Export to Timeline.
6. If the voice plays twice, mute the duplicate audio track.
7. Export the final MP4 from Camtasia.

The key lesson from today: Audiate creates the transcript; Camtasia finishes the captioned video.