How to Add Captions in Shootsta
Generate and edit captions directly inside the Shootsta platform. No request forms, no back and forth, no waiting on turnaround. Here is how it works.
Captions are now self-serve in Shootsta. Generate and edit captions directly inside the platform. No request forms, no back and forth, no waiting on turnaround.
For teams shipping video across internal comms, brand, social, and L&D, that is one fewer handoff between finished edit and published asset.
What changed?
Previously, adding captions to a video meant submitting a request, waiting for turnaround, reviewing a file, and re-uploading. For a single video, that was manageable. For teams producing dozens of videos a month, it quietly held things up.
Now you can generate, edit, and publish captions on any video in your workspace without leaving the platform. Same workflow, no extra steps.
This applies to any new video submitted to Shootsta from 28 April 2026 onwards.
How do I add captions to a video in Shootsta?
Four steps. Takes about two minutes.
Step 1: Open your video
Open the video you want to caption in the Shootsta platform. You will see the video player with your completed edit.
Step 2: Go to Add-ons and click Generate Captions
In the right-hand panel, click the Add-ons tab. You will see the option to Edit Captions (English). Click it to auto-generate captions from the audio in your video.
Step 3: Review and edit
The caption editor opens with your auto-generated captions. Each caption block shows the text, start time, and end time. You can edit the text, adjust timing, and fix any words the auto-generation got wrong.
Pay attention to:
- Brand-specific terms and proper nouns (auto-generation often misspells these)
- Line breaks - keep lines short enough to read on mobile
- Timing - make sure captions appear and disappear in sync with speech
Step 4: Click Save
Save your edited captions. They are now attached to your video.
Step 5: Download
You have two options. Download your video with burnt-in captions (open captions baked into the file), or download the captions as a separate SRT file to upload alongside your video on whichever platform you are publishing to. Pick whichever suits your distribution channel.
That is it. Same platform, same workflow.
Why does this matter?
Around 80% of video on social platforms is watched without sound. WCAG 2.1 Level AA requires captions on all prerecorded video. For teams that take accessibility seriously, captions are not optional.
The problem was never knowing captions matter. It was the workflow friction of getting them done on every video, every time. That friction is gone.
Every video can now leave the platform complete, captioned, and accessible without a separate process.
Who is this for?
Any team producing video through Shootsta. This is especially useful for:
- Internal comms teams shipping regular updates and leadership messages
- L&D teams producing compliance training and onboarding videos where comprehension matters
- Marketing teams publishing to social platforms where autoplay is muted by default
- Global teams with non-native English speakers who rely on captions to follow along
Frequently asked questions
What if my project is already completed?
If your project is already marked as complete, the Add-ons tab is no longer visible. To add captions, click the three-dot menu at the top of your project and select Request Changes. This reopens the project so you can access Add-ons and generate captions.
Does this work on existing videos?
Self-serve captions are available on any new video submitted from 28 April 2026 onwards.
What languages are supported?
English captions are supported at launch. The caption editor generates SRT-format captions from the English audio track.
Can I edit the timing of individual captions?
Yes. Each caption block shows start and end timestamps that you can adjust directly in the editor.
Do I need to request captions separately?
No. That is the whole point. Open your video, generate captions, edit them, save. No request forms, no waiting.
Are these open captions or closed captions?
The captions are generated as SRT (closed captions). For guidance on when to use open vs. closed captions, see our guide on captioning business videos at scale.
How accurate is the auto-generation?
Modern speech recognition hits around 95% accuracy on clear audio. You should always review and edit before publishing, especially for brand terms, proper nouns, and industry jargon.
