Shotcut How To Add Subtitles, Captions, and Credits | Shotcut Tutorial

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through the process of adding subtitles, captions, and credits to your videos using Shotcut. Whether you're a seasoned YouTuber or just starting out, these features can enhance your videos and make them more accessible to your audience.

Step 1: Setup Your Video Track

• Open Shotcut and load the video you want to edit.
• Select the video clip where you want to add subtitles.
• Right-click on the selected video clip.
• Choose to add a new video track by selecting "Add Video Track" or "Insert Track" from the context menu. This will create a new track above your original video.

Step 2: Create Your Subtitle Text

• Navigate to the top menu and select "Open Other."
• Click on "Text" or alternatively go to "File" > "Open Other" > "Generator" > "Text."
• In the text input dialog, type the subtitles or captions you want to add and click "OK."
• The generated text will appear in the preview window.

Step 3: Position Your Text

• Drag the created text from the preview window down to the new video track you just created.
• Select the text track to ensure it is active. You may not see the text initially; it will overlay on your video.

Step 4: Apply Text Filters for Customization

• With the text track selected, go to the "Filters" panel.
• Click on the "+" icon to add a filter and select "Text" from the list.
• Adjust the following properties as needed:
  • Font Color: Change the text color.
  • Font Style and Size: Modify to match your video’s style.
  • Outline Color and Thickness: Adjust or remove if necessary.
  • Background Color: Choose a background color for visibility.
  • Padding: Set padding to create space around the text.
  • Positioning: Change horizontal and vertical alignment (e.g., Center, Top, Bottom).

Step 5: Fine-Tune Text Appearance

• To create spacing within the text, use the space bar to add spaces between words or at the beginning/end of the text.
• If you want to make the background transparent, set the Alpha Channel of the background color to 0.

Step 6: Duplicate Subtitles for Additional Text

• If you need to add more subtitles, copy the existing text by selecting it and pressing Ctrl + C.
• Move the playhead to the desired position for the new subtitle and paste it using Ctrl + V.
• Adjust the timing and content of the new subtitle as necessary.

Step 7: Final Adjustments

• For each subtitle or credit, ensure the timing matches the dialogue or relevant content in your video.
• Resize and reposition the text as needed by dragging the borders or using the filters.

Conclusion

You have now learned how to add subtitles, captions, and credits to your videos in Shotcut. The key aspects of this process include creating a new video track, generating text, and customizing it using filters. With practice, you can enhance your video content significantly. If you're looking to improve your editing skills further, consider exploring more Shotcut tutorials to expand your capabilities. Happy editing!