The answer is simple and it's “Yes”. So that's it?
Of course we're just joking — adding subtitles for YouTube is a very useful point in your to-do list and it's important to do it correctly.
But why one needs subtitles on YouTube?
Add Subtitles for YouTube: 101 Guide
Accessibility and inclusiveness. Subtitles make YouTube content accessible to people with hearing impairments or to those who prefer to read text instead of listening. They allow people who cannot hear or understand audio content to still perceive and enjoy video content. People with disabilities always turn on YouTube closed captioning:
Improve understanding and translation of content. Subtitles help viewers better understand original content, especially if it's in a different language or if accent or pronunciation makes it difficult to understand. Subtitles also make it easier to translate content into different languages, allowing the audience to perceive and understand the video in their own language.
Improved SEO (search engine optimization). Subtitles containing text and keywords can help improve video rankings in search queries. This makes the video more visible and makes it easier to discover and engage the audience.
Global presence. Subtitles in different languages allow video creators to attract and engage audiences from different countries and language groups. They improve the ability to reach an international audience, expand the boundaries and make content more accessible in different countries and regions.
Improvisation and creativity. Some content creators use subtitles to add comments, funny details, additional information, or to maintain the visual style of their content. Subtitles become a creative tool for conveying additional layers of meaning and emotion.
All in all, YouTube captions provide greater accessibility, improve understanding and translation of content, help improve SEO, expand audiences, and stimulate content creator creativity. They add value to content and make it accessible to everyone.
To add subtitles to YouTube, you will need subtitles in file format. Here is the general process for adding subtitles to YouTube:
1. Create subtitles for your video:
Create a subtitle file in .srt, .vtt or .sbv format. These may be text files containing a timestamp and corresponding subtitle text.
Subtitles must be written in the language spoken in the video.
2. Open YouTube Studio:
Log into your YouTube account and open YouTube Studio by clicking on the link: https://studio.youtube.com/
3. Select a video:
Select the video for which you want to add subtitles.
Click the Edit icon (pencil icon) next to the selected video.
4. Open the "Subtitles" tab:
At the top of the page, click on the "Subtitles" tab.
5. Add subtitles:
Click the "Add Subtitles" button and select the subtitle language.
Select subtitle type, upload subtitles from your computer or describe subtitles manually.
Upload the subtitle file from your computer and click "Choose File" (or follow the instructions to manually describe the subtitles).
6. Play video with new subtitles:
Confirm that the subtitles are displayed correctly in the video by playing it through the player on the page.
7. Save changes and publish:
Click on the "Finish" button and make sure the changes are saved.
Your subtitles will be processed by YouTube and once processed, they will be available for viewing by your audience.
Please note that the procedure may vary slightly depending on updates and feature changes to YouTube. For more detailed instructions, you can refer to the YouTube documentation or follow the directions provided in the YouTube Studio interface itself.