Burned-in subtitles
Subtitles that are part of the video picture and always visible, in any player, with no way to turn them off.
Burned-in subtitles (also called hard-coded subtitles or open captions) are drawn onto the video frames. Unlike an SRT or VTT file, they can’t be switched off or changed to another language: they’re part of the picture.
- Advantage: they look the same everywhere, including on networks that don’t accept subtitle files or where people watch with the sound off.
- Advantage: you control the font, size and position.
- Limit: they can’t be hidden or corrected without rendering the video again.
- Limit: one language per video.
For YouTube or Vimeo a separate file is usually better, as viewers can turn it on if they want. For TikTok or Instagram, where you can’t upload a subtitle file, burning them in is the practical choice.
Echo produces an MP4 with burned-in subtitles from the subtitle editor, in the language you choose. There are guides for TikTok and Instagram, and more on the subtitles page.
