Adding captions to TikTok videos greatly increases your video’s reach. Although it’s possible to add captions on the TikTok app itself, there are far more accurate, inclusive and easy ways to do so through an app that is specifically tailored to captioning, like MixCaptions. Learn the benefits of adding captions to TikTok videos, the most cost-effective and easy ways to do so, and how you can expand your reach to get your video in front of many more people across the globe.

 Why Should I Add TikTok Video Captions?

You may be wondering why you need to add captions to TikTok at all. Providing captions will increase your viewership immensely, the length of time viewers watch your video, and how likely your video is to get shared. Recent research has powerfully proven this theory.

Engage Viewers Immediately

With the majority of people watching social media content on their phones while out and about, captions are absolutely crucial for viewers to have an easy and accessible way to watch your videos and understand their message.

Statistics show 80% of people who use captions are not deaf/hard of hearing. According to the same research, 50% agree captions are important because they usually watch videos with sound off regardless of whether they’re on mobile or desktop. 

Increase Average Watch Time 

80% of people also said they were more likely to watch a video to completion if captions were available. By not having captions, you’ll see a higher percentage of drop offs where viewers aren’t engaged and swipe away to the next video in their feed.

Control Over Caption Accuracy

It’s easy for a platform’s native caption feature to ‘get it wrong’ when it comes to interpreting difficult or complex words. With MixCaptions, you have total control over caption accuracy, and you can view and edit captions for accuracy, especially if your brand has unique words or phrases used. This is also helpful for non-native English speakers to truly understand your message.

Increase Accessibility for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing

One of the most common reasons why providing captions are important is to support the deaf/hard of hearing. According to research, approximately 92.6% of global internet users watch digital videos each week, and from a different research study, the average time spent on TikTok in specific is averaging 1.5 hours per day.

With more than 1.5 billion people living with hearing loss around the globe, the benefits of captioning are endless. Without a captioning app, you risk losing out on an entire group of people and may come across as non-inclusive.. To make sure you serve all communities everywhere, captioning your content is absolutely imperative.

Easier Understanding for Non-Native English Speakers

Captions can also serve as subtitles and help non-native speakers grasp your content more easily. To make sure your content is accessible and inclusive for everyone, providing captions help non-native English speakers understand the video. 

Ways to Add Captions to TikTok Videos

There are many ways to add captions to your content. Let’s take a look at some of the options available. 

Use TikTok Auto Captions

TikTok has a native auto-caption feature within the platform, however it does have limitations and challenges. For example, there’s a much higher risk for inaccurate captions, the timing can often be off or misaligned, and only English translations are available. By only relying on TikTok’s native features, you run the risk of not telling the story you wanted to tell, and may spend more time and stress uploading videos than the return you get in viewership and engagement.

Use an Online Video Editor

Online video editors are popular these days, but they come with their own setbacks, such as: only being available via desktop with no mobile app, having limited editing options, and many not having a caption option at all. You’ll also run into setbacks around trying to customize your brand aesthetic with their limited options. 

Add Captions Manually With TikTok Editing Tools

Although, TikTok has their own native editing tools for creators who want to manually add captions.  This tool comes with drawbacks, mainly the limited amount of options focusing on design and self branding for your video captions.

While using TikTok’s native tools may seem “easier” because it’s available in the app itself, the frustration, lack of customization options, and the possibility of the caption feature experiencing glitches or downtime can cause you more time and stress in the long run. Most platforms aren’t very innovative with their native features, which is where third party apps come into play.

Use a Captions App for TikTok Videos

Opting for a captions app like MixCaptions is the best option. Why? You’ll save an incredible amount of time and money from not having to hire an editor or pay-per-project.  MixCaptions gives you the ability to edit at scale, running multiple projects at the same time. Made specifically to edit captions to ensure accuracy that is customized and engaging, you’ll see a big benefit from working with our app.

Along with the above benefits, you’ll have the ability to customize the font, design and placement of your captions, allowing you to tie the aesthetics of your personal or business brand into your video through more subtle details.

Add Captions to TikTok Videos With MixCaptions

For business owners, creators and even those just starting out in sharing video content, MixCaptions is the ideal app for adding captions to your content. It’s simple, quick and easy to make your content more accessible, inclusive and shareable with its vast amount of features and customization to get your brand message across.

Create Captions in MixCaptions App

Create captions for your TikTok videos in a few easy steps:

1. Download the MixCaptions app  (available on iOS / Mac App Store, or Google Play)
2. Upload your video file
3. Trim your video to fit your desired start and end times
4. Click “captions.” You can choose to upload an SRT file or enter them manually
5. Choose when your captions end and begin with the trimming feature  
6. Select “style” to customize your caption’s styling, effects, and placement 
7. Click “save and share” and export your video directly to TikTok 

It’s that easy! 

Upload Exported Video to TikTok

To share your newly captioned and edited video to TikTok, follow these simple steps:

1. Sign in to TikTok
2. Click the cloud icon or “Upload Video” button to upload your video
3. Edit your keywords, tags and write a caption to improve visibility in search. 
4. Share!