Add karaoke captions to a video

What are karaoke captions?

A karaoke caption highlights each word as it's said, so the text keeps pace with the audio instead of sitting there as one static block. You've seen it on TikTok and Reels: the current word pops in a bright color while the rest stays plain. It's easy to read with the sound off, and the motion gives a scrolling viewer a reason to stop.

How to add karaoke captions to a video

• Drop your video in. Vertical or landscape, best for short-form clips.
• Let it transcribe. Every word gets timed automatically, right on your device.
• Style the highlight. Set the accent color and font, and switch on the word-pop.
• Export. Download a finished MP4, or grab the SRT and VTT files.

Karaoke-style captions vs normal subtitles

Normal subtitles show a sentence and wait. Karaoke-style captions time every single word and highlight it as it's said, one to three words on screen at a time. That timing is what makes them work on mute: the viewer's eye follows the highlight instead of reading ahead and scrolling away. It's the same idea as the lyrics on a karaoke screen, which is where the name comes from. For the full breakdown of styles and placement tips, see word-by-word captions.

The same timing also makes a lyric video: point it at a song instead of speech, and every sung word lights up in turn.

Free, no watermark, nothing uploaded

Plenty of karaoke-caption tools upload your video and then stamp the free export with a logo. This one does neither. Captions are generated locally in the browser, so your footage stays with you and the file you download is clean.

Built for TikTok, Reels and Shorts

The default is vertical 9:16, with text sized so it's readable on a phone and on mute. Shooting landscape? 16:9 works too, and the captions scale to fit the frame.

Platform guides: TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, plus exactly where each app covers your video. Browse all 71 caption styles to pick a look.

Karaoke captions FAQ