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How to Add Subtitles in Final Cut Pro

Choose File > Import > Captions, pick the .srt, .itt or .scc file, and choose a caption role and language: the captions appear in a lane at the top of the timeline. Final Cut Pro can also generate subtitles with Edit > Generate Captions > Subtitles, but only in U.S. English and only on a Mac with Apple silicon.

At a glance

ImportsSRT, iTT and CEA-608 (.scc)
Built-in auto captionsU.S. English only, Mac with Apple silicon
Export as a fileSRT, iTT, CEA-608 — one file per language
Burn into the videoYes: Share > Roles > Captions > Burn in captions
Embed in the fileCEA-608 only

Import an SRT file

  1. Open the project in the timeline.
  2. Choose File > Import > Captions (Closed Captions in some versions) and select the file.
  3. Pick a caption role and language, and an insertion time: Relative to Timeline or Absolute.
  4. The captions appear in a caption lane above the timeline, ready to edit.

Generate subtitles from the speech

  1. Select the clips with speech.
  2. Choose Edit > Generate Captions > Subtitles (Shift-Command-S).
  3. Final Cut Pro adds subtitle titles connected to the clips under the Subtitles role. The first run downloads the language model.

Export or burn in the subtitles

For a file, choose File > Export Closed Captions, tick the languages and export — leave Include Formatting off for SRT. To burn them in, open the Share window, go to Roles, click Captions next to the video and choose a language under Burn in captions.

Things that trip people up

  • Automatic subtitles work in U.S. English only and need a Mac with Apple silicon.
  • Leave Include Formatting off when exporting SRT; bold and italic may display wrongly elsewhere.
  • Captions always sit above everything else in the frame, titles included.
  • Only CEA-608 can be embedded in the video file; SRT and iTT are exported or burned in.

Questions

Can Final Cut Pro import SRT files?

Yes: File > Import > Captions accepts SRT, iTT and SCC files.

Does Final Cut Pro create subtitles automatically?

Yes, with Edit > Generate Captions > Subtitles, in U.S. English on Macs with Apple silicon.

How do I burn subtitles into a video in Final Cut Pro?

In the Share window, go to Roles, click Captions next to the video and choose a language under Burn in captions.

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