Captions

Video hosting with subtitle support

Bring your own captions and keep full control of them. Upload an SRT or VTT file per language against any video, and it becomes a selectable subtitle track for viewers. Correct the text in place whenever the content changes, add chapter markers to long recordings, and check coverage across the whole library through the REST API.

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The track your viewer actually selects

What the platform does

The caption capabilities you can use today

Each of these is part of the caption module rather than a feature-grid aspiration, and all of it works from the dashboard or the API.

Upload SRT or VTT, one track per languageCaptions
Both formats are accepted directly. Attach a file to a video, label the language, and it becomes a selectable subtitle track. If you have a translation produced by a supplier or a tool you already use, uploading it is the whole workflow — nothing automatic has to be involved.
SRT is converted to VTT for deliveryCaptions
SRT is the format most captioning tools and freelancers hand over, and browsers want WebVTT. An SRT upload is converted on the way in and a per-language subtitle playlist is written for adaptive delivery, so you can keep working in whichever format your supplier uses. This is delivery handling, not a restriction on how you author.
Edit caption text in placeCaptions
Caption content can be updated after upload without re-uploading the file. That makes correcting a name, a product term or a mistimed line a small job rather than a round trip through your captioning supplier.
Chapter markers alongside subtitlesCaptions
Chapters are managed in the same place as caption tracks, so a long webinar or lesson can carry both navigation and subtitles. Viewers get a way to jump to the part they need.
Read caption state back through the APIEvery plan
The REST API exposes a video’s caption list, so your own systems can check which videos have which languages and flag the gaps. API access is included on every published plan, so this is available from the entry band.
Multiple languages on one videoCaptions
Language labels are kept distinct per track, so a viewer choosing a subtitle language gets the one they picked. Add languages as demand appears rather than committing to a set up front.

Practical

How to caption a library without wasted effort

The order that saves the most work, whoever is producing the caption files.

  1. 01

    1. Bring the captions you already own

    Export caption files from your current host before you migrate. Every SRT or VTT file you bring is captioning work you never have to commission again, and it is the single biggest saving available here.

  2. 02

    2. Caption what is actually watched first

    Aggregate reporting shows which videos earn attention. Caption those before the archive — a captioned video nobody opens has not reached anyone.

  3. 03

    3. Decide who produces captions for new content

    Your own team, a captioning supplier or a transcription tool you already license — settle it before you commit to a publishing cadence. Because text can be edited in place, a rough first pass is a perfectly good starting point.

  4. 04

    4. Add languages in demand order

    Look at where your viewers are and add the language that unlocks the most watch time next. One track at a time keeps the cost proportional to the return.

  5. 05

    5. Automate the coverage check

    Use the caption list endpoint to report which videos are missing which languages, so gaps surface from a scheduled job rather than a customer complaint.

Where it matters

What subtitles do for different libraries

  • Courses and training

    Learners re-read a definition far more often than they re-watch a minute of video. Captions and chapters together turn a long lesson into something people can navigate and revise from.

  • Multi-language audiences

    Add a translated track per language against the same video rather than producing and hosting separate cuts, and keep one canonical master.

  • Sound-off viewing

    A large share of viewing happens in offices, on public transport and in shared spaces. A subtitle track is often the difference between a video being watched and skipped.

  • Help centres

    Captions give your support video a text layer people can scan when they only need the one step they are stuck on.

  • Internal findability

    Because caption text can be read back through the API, your own site search or knowledge base can index it and point people at the right moment in the right video.

  • Inclusive by default

    Viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, and non-native speakers, get the content on the same terms as everyone else — which is the point, quite apart from any obligation.

Questions

Caption questions worth answering properly

Can I upload my own subtitle files?

Yes — this is the main workflow. Upload an SRT or VTT file per language against any video and it becomes a selectable subtitle track for viewers. If you already have caption files, or you have them produced by a supplier or a tool you license, uploading the result is all that is required. Nothing automatic needs to be involved.

Do you support SRT as well as VTT?

Both. VTT is what browsers consume, and SRT is what most captioning tools and freelancers hand over, so an SRT upload is converted to VTT on the way in and a per-language subtitle playlist is written for adaptive delivery. That conversion is delivery handling — you can keep authoring and storing captions in whichever format your workflow already uses.

Can I fix a caption after uploading it?

Yes. Caption text can be edited in place without re-uploading the file, so correcting a name, a product term or a mistimed line is a quick job. That is also what makes a machine-generated first draft practical: get it close, then tidy it where it matters.

How many languages can one video have?

Add a track per language, with distinct language labels so a viewer gets the one they select. There is no published language roster to work from — you supply the track, so the languages you support are the ones you have files for.

Is automatic subtitle generation available?

Yes. StreamAI can transcribe a video in its source language and create translated subtitle tracks in the languages you select. Usage is metered per processed audio minute, per language. You can use automatic generation, upload your own SRT or VTT files, or combine both approaches and edit the resulting text in place.

Can I add chapters as well as subtitles?

Yes, and they are managed in the same place. Chapter markers let viewers jump to a section of a long recording, which pairs well with captions on webinars, lessons and recorded briefings.

Do captions make my videos accessibility compliant?

Captions are a necessary input, not a compliance guarantee. What you owe depends on your jurisdiction, your player configuration, your page and the quality of the caption text itself, so take advice on your specific obligations. What this platform gives you is full control of the caption text, which is the part that actually determines whether a viewer relying on it is served.

Can I bring captions from my previous platform?

Yes, and you should do it before you cancel the old account. Export the SRT or VTT files while you still have access — caption tracks are the asset people most often forget until it is gone — then upload them per language here. Everything you bring is work you do not pay for twice.

Bring your caption files with you

Export the SRT or VTT tracks you already hold before you leave your current platform, upload them per language here, and correct the text in place whenever the content changes.

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