Captions for Reels and TikTok
Published: , Eric Hinzpeter
Many people watch Reels and Shorts with the sound off. What they get from you then is in the captions. Here is what makes captions readable and how to set them in VoiceCut.
Keep them short
Captions are read while scrolling. Two lines of eight words each is more than most people take in. A few words at a time, one line, is enough.
In VoiceCut, “Animation” sets how many words show at once. The “One word” template only ever shows the spoken word; it needs VoiceCut Pro.
The right place in the picture
At the bottom of the picture, Instagram and TikTok put the description, name and music, and the buttons on the right. Captions there are half covered.
Under “Position”, pick Bottom, Middle or Top, or drag the captions up and down in the picture. The preview shows the Instagram and TikTok safe zones, so you see before export whether anything gets covered.
Keep your face clear. Captions over your mouth and eyes take more from the video than they add.
Contrast
Nobody reads white text on a light background. An outline or a box behind the text helps when the background changes.
The free templates in VoiceCut are Classic, Box and Highlight. Under “Color” you pick the text color, the color of the spoken word and a background box; “Outline” sets the edge.
Check the captions at the brightest and the darkest point of your video.
Spelled right
A misspelled name stands out, especially when it is yours. No speech recognition always gets names, brands and technical terms right.
Read the captions once before you export. Select a wrong word in the “Cut” tab and tap “Edit text”. The fix only changes the caption, not the sound.
Set it once
Once you have a style you like, save it under “Template” with “Save as template”. On the next video it is back with one tap, and your videos look the same.