Add Text to YouTube Shorts

There are two meanings of text in YouTube Shorts:

1. Styled Subtitles → Text you edit yourself on top of the reel
2. Auto Captions → Generated by YouTube (can be turned off)

You’re probably here for the 1st option. However, we’ll explore both.

Option 1: Text on top of the video

To add text to YouTube Shorts, use an online tool like SendShort.ai to automatically add styled subtitles, without any manual effort.

Here’s the step-by-step process:

1. Go to SendShort.ai
2. Upload a YouTube Short video
3. Add your text
4. Save & Download

For the video above, SendShort AI has detected all the subtitles and automatically added all the text.

You can use our AI or do it manually, to add any text you wish. Then you can upload the Short with your added text.

Option 2: Closed captions

Alternative: Locate your desired Short in YouTube Studio, go to the “Subtitles” section and manually add text or translate your video.

Here’s where to find this setting:

You can also click “Add language” and select a new language in which you want to translate your Shorts video.

However: Through this method you’re not directly adding text on top of the video. This is just adding closed captions to your Short.

With method #1, you can easily add text that stays there.

FAQs

1. Can you add Text-To-Speech on YouTube Shorts?

Yes, you can add Text-To-Speech on YouTube Shorts. You can now do it in the Video Editor as soon as uploading the video.

This is all according to a recent update in mid-July 2024.

2. Is Text-To-Speech NOT allowed on YouTube?

Text-to-speech is 100% allowed on YouTube, but videos must comply with YouTube’s policies, such as avoiding repetitive content and adhering to community guidelines.

Thanks a lot for reading this,
David Ch
Head of the Editing Team at SendShort