Have you ever scrolled through Instagram and Instagram Stories or any other social platform wanting to watch a video or a story, but were in a public place and didn’t have headphones?
Imagine if that video had easy-to-read subtitles accompanying the video — it suddenly becomes easier to stop, read and actually watch the video.
Subtitles are still one of the best ways to encourage people, even if they’re watching on mute, to watch your Instagram Stories all the way through. In fact, 85% of people watch Instagram on silent (including me).
Not only are subtitles important for people who are watching without sound, but it’s also incredibly helpful for those with hearing difficulties.
Instagram subtitles also give people a reason to stick around and make it easier for them to follow along with your content.
Well I have a solution for you.
Threads is a great (free) app to help you easily create captions on your Instagram and LinkedIn videos.
All you need to do is speak and it will transcribe the text for you just like you see here!
The Threads app auto-captions your video. You can even add closed captions to a pre-recorded video. Once Instagram Threads has transcribed your video, you can then edit your caption and download your new video.
Ultimately, it’s a camera and messaging app designed for keeping up with close friends on Instagram. But I love it for the caption/subtitle feature.
When Threads was launched, Instagram described it as a way “for your smaller circle of friends… to stay more connected throughout the day, so you can communicate what you’re doing and how you’re feeling through photos and videos.”
How to Use the Instagram Threads App to Automatically Add Captions to Your Videos
Threads is a great way to help you save time while also creating inclusive content.
Follow these easy steps to add captions to your Instagram Stories.
Step #1: Install “Threads from Instagram”.
Step #2: Open the app. When you open Video Notes, click “Try it” to see it in action.
Step #3: Record a video while you talk, then wait a few seconds for the auto-captioning to appear.
TIP: You can also upload an existing video from your camera roll — Threads will still generate captions from your pre-recorded video!
Step #4: Share it with your Close Friends directly from Threads (or not), or hit the download button to save it to your phone.
You can upload and share your Threads video just like any other video to both your Instagram Stories and your feed.
The only negative with Threads is that it only captions segments of 15 seconds or less so if you have a longer video you have to break it up into shorter pieces. I’ll write about another tool that you can use for longer-form videos called Kapwing.
In this video I explore how Threads works.
Check it out!