How to Add Subtitles in Premiere Pro (Auto and SRT Import)

There are three ways to learn how to add subtitles in Premiere Pro: let its Speech to Text feature write them, import a ready SRT file, or type them by hand. This guide walks through all three, then shows how to export burned-in text or a separate file.

What you need before you start

Adobe now calls the app “Premiere” in some help pages, but the caption tools are the same. Menus moved a little in recent versions, so the labels below may differ slightly on yours.

• A locked edit. Caption the final cut. Trimming later shifts the timing.
• Clean dialogue. Lower music under speech so transcription hears the words.
• The right language. Know the main spoken language before you transcribe.

Two terms come up often. A caption track is a special timeline track that holds text blocks with start and end times. A sidecar file is a separate subtitle file, such as an SRT, that travels next to the video instead of inside it.

Method 1: How to add subtitles in Premiere Pro automatically

Premiere’s Speech to Text turns your dialogue into a transcript, then into captions. According to Adobe’s Speech to Text page, it supports Hindi along with English and several other languages.

1. Open the captions workspace. Go to Window, then Workspaces, then Captions and Graphics.
2. Transcribe the sequence. In the Text panel, click Transcribe Sequence. Choose the language and audio track, then click Transcribe.
3. Fix the transcript. Read it line by line. Correct names, numbers and brand words before you make captions.
4. Click Create Captions. Set the maximum characters per line, the minimum duration and single or double lines.
5. Review on the timeline. A caption track appears above your video. Drag block edges to fine-tune timing.

You can also turn on automatic transcription when you import media, or right-click a clip in the Project panel and choose Transcribe.

Method 2: Import an SRT file into Premiere Pro

Use this when you already have subtitles from another tool, a client or a translator. If the format is new to you, our guide on what an SRT file is explains each part with a sample.

1. Import the file. Go to File, then Import, and pick the .srt. Some newer versions also offer an import captions from file option in the Text panel.
2. Drag it to the timeline. Place it at the very start of the sequence so times line up.
3. Check the sync. Play the start, middle and end. If everything is early or late by the same amount, move the whole caption track.
4. Style the captions. Select them and adjust font, size and background in the Properties panel, or Essential Graphics in older versions.

Need an SRT to import? An SRT generator can create one from your audio, which you then bring into Premiere.

Method 3: Type subtitles by hand

Manual captions make sense for short clips, songs, or audio that is too noisy for any AI.

1. Create a caption track. In the Text panel, choose to create a new caption track and pick a format.
2. Add a caption. Move the playhead to where speech starts, click the plus button and type the line.
3. Set the timing. Drag each block’s edges to match the waveform.
4. Repeat and style. Add the next line, then apply one style to the whole track.

How do I style subtitles so they read well?

Select a caption block, then use the Properties panel (Essential Graphics in older versions). Save the look as a track style so every line matches.

• Font: a bold, simple sans-serif. Avoid thin or script fonts.
• Background: a dark box behind white text keeps it readable on busy shots.
• Position: for vertical Reels and Shorts, raise the text above the app buttons.
• Line length: short lines are easier to read on phones. Two lines at most.

How to export subtitles from Premiere Pro

Go to File, then Export, then Media. Open the Captions section of the export settings and pick one option.

A sidecar SRT is what you upload to YouTube. Our guide on adding subtitles to a YouTube video covers that part. The Utah State University captioning guide also shows the burn-in export with a background box.

How to add Hindi and Hinglish subtitles in Premiere Pro

Speech to Text lists Hindi, but real Indian speech is rarely pure Hindi. Creators drop English words into almost every sentence. That mix is where errors pile up, as we explain in why Hinglish breaks most speech-to-text tools.

• Hindi selected: expect English words written in Devanagari, like brand names.
• English selected: expect Hindi words turned into odd English guesses.
• Hinglish wanted: Premiere does not list it as a language, so plan to retype or bring in an SRT made elsewhere.

Also check your font. Many stylish Latin fonts have no Devanagari letters, so Hindi text falls back to a different font or shows empty boxes. Pick a font that includes Devanagari before styling.

Common mistakes and troubleshooting

A faster route for styled social captions

Premiere’s built-in caption styles are plain. If you want animated, word-by-word captions for Reels without building them by hand, you can make them in a caption tool and bring them into your edit.

GetNixa is one option. You upload the video, pick the spoken language from 30, including Hindi and Hinglish, and the AI writes timed captions. Then you fix any word, choose a template and set font, colour, position and animation.

On Pro and Studio plans you can export transparent captions as a .mov layer. You drop that layer above your video in Premiere and keep editing as usual. Every plan also exports SRT. See the Premiere Pro captions page for details.

Which method should you choose?

• Use Speech to Text if the speech is mostly English or clean Hindi and you want soft subtitles.
• Import an SRT if someone else made the subtitles or you need Hinglish text.
• Type by hand if the clip is short or the audio is poor.
• Use a transparent overlay if you want animated captions for social media.

Wrapping up

Premiere gives you solid caption tools once you know where they are. Transcribe or import, clean the text, style it once, then export the right format for each platform.

Frequently asked questions