Karaoke subtitles for your videos

What are karaoke subtitles?

They show a short phrase and highlight each word at the moment it is said, like the lyrics on a karaoke screen. They guide the eye, make the video easy to follow with the sound off and add rhythm to what you say, which is why they became the default look on TikTok, Reels and Shorts.

Getting them right needs the start and end time of every word, not just of every sentence. This tool uses a speech recognition model that returns word-level timestamps, and it runs on your own device: your video is never uploaded to a server.

How to make karaoke subtitles, step by step

1. Choose your video. Transcription starts on its own. The first time, the AI model is downloaded (a few minutes); after that it is much faster.
2. Tweak the style. “Karaoke” is already selected: white text with an outline and the active word in yellow. Change the highlight colour, font, size or position if you like.
3. Fix the text. Tap any line to correct a word; the timing adjusts itself.
4. Download the MP4 with the captions burned in, ready to post. You can also get the SRT.

Variations of the karaoke effect

• KaraokeThe whole line in white and the current word in colour. The classic.
• Word by wordOne big word at a time with a small bounce. More energy, great for fast videos.
• ProgressiveWords fill with colour as you say them and stay coloured.
• Marker and BoxThe active word gets a coloured background, very readable on bright footage.

You can also highlight keywords in another colour (detected automatically, or mark them with *asterisks*) and add automatic emojis.

Tips for great-looking captions

• Short lines: 2–4 words per line can be read at a glance on a phone.
• Contrast: yellow, lime or cyan on white text stand out on almost any background.
• Stay clear of the app buttons: pick the platform (TikTok, Reels or Shorts) and the text moves into the safe zone.

Frequently asked questions