How to Easily Add Subtitles in iMovie

Tutorial: Easily add subtitles to your iMovie videos and boost accessibility and engagement.

Adding subtitles to iMovie is actually quite straightforward. There are two main methods: using built-in titles and manually typing them in.

Using built-in titles:

• Open your project and select the clip. Launch iMovie and open your video project. In the timeline, click on the clip you want to add subtitles to.
• Go to Titles and choose “Lower Third”: Click on the “Titles” button above the viewer. In the titles gallery, select the “Lower Third” style. This style is designed for subtitles and captions.
• Double-click or drag the title of the clip: A text box will appear above the viewer. Double-click it or drag it down to the desired position in your video clip.
• Type your subtitle text: In the text box, type the subtitle text for the selected part of the clip. You can adjust the font style, size, and color using the options in the text inspector.
• Fine-tune the timing and position: Drag the edges of the subtitle box in the timeline to adjust its duration. You can also fine-tune the position by dragging the text box itself within the video frame.
• Repeat for other clips: Follow steps 2-5 for each clip where you want to add subtitles. You can copy and paste the subtitle text to save time if the subtitles are similar to many clips.

How to Easily Add Subtitles in iMovie

Manually typed subtitles:

• Open the Captions window: Go to the “Window” menu and select “Captions.” This will open a separate window for managing your subtitles.
• Click the “+” button to create a new caption: In the Captions window, click the “+” button to create a new caption.
• Type the subtitle text and set the timing: In the “Text” field, type the subtitle text. Use the “Start Time” and “End Time” fields to set the duration of the subtitle on the timeline.
• Repeat for the other captions. Continue adding new captions. Set their timings for each part of your video where you want subtitles.
• Style the captions (optional). You can double-click on a caption in the list to open the text inspector and adjust its font style, size, and color.

Author’s Note:

iMovie offers automatic captioning, but it’s not always accurate. It’s best to review and edit the captions for better results.

You can import subtitle files in SRT format into iMovie for automatic placement. Consider using keyboard shortcuts for faster subtitle editing. For example “Command+B” to make text bold or “Command+I” to make it italic.

By following these steps, you can add subtitles to your iMovie videos using either built-in titles or manual typing. Remember to practice and experiment to find the workflow that works best for you.