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Descript captions: how to create subtitles and export SRT or VTT
For a captioned video, correct the transcript and add a caption layer. For a separate subtitle file, export SRT or VTT and check it with the final video. Start with a supported source language; Japanese audio transcription is not supported.
All contents
Create and deliver a short captioned sample
These steps are a suggested way to test the work. Try a small sample in the recipient’s actual player before editing the full project.
Write the delivery specification
Record the source and caption languages, file format, aspect ratio, resolution and receiving platform. Resolve ambiguous requirements with the recipient before production.
Edit and correct a permitted sample
Use one or two minutes of representative material. Finalize the speech selection, then check names, numbers and negatives against the audio. Replay joins after edits.
Export one version at a time
Approve the original-language output before translation. Give the video and subtitle files matching revision identifiers and check for duplicated caption display.
Play the files at the destination
Check the beginning, edited joins and ending for timing, line breaks, clipped text, sound and watermarks. Note problems with their timecodes, then replay the corrected sections and the parts just before and after them.
Separate subtitle files or captions in the video?
| Recipient requirement | Output to evaluate | What to check after export |
|---|---|---|
| Separate video and subtitle assets | SRT or VTT | The specified format matches the final video version |
| A consistent visible caption treatment | Video with a captions layer | Text is readable in the destination player |
| Another audience language | Reviewed translated captions | Names, numbers, conditions and negatives retain their meaning |
| Japanese source audio | A different transcription workflow | Confirm source-language support before uploading |
Follow the recipient's specification. A subtitle file is not a video file; test its appearance and timing where it will actually be used.
Check the language of the original recording
Descript's documentation excludes Japanese audio from automatic transcription while listing Japanese as a caption-translation destination. Treat these as different stages. This workflow is aimed at supported source material such as English, not at automatically transcribing a Japanese meeting.
If the recording is in Japanese, choose a service that supports Japanese transcription before planning the edit. Being able to translate captions into a language does not mean the tool can transcribe audio in that language.
Correct words without accidentally cutting speech
Use Correct to repair transcription errors while keeping the underlying recording. Ordinary script deletion is a media edit. Decide which speech belongs in the finished piece before doing a detailed pass through the caption wording.
Our suggested review order prioritizes names, amounts, dates, units and negative statements. If the speaker made a factual mistake, silently replacing the caption with a different claim creates an audio-text mismatch. Decide whether to add an explicit correction or explanatory note instead.
Check caption layers and the scenes they cover
Use the Captions panel to apply a style to the intended scene range. Select the existing captions layer when changing its style so that you do not unintentionally add another layer.
Inspect long sentences, speaker changes and scenes with charts. Move captions that cover faces, important figures or player controls, and test readability on a phone as well as in the editor.
Deliver subtitle files with the matching video revision
The subtitle exporter supports SRT and VTT, with controls for speaker labels and line layout. Use the format the recipient requests. Styling a captions layer does not by itself deliver a separate subtitle file.
We suggest matching versioned names such as clip-v03.mp4 and clip-v03.en.srt. If you cut the video after generating the subtitles, check the pair again. Tell the recipient which files replace the old version instead of relying on filenames such as final-final-new.
Review translations after source changes
Translated captions live in separate compositions. Changes to the original do not synchronize automatically, and retranslation can overwrite manual corrections. Stabilize the original before translating and record later changes.
Compare names, dates, amounts, negatives and conditions with the source. If you cannot judge the translation yourself, allow time for someone who knows the language to review it.
Export a short sample before editing the full project
Try the required subtitle format, video resolution, watermark setting and translation features in your own account. Our plan comparison explains the differences between subscriptions. Finish one sample before deciding which plan you need.
When a sample fails, classify the cause: plan restriction, mistaken operation, unsupported source language or unclear source material. Upgrade only when the relevant plan difference addresses that cause. Do not treat every failure as a reason to buy a more expensive subscription.
Example: checking a three-minute video
The following numbers are assumptions for planning, not Descript performance measurements or plan limits.
- Material
- Edit 12 minutes of source into a 3-minute video
- Assumed first review
- 8 minutes checking words + 4 checking caption display + 3 testing delivery = 15 minutes
- Second subtitle language
- Budget a separate language review; output duration alone is not the workload
- Later source edit
- Recheck the affected captions, translation and exported file pair
Measure your own time by stage. Before increasing output volume, assign responsibility for language review, corrections and replacing delivered files.
Things to watch for
Checking appearance but missing a change in meaning
Look for missing negatives, extra zeros and incorrect units. Fix errors that change the meaning before publishing.
Combining different video and subtitle revisions
Before manually adjusting timestamps, verify that both files represent the same edit. Otherwise you may repair the wrong pair.
Losing corrections during retranslation
Record source changes and manual translation fixes before refreshing the translation, then inspect the result instead of assuming corrections survived.
Keep matching video and subtitle versions
Save the video and subtitle filenames, languages, version number, reviewer and remaining corrections together. Check that the recipient can play that pair of files. If the video changes later, the record shows which captions and translations need updating.
Frequently asked questions
Can I automatically transcribe Japanese audio in Descript?
That input is outside this documented workflow. Do not infer input support from a Japanese caption-translation option; choose a supported transcription workflow first.
Do I need both SRT and captions inside the video?
Only if the recipient requests both. Agree whether captions should be controlled by the player or remain visible in the video, and test for duplicated display.
Will fixing a caption remove the spoken word?
Use Correct for a text repair and keep it distinct from a media cut. Replay the edited segment to confirm the intended speech remains.
Can Free finish my deliverable?
That depends on the required output format, video resolution, watermark and translation features. Export a small sample in your account and compare it with the recipient's specification before proceeding.
Scope and key points
Who this helps
- You need captions or subtitle files for supported-language media
- You want an explicit correction and delivery review process
Limits of this guide
- Automatic transcription of Japanese recordings is the main requirement
- Nobody can review the source wording or translation
Key points
- Caption translation into Japanese does not mean Japanese audio transcription
- Choose subtitle files or on-video captions from the delivery specification
- Review meaning, timing and the final export instead of only the editor preview
What the sources say
Japanese audio transcription and Japanese caption translation have different support
Correct mode differs from deleting media through script edits
Caption layers and separate SRT/VTT exports are different delivery options
Source changes do not automatically synchronize to translations
References
- 1.Supported transcription languages
Descript · Retrieved Sep 10, 2026
- 2.Correct your transcript
Descript · Retrieved Sep 10, 2026
- 3.Captions
Descript · Retrieved Sep 10, 2026
- 4.Export subtitles
Descript · Retrieved Sep 10, 2026
- 5.Translate your captions into another language
Descript · Retrieved Sep 10, 2026
- 6.Edit like a doc
Descript · Retrieved Sep 10, 2026
About this article
We checked six Descript help pages on September 10, 2026. The review sequence, acceptance criteria and worked example below are editorial proposals, not hands-on accuracy or speed measurements.
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