Free tool
Add captions to a Google Drive video
To add captions to a Google Drive video, make an SRT from the video with the free generator below, then sign in to Drive on a computer, right-click the video and upload the file under File information > Manage caption tracks.
- Free
- Plain UTF-8 SRT for Drive
- Nothing is stored
Drop your video or audio file here, or Choose your video or audio file
MP4, MOV, MKV or WebM video, or MP3, M4A or WAV audio. Up to 30 minutes of each file, 3 free files a day. The language is detected automatically.
Sharing recordings through Drive? NoteOwl transcribes the recordings you import on your Mac, unlimited, and saves SRT captions with each speaker’s name.
How it works
How do you caption a video that’s already in Google Drive?
Start from the same video file that sits in Drive: the copy on your computer, or one you download from Drive. Drop it on the generator, read the captions in the preview, then save the SRT. It’s plain text, named after the video.
- 1
Get the video on your computer
The file you uploaded to Drive, or a fresh download of it, so the captions fit that exact version.
- 2
Drop it on the generator
The speech in up to 30 minutes of the video is captioned, and every caption is listed with its times.
- 3
Save the SRT
Download SRT stores a UTF-8 text file with the video’s name, ready for Drive.
How do you upload an SRT to a video in Google Drive?
In a browser on a computer, at drive.google.com. Right-click the video, choose File information > Manage caption tracks, then Add new caption tracks. Pick the SRT with Select file, give the track a language and a name, and click Upload.
- 1
Sign in on a computer
Open drive.google.com. Drive’s help for phones and tablets sends you to a computer for this.
- 2
Open Manage caption tracks
Right-click the video, then File information > Manage caption tracks. With the video open, it’s under More > File information.
- 3
Add the file
Click Add new caption tracks, then Select file, and choose the SRT saved from this page.
- 4
Language, name, Upload
Choose the language the captions are in, type a name for the track, and click Upload.
What caption files does Google Drive accept?
Basic SRT, SBV and SUB files, plus WebVTT, TTML, DFXP, SAMI, SCC, EBU-STL and others. An SRT must be plain UTF-8 with no styling, and Drive’s help sets two more rules: under 2 MB, and no longer than the video itself.
Prefer WebVTT? Download VTT sits beside the SRT button, with the same captions and times, and Drive lists that format too.
- Encoding
- What Drive’s help saysThe file must be in plain UTF-8
- The SRT from this pageSaved as UTF-8 text
- Styling
- What Drive’s help saysBasic SRT only; no style info or markup is recognized
- The SRT from this pageWords and times only, with no tags
- Size
- What Drive’s help saysLess than 2 MB
- The SRT from this pageA small text file, far under the limit even for a long video
- Length
- What Drive’s help saysNot longer than the video
- The SRT from this pageTimed from the start of the video you drop in, so make it from the file in Drive
| Rule | What Drive’s help says | The SRT from this page |
|---|---|---|
| Encoding | The file must be in plain UTF-8 | Saved as UTF-8 text |
| Styling | Basic SRT only; no style info or markup is recognized | Words and times only, with no tags |
| Size | Less than 2 MB | A small text file, far under the limit even for a long video |
| Length | Not longer than the video | Timed from the start of the video you drop in, so make it from the file in Drive |
Why did the captions vanish from a Google Drive video?
Most likely the video file changed. Drive’s help says captions only apply to the version they were uploaded to: add a new version of the video, or delete the current one, and the captions are removed. Upload the SRT again under Manage caption tracks.
If the new version is a different cut, the old captions’ times won’t fit it. Make a fresh SRT from the new file, or, when only the start was trimmed, move every caption by the same amount with the subtitle shifter.
Keep the SRT after uploading it: it’s the quickest way to put the captions back.
Which language and name should a Drive caption track get?
The language actually spoken, since the generator writes captions in the video’s own language and doesn’t translate them. The track name is yours to choose; something plain, such as “English”, keeps the list under Manage caption tracks easy to read.
Need the captions in a second language as well? Translate the SRT with the subtitle translator, then add it with Add new caption tracks and choose the new language.
Can you get Drive captions that say who is speaking?
Yes, with NoteOwl on your Mac. It transcribes the recordings you import with on-device AI models, unlimited, and saves SRT files that put each speaker’s name before their words. It also records meetings with no bot joining the call. Everything stays on the Mac.
FAQ
Questions about captions on Google Drive videos
Can I add captions to a Google Drive video on my phone?
No. Drive’s help for phones and tablets says to open Google Drive on a computer to add caption tracks. You can make the SRT anywhere, then upload it from a browser on a laptop or desktop.
Why won’t Google Drive take my SRT file?
Check it against Drive’s rules: plain UTF-8 text, no styling tags, less than 2 MB, and no longer than the video. An SRT saved from this page meets the first three; make it from the same video you uploaded so its times fit as well.
Can I upload a VTT file to Google Drive instead of an SRT?
Yes. WebVTT is on Drive’s list of caption formats. This page offers a VTT download next to the SRT, holding exactly the same captions and times.
Will the captions show who is talking?
No. The web generator writes only the spoken words. NoteOwl, the Mac app, writes SRT files that start each caption with the speaker’s name.
How long a video can I caption here?
The generator captions up to 30 minutes of each video, 3 videos a day; a longer video gets captions for that first part. NoteOwl on a Mac captions whole recordings.
Is my video uploaded to make the captions?
The video itself never leaves your computer. The page pulls out its sound and sends it in short pieces to a cloud AI transcription service, which transcribes each piece and throws it away. The captions are assembled in the page, and nothing is kept.
Keep exploring
More subtitle generator tools
- Subtitle generatorA free AI subtitle generator: drop in a video or recording and download SRT or VTT subtitles timed to the speech, two short lines per cue; only the sound is sent, nothing is stored
- Subtitles for PowerPointMake a WebVTT caption file and insert it into a video on a slide: Playback > Insert Captions on Windows and Mac, Edit Captions on the web
- Subtitles for VLCMake an SRT for any video and load it in VLC with Add Subtitle File, or name it like the video so VLC finds it
- Subtitles for QuickTime PlayerQuickTime Player won’t open an SRT beside a video: make one here, then play it in VLC or put a subtitle track inside the movie
- Subtitles for ClipchampClipchamp’s help covers its own autocaptions, not importing a file: what to do with an SRT you already have
Captions for the recordings you share, made on your Mac
Free to download. Runs entirely on your Mac.
macOS 26 or later · Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) · 16 GB memory minimum, 24 GB recommended
About NoteOwl
NoteOwl is private AI meeting notes and memory for the Mac. It captures meetings without a bot joining the call, labels every speaker, writes summaries and action items, and builds a memory of every conversation that you can chat with — fully offline, because the speech recognition and the AI run on the Mac itself. Dictation into any app is free; Pro is a one-time purchase.
NoteOwl pricing: what’s free and what Pro adds
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