Free tool
Add subtitles in iMovie
To add subtitles in iMovie you need a workaround, because Apple’s iMovie guides describe no way to import a subtitle file. Make an SRT with the free generator below, then type it in as titles, finish the movie in Final Cut Pro, or put the subtitles into the clip before it goes into iMovie.
- Free
- Text for titles, SRT for Final Cut Pro
- 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.
Recording talks or family interviews on a Mac? NoteOwl transcribes them on the Mac itself, unlimited, and saves SRT subtitles naming each speaker.
How it works
How do you make subtitles for an iMovie video?
Drop the clip, or the finished movie exported from iMovie, on the generator. It transcribes the speech in short pieces and lays it out as subtitles with start and end times. Copy the wording for titles, or download an SRT for an editor that takes one.
- 1
Pick the right file
The finished movie if the subtitles go to Final Cut Pro or YouTube; the raw clip if they go into the picture before iMovie.
- 2
Drop it in
Speech is transcribed up to 30 minutes into the file, and every subtitle is listed with its times.
- 3
Copy or download
Copy text when you’ll type titles; Download SRT when another editor will read the file.
Can iMovie import an SRT file?
No. Apple’s iMovie guides for Mac and iPhone have no page on captions, subtitles or SRT files, and describe no way to import one. There are still three ways to get subtitles into an iMovie video, and each starts from the SRT made on this page.
Type them as titles
Fine for a short video: one iMovie title for each subtitle, using the words and times from the preview.
Finish in Final Cut Pro
On a Mac, move the project with File > Send Movie To Final Cut Pro, then import the SRT there as closed captions.
Put them in the picture first
Add the SRT to the raw clip in an editor that imports subtitle files, export it with the words in the frame, then edit that clip in iMovie.
How do you type subtitles as titles in iMovie on a Mac?
Select Titles above the browser and drag a title above the clip where the line is spoken. Double-click the placeholder text, type the subtitle, set the font with the controls above the viewer and click Apply. Repeat for each subtitle in the preview.
On iPhone, tap the Titles button, choose an option such as Lower Third, then tap Edit and type the line. Full Clip Duration keeps one title up for the whole clip, which suits a clip that holds a single sentence.
How do you finish an iMovie project in Final Cut Pro with subtitles?
In iMovie on a Mac, choose File > Send Movie To Final Cut Pro. Then, in Final Cut Pro, choose File > Import > Closed Captions, pick the SRT you made from the finished movie and click Import. The captions appear in a lane at the top of the timeline.
From there Final Cut Pro can burn the captions into the picture, or export them as a caption file to upload beside the movie on YouTube or Vimeo.
How do you put subtitles into a clip before editing it in iMovie?
The other route: burn them into the video before it reaches iMovie. Make the SRT from the raw clip, add it to that clip in CapCut (web or desktop), DaVinci Resolve or Final Cut Pro, all of which import SRT, and export with the subtitles in the frames.
Because the words are now part of the picture, they stay with the speech however you trim the clip in iMovie. They can’t be switched off or retyped later, so read them through in the preview before you export.
Which way suits your iMovie video?
Titles suit a short video with a few lines. Final Cut Pro suits a longer film, or one bound for YouTube or Vimeo, where viewers can switch captions off. Burning them in first suits clips for feeds such as TikTok and Instagram Reels, which take no subtitle file.
- Titles typed in iMovie
- Best forA handful of lines, on a Mac or an iPhone
- Can viewers hide them?No: titles are part of the picture
- Final Cut Pro
- Best forLong videos and anything uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo
- Can viewers hide them?Yes, when exported as a caption file
- Burned in before iMovie
- Best forSocial clips and vertical video
- Can viewers hide them?No: the text is in the frames
| Way | Best for | Can viewers hide them? |
|---|---|---|
| Titles typed in iMovie | A handful of lines, on a Mac or an iPhone | No: titles are part of the picture |
| Final Cut Pro | Long videos and anything uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo | Yes, when exported as a caption file |
| Burned in before iMovie | Social clips and vertical video | No: the text is in the frames |
Can the subtitles name who is speaking in an iMovie project?
NoteOwl can do that on your Mac. It transcribes recordings you import with on-device AI models, labels each voice and saves an SRT file where every subtitle starts with the speaker’s name, unlimited. Take that SRT into Final Cut Pro, or use it as your script for titles.
FAQ
Questions about subtitles in iMovie
Does iMovie have automatic captions?
Apple’s iMovie guides for Mac and iPhone describe no captions feature of any kind, automatic or imported. They do cover titles, which is where this page helps: copy each subtitle’s words from the preview instead of transcribing by ear.
Can I add subtitles in iMovie on iPhone?
Only by typing them as titles. Tap the Titles button, tap Edit, then type the line; the options include Lower Third. The preview on this page gives you each line and when it is spoken.
Can viewers turn the subtitles off?
Not when they are titles or burned in. To give viewers the choice, upload the finished movie to YouTube or Vimeo and add the SRT there as captions, which people switch on and off with the CC button.
Should I make the SRT from the raw clip or the finished movie?
It depends on the route. For Final Cut Pro or a YouTube upload, use the finished movie so the times match the edit. To put the subtitles into the picture before iMovie, use the raw clip, because the words then travel with its frames however you trim.
Will the subtitles include who is speaking?
No. Each subtitle is just the words and their timing. NoteOwl on a Mac writes SRT files that put a speaker’s name in front of every line they say.
Is my video uploaded to make the subtitles?
The video itself stays with you. Your browser lifts the sound out and sends it in small pieces to a cloud AI transcription service, which transcribes them and then discards them. The subtitles are put together in the page, and nothing is stored.
How long can my iMovie video be?
The generator covers the first 30 minutes of a file, 3 files a day. For a longer film, make the subtitles in parts, or let NoteOwl on your Mac transcribe the whole recording without a time limit.
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 CanvaMake subtitles for a Canva video and add them the way Canva allows
- Subtitles for Final Cut ProMake an SRT and import it into Final Cut Pro with File > Import > Closed Captions, then burn it in or export it
- Subtitles for DaVinci ResolveMake an SRT and import it into DaVinci Resolve’s Media Pool as a subtitle track, free or Studio
- Subtitles for TikTokTikTok takes no subtitle files: make short-line subtitles here and put them in the video before you post, or use TikTok’s captions
Your recordings, subtitled 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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