Free tool
Add captions to a PowerPoint video
To add captions to a PowerPoint video, make a WebVTT file from the video with the free generator below, then select the video on its slide and choose Playback > Insert Captions > Insert Captions. VTT works in every PowerPoint version with captions; newer versions take the SRT too.
- Free
- VTT first, SRT too
- 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.
Captioning recorded talks for your decks? NoteOwl transcribes the recordings you import on your Mac, unlimited, and saves SRT captions that name each speaker.
How it works
How do you make a caption file for a video on a slide?
Use the original video file you placed on the slide. Drop it on the generator; its speech is transcribed in short pieces and timed caption by caption. Check the preview, then press Download VTT, the first button. The .vtt keeps the video’s name.
- 1
Find the original video
The MP4 or MOV you inserted into the presentation, or an audio file of the same recording.
- 2
Drop it on the page
Up to 30 minutes of the video are captioned; each caption appears with its start and end.
- 3
Download VTT
Save the WebVTT file. Download SRT, next to it, holds the same captions for newer PowerPoint versions.
How do you insert captions on a video in PowerPoint?
In Normal view, open the slide and select the video. On the Playback tab, select Insert Captions, then Insert Captions again. In the Insert Captions dialog box, pick the VTT file and click Insert. Microsoft’s help gives the same Playback path on Windows and Mac.
Other ways to reach the same command: the Accessibility ribbon (Windows, version 2111 and later), the right-click menu (Windows, 2208 and later) and the Control-click menu on a Mac (16.64 and later).
- 1
Select the video
In Normal view, on the slide that holds it. Captions go on video files, not on online videos.
- 2
Playback > Insert Captions
On the Playback tab, select Insert Captions, and then select Insert Captions again.
- 3
Pick the file
In the Insert Captions dialog box, select the .vtt and click Insert.
Which PowerPoint versions take VTT and SRT captions?
Every version with captions reads WebVTT: Windows since Office 2016, Mac since 16.63, and PowerPoint for the web. SRT came later, on Windows from version 2411 and on Mac from 16.91, and must be UTF-8. The web version takes both.
- Windows
- WebVTTSince Office 2016 (Click-to-Run installations)
- SRT (UTF-8)Version 2411 and later
- Where the command isPlayback > Insert Captions > Insert Captions
- Mac
- WebVTTVersion 16.63 and later
- SRT (UTF-8)Version 16.91 and later
- Where the command isPlayback > Insert Captions > Insert Captions
- Web
- WebVTTYes
- SRT (UTF-8)Yes
- Where the command isVideo > Edit Captions, then Insert captions in the Captions pane
| PowerPoint | WebVTT | SRT (UTF-8) | Where the command is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows | Since Office 2016 (Click-to-Run installations) | Version 2411 and later | Playback > Insert Captions > Insert Captions |
| Mac | Version 16.63 and later | Version 16.91 and later | Playback > Insert Captions > Insert Captions |
| Web | Yes | Yes | Video > Edit Captions, then Insert captions in the Captions pane |
Should you insert the VTT or the SRT in PowerPoint?
The VTT, unless you know your PowerPoint is recent. It works in every version that has captions, while an SRT needs Windows 2411, Mac 16.91 or the web. Both downloads here hold identical captions and are saved as UTF-8, which Microsoft names for SRT.
Already have an SRT and an older PowerPoint? Turn it into WebVTT with the SRT to VTT converter and insert that.
PowerPoint for the web sets each track’s language from a language code in the file name or from the caption text itself. The file saved here carries only the video’s name, so the language of the words decides.
Why can’t you insert captions on a PowerPoint video?
Check what Microsoft’s help requires: a video file on the slide, not an online video; on Windows, Office 2016 as a Click-to-Run installation; on a Mac, version 16.63 or later. An SRT also needs Windows 2411 or Mac 16.91; insert the VTT instead.
How do you remove or replace captions in PowerPoint?
Select the video, open Playback > Insert Captions and choose Remove All Captions. To fix a word, edit the VTT in any text editor, keeping the WEBVTT line and every timing line, then remove the old captions and insert the corrected file.
Captions running early or late because the video was trimmed? Move them all at once with the subtitle shifter, then insert the shifted file.
Can you caption a recorded talk with each speaker’s name?
Yes, with NoteOwl on your Mac. It transcribes the recordings you import with on-device AI models, unlimited, labels who is speaking and saves an SRT with each name before the words. Newer PowerPoint versions take SRT files; for older ones, convert it to VTT first.
FAQ
Questions about captions in PowerPoint
Can PowerPoint use an SRT file for captions?
Yes, in newer versions: Windows from version 2411, Mac from 16.91, and PowerPoint for the web. The SRT must use UTF-8 encoding. Older versions with captions read only WebVTT, which is why this page offers the VTT first.
How do I add captions in PowerPoint for the web?
Select the video, then on the Video tab select Edit Captions. In the Captions pane, select Insert captions and choose the WebVTT or SRT file. The track’s language is set from a code in the file name or from the caption text.
Can I add captions to an online video in a presentation?
No. Microsoft’s help covers captions for video files on a slide, not for online videos. Insert the video as a file instead, then add the caption file to it.
Will the captions be in the language of my video?
Yes. The generator writes the captions in the language spoken in the video and doesn’t translate them. For a deck in another language, translate the VTT or SRT first, then insert the translated file.
How long a video can be captioned here?
Up to 30 minutes of each video, 3 videos a day, with no account. For a longer recorded talk, NoteOwl on a Mac transcribes the full recording.
Does my video leave my computer?
No. Your browser opens the video locally and takes only its sound, which travels in short pieces to a cloud AI transcription service that transcribes and discards each one. The VTT and SRT are written in the page, and NoteOwl stores neither the video nor the captions.
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 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
- Subtitles for LoomLoom says it can’t take a subtitle file: fix its own captions through the transcript, or caption your own copy of the recording with an SRT made here
Related
- VTT generatorMake a WebVTT caption file from a video or recording free in your browser, for web players and course platforms; nothing is stored
- Subtitles for Google DriveMake an SRT and add it to a video in Google Drive with Manage caption tracks, on a computer
- Subtitle generatorTurn a recording into an SRT subtitle file with timecodes and speaker names, on your Mac
Captions for every recorded talk, 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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