How to Add Captions in DaVinci Resolve2026 Complete Guide — Subtitle Track, SRT Import, and Delivery
DaVinci Resolve handles captions through its Edit page subtitle track. This guide covers every method — from importing an SRT file to using the built-in Auto Caption feature — plus styling, RTL language handling, CJK font setup, and Deliver page export options.
Quick Overview
DaVinci Resolve uses a subtitle track in the Edit page to display captions. You can add captions two ways:
Method 1 — Import SRT
Generate an SRT externally, then import it via File > Import > Subtitles. Works for all languages. Recommended for professional workflows.
Method 2 — Auto Caption
Right-click your subtitle track and select Auto Caption. Uses DaVinci's built-in AI transcription. English only in most regions. Available in DaVinci Resolve 18+.
Method 1: Importing an SRT File (Recommended)
Importing a pre-made SRT file is the most reliable way to add captions in DaVinci Resolve. It works for all languages, gives you full control over timing before you enter Resolve, and avoids the accuracy limitations of the built-in transcription engine.
Open the Edit page
DaVinci Resolve's subtitle track is only available in the Edit page. Switch to it using the icons at the bottom of the screen. You cannot add subtitle tracks from the Cut page, Fusion page, Color page, or Fairlight page.
If you have been working in Cut, switch to Edit before looking for subtitle options — the Cut page timeline does not expose subtitle tracks in the same way.
Add a subtitle track to your timeline
Right-click in the track header area on the left side of the Edit page timeline and select Add Subtitle Track. A subtitle track (labelled Sub 1 by default) appears at the top of your video track stack. You can add multiple subtitle tracks if your project requires different languages.
Import your SRT file
Go to File > Import > Subtitles and select your .srt file. DaVinci Resolve reads each cue block and creates subtitle clips on the subtitle track, positioned according to the timestamps in the file.
Make sure the SRT file's timestamps match your timeline's frame rate and start point. If your timeline starts at 01:00:00:00 (broadcast convention) rather than 00:00:00:00, your SRT timestamps must also start at one hour or the cues will be misaligned.
Review and adjust cue positions
After import, scrub through the timeline and spot-check a few cues. If all captions are consistently early or late by the same amount, the SRT timestamps and the timeline start point do not match. You can either adjust the SRT externally using a timing tool, or manually drag the subtitle clips on the track.
Style your subtitles in the Inspector
Select a subtitle clip and open the Inspector (Shift+4). The Subtitle inspector panel lets you set font family, font size, text colour, background, and position. Changes made through the style controls apply to all clips that share the same subtitle style — you do not need to restyle each cue individually.
Set your font before starting your colour pass. Switching to a different font after colouring can shift line lengths and affect subtitle positioning across the whole timeline.
Method 2: Auto Caption (DaVinci Resolve 18+)
DaVinci Resolve 18 introduced an AI-powered Auto Caption feature that transcribes your audio directly in the Edit page. It is useful for a quick first pass on English-language content, but has meaningful limitations for professional delivery.
Auto Caption supports English in most regions and a limited set of additional languages depending on your Resolve version and system locale. For non-English content, or where accuracy is critical, generate the SRT externally and use Method 1.
Add a subtitle track
Follow steps 1 and 2 from Method 1 above to add a subtitle track to your Edit page timeline.
Right-click the subtitle track and select Auto Caption
Right-click on the Sub 1 track header and choose Auto Caption from the context menu. A dialogue box opens with transcription options.
Configure the transcription settings
In the Auto Caption dialogue, select your audio track source (the track containing dialogue) and your preferred language. You can also set the maximum number of characters per line, which affects how Resolve splits long phrases into subtitle cues.
Run the transcription
Click Create Captions. DaVinci Resolve processes your audio and places subtitle cues on the subtitle track. Processing time scales with the length of your audio and the performance of your machine. The process runs locally — no upload is required.
Review and correct the transcript
Auto Caption accuracy varies by audio quality, accent, and background noise. Double-click each subtitle clip to edit the text directly in the timeline. For long-form content with many errors, it is often faster to generate the SRT externally with a more accurate tool and then import it using Method 1.
Language-Specific Caption Setup
RTL Languages (Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi, Urdu)
DaVinci Resolve subtitle clips display text in the direction set by the subtitle style. For right-to-left languages, open the Inspector, find the text direction or alignment settings, and configure the style for RTL. This affects punctuation placement and line reading direction. Apply RTL at the subtitle style level before your colour pass — discovering a direction issue at the Deliver page means reworking subtitle positions that may have shifted with a font change.
CJK Languages (Chinese, Japanese, Korean)
Resolve's subtitle track handles CJK characters reliably when a CJK-compatible font is loaded in the subtitle style. Use a font with full CJK coverage such as Noto Sans CJK, Source Han Sans, or a system font from your OS. Line-break quality depends entirely on the imported SRT — poor break points in the source file mean every subtitle clip needs manual review in the Edit page, which is slow on long-form projects.
Indic Scripts (Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, etc.)
Indic script character coverage varies widely by font. Switching fonts after a colour pass can shift line lengths and affect subtitle positioning across the project. Validate your chosen font for the specific Indic script you are using before you start colouring. Check for blank boxes or tofu characters in a test export before committing to the full render.
Multiple Language Tracks
DaVinci Resolve supports multiple subtitle tracks in the same timeline. Add a second subtitle track via right-click > Add Subtitle Track and import a different language SRT file. Each track can have its own style. On the Deliver page, you can choose which subtitle tracks to include in the output or export as separate sidecar files.
Delivering Captions from DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve gives you two subtitle delivery options on the Deliver page. Which you choose depends on your distribution platform.
Sidecar SRT (closed captions)
In the Deliver page, expand Subtitle Settings and choose Export as a separate file. Resolve outputs a .srt file alongside your rendered video. Use this for YouTube, Vimeo, broadcast delivery, or any platform that accepts sidecar caption files. Viewers can toggle captions on or off.
Burn-in (open captions)
In Subtitle Settings, choose Burn Into Video. The caption text is rendered permanently into the video frame. Use this for social platforms that do not support sidecar files (Instagram Reels, TikTok, LinkedIn), or when you need captions to display without viewer action.
Common Deliver page issues
Captions missing from export
Check that Subtitle Settings is expanded in your Deliver page preset. If the section is collapsed, the default is often to omit subtitles from the output.
Subtitle text appears blank or as boxes
The output font does not support your script. Check the subtitle style font in the Edit page Inspector and confirm it includes the required character set before rendering.
SRT timestamps are offset from the video
Your SRT file's zero point does not match the timeline start point. If the timeline starts at 01:00:00:00, the SRT must also start at one hour, not zero.
RTL text appears reversed or punctuation is on the wrong side
The subtitle style text direction is not set to RTL. Open the Inspector in the Edit page and configure the direction setting before delivering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does DaVinci Resolve have automatic speech-to-text captions?
DaVinci Resolve 18+ includes an AI-powered Auto Caption feature accessed by right-clicking the subtitle track in the Edit page. It works for English in most regions. For other languages, generate an SRT externally and import it via File > Import > Subtitles.
How do I import an SRT file into DaVinci Resolve?
Go to File > Import > Subtitles in the Edit page and select your .srt file. Resolve places each cue as a subtitle clip on the subtitle track, positioned by the timestamps in the file.
Can I burn captions into the video in DaVinci Resolve?
Yes. In the Deliver page, expand Subtitle Settings and select Burn Into Video. The caption text is rendered permanently into the output frame.
How do I export captions as a sidecar SRT from DaVinci Resolve?
In the Deliver page, expand Subtitle Settings and choose Export as a separate file. DaVinci Resolve outputs an SRT file alongside your video render.
How do I fix right-to-left caption display in DaVinci Resolve?
Select a subtitle clip, open the Inspector, and configure the text direction setting to Right to Left at the subtitle style level. Apply this before your colour pass so you avoid discovering layout issues at delivery.
Which fonts should I use for CJK captions in DaVinci Resolve?
Use a CJK-compatible font such as Noto Sans CJK, Source Han Sans, or a system font with full Chinese, Japanese, or Korean character coverage. Set the font in the subtitle style inspector before your colour pass.
Does DaVinci Resolve support closed captions (CEA-608)?
DaVinci Resolve Studio supports CEA-608 closed caption import and delivery for broadcast workflows. The free version has more limited closed caption support, but standard subtitle tracks work across both editions.
Related reading
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