Problem
Exported subtitles are burned in even though the intended delivery required a selectable caption track.
Solution
Root Cause / Diagnostic:
Caption export workflows in NLEs offer two primary delivery options: 'Burn Captions Into Video' (open captions rasterized permanently into video pixels) and 'Embed in File / Sidecar File' (closed captions stored as metadata tracks like CEA-608/708 or SRT/VTT sidecars). If the export preset defaults to Burn-in, the text becomes a permanent part of the video image, preventing viewers from toggling captions off or switching between multiple subtitle languages.
Actionable Fix:
1. In the export Captions tab, change 'Export Options' from 'Burn Captions Into Video' to 'Create Sidecar File' (selecting SubRip .srt or WebVTT .vtt) or 'Embed in File' (for broadcast MOV/MXF).
2. Ensure caption stream format matches platform requirements (e.g., UTF-8 encoded SRT for YouTube and social media).
3. Play the exported video in a media player (VLC) and toggle the subtitle track switch to verify that captions can be turned on and off independently of the picture.
Pro Tip:
Always upload separate WebVTT or SRT subtitle files to YouTube instead of burning in captions; YouTube's search algorithm indexes closed caption text for SEO search discovery and automated multi-language translation.
Caption export workflows in NLEs offer two primary delivery options: 'Burn Captions Into Video' (open captions rasterized permanently into video pixels) and 'Embed in File / Sidecar File' (closed captions stored as metadata tracks like CEA-608/708 or SRT/VTT sidecars). If the export preset defaults to Burn-in, the text becomes a permanent part of the video image, preventing viewers from toggling captions off or switching between multiple subtitle languages.
Actionable Fix:
1. In the export Captions tab, change 'Export Options' from 'Burn Captions Into Video' to 'Create Sidecar File' (selecting SubRip .srt or WebVTT .vtt) or 'Embed in File' (for broadcast MOV/MXF).
2. Ensure caption stream format matches platform requirements (e.g., UTF-8 encoded SRT for YouTube and social media).
3. Play the exported video in a media player (VLC) and toggle the subtitle track switch to verify that captions can be turned on and off independently of the picture.
Pro Tip:
Always upload separate WebVTT or SRT subtitle files to YouTube instead of burning in captions; YouTube's search algorithm indexes closed caption text for SEO search discovery and automated multi-language translation.