How to Add Text to a Video?

Insert captions for free with Clipify or check out other ways
DownloadDownload Free WindowsFor Windows 11, 10, 8, 7

How to Add Text to Videos - Best 9 Ways in 2024

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. But is it reason enough to leave your visual content with no text whatsoever? Don’t you think that your video would be better if you added a caption to it? Title cards, labels and logos, even thought bubbles - your clips can greatly benefit if you add any or all of those.

Don’t quite know how to put text on a video? Worry not, because we will be happy to share our knowledge with you. In this article, we’ll show you as many as 9 ways to add text to your video. Ready? Then let’s dive in.

Text on a video add a much needed zest
This is how a simple caption can transform your footage

Way 1. Put Text on a Video with Clipify

Want to make your first steps in video editing? Or are you an accomplished videographer? Whichever the case, Clipify is the perfect tool for you. This free software has a streamlined interface and easy workflow. But more importantly, it offers you a rich toolkit for quick movie making. So if you are looking for a video editor to stitch together your clips and improve their quality, Сlipify is the solution for you. Let’s see how you can use it to write text on videos.

Step 1. Open Your Footage

First, click the button below to download this free video editor. Follow the wizard prompts to install it to your PC, then run it.

DownloadDownload Free WindowsFor Windows 11, 10, 8, 7

Click the Add Videos and Photos button and choose the clips you want to caption. Drag them to the timeline.

Step 2. Add Text to Your Video

Switch to the Text tab. Browse through the predesigned text styles the software has to offer. Pick the one you like and double click it. Type in the text.

Add text to your video in Clipify
Let's caption this sweet hiking video

Step 3. Customize Your Caption

Resize your caption and drag it to any spot you want. Doubleclick the text to change any aspect of it and set the animation mode - you can make the caption fade in, appear letter by letter, or slide into the frame.

Change your caption's size, font, and color
Make sure the caption is perfectly readable

If you want your caption to have a background, use Clipify’s built-in collection of stickers. Go with dialogue bubbles, plaques, and banners.

And there we go - it only took us a few moments to caption our clip. Want to know how else you can use Clipify to add zest to your videos? For starters, the software comes with a huge library of effects that can give your clips a distinct look. What’s more, you can cut out parts of a video, stabilize shaky clips, speed up the footage, enjoy an immense collection of royalty-free tracks, use video greeting cards templates, and more to turn movie making into a thrilling activity.

Want to add text to your video?
Get Clipify to spice up your clips with captions and titles!
DownloadDownload Free WindowsFor Windows 11, 10, 8, 7

Way 2. Overlay Text on a Video with Premiere

Chances are you have heard plenty about Adobe Premiere. This video editor is the stuff of legends, mostly for how feature-rich it is, but also for how much it costs. Premiere is a pro-level program that gives you tools to edit your clips, improve their quality, and stylize them with tons of filters. Let’s see how we can use it to overlay text on a video.

  1. Create a text file Add your footage to the timeline. Press Ctrl+T or Command+T. This will create a text layer.
  2. Type in your text Create a text box, then type in your text. Adjust its style - size, font, color, opacity, etc.
  3. Insert your caption Now, drag the file you’ve created to the timeline. Place it where you want it to start playing, and adjust its length.
Caption your video with Premiere
Adobe Premiere’s interface might scare some newbies off

Need to combine several videos in your footage? Then read this step-by-step guide to find out how to overlap videos in an instant.

Way 3. Add Text to a Video with Camtasia

TechSmith Camtasia is a video editing program that seems simplistic on the first glance, but actually harbors quite a number of convenient and powerful features. Camtasia is mostly aimed at casual users, but can be an efficient tool in the right hands. You can use the software both for adding text to videos on Windows 10 and earlier versions, as well as iOS. However, there are very few aspects of the caption you can adjust.

  1. Add your footage Import your media files to the Camtasia library. Then, drag and drop your clip to the timeline.
  2. Insert the text Switch to the Annotation tab and pick the caption style you want to add to your video.
  3. Adjust your caption Now, type in the text of the caption, choose a font, style, and color for it and you’re done!
Employ Camtasia to add text to your clip
Camtasia allows to change very few aspects of your caption
Want your video editing tricks to include more than captions? Use Clipify to stylize your clips with effects, swap a dull background for a more exciting one, or create zoom-ins.
DownloadDownload Free WindowsFor Windows 11, 10, 8, 7

Way 4. Add Text Overlay to a Video with iMovie

Prefer Mac to PC? There is a video editing solution for you, too. Go with iMovie. This is a robust program that offers users all the basic tools they might need to create short movies. What’s more - it comes already integrated within Apple products, so there is no need to download any extra programs. So how can you use iMovie for adding text to videos?

  1. Switch to the Titles tab Once your footage is on the timeline, move to the Titles tab. There you’ll find dozens of templates with predetermined animation.
  2. Add the title to your footage Now drag and drop the option you like to the timeline. Type in the text of your caption.
  3. Adjust the caption The Titles options come with a predesigned font, color, and size, but you can change them if you want. Just use the tools in the toolbar above the Preview videos to change any aspect of your caption. And that’s it.
Caption your clips with iMovie
iMovie offers quite a choice of animated captions

Way 5. Add Text to a Video on an Android-Based Phone

Since we are all constantly glued to our phones, it’s only fitting that we try to edit and caption our videos with them as well. Searching for the perfect text tool for your Android-based phone might be exhausting, that’s why we did it for you. We are going to use an application aptly named Add Text to Video. Let’s see how to overlay text on a video with it.

  1. Pick the video you want to caption The application offers you either to create a new video or open an already existing one.
  2. Put text on your video Just click the button with a text icon and type in your caption.
  3. Adjust the settings Move the caption around to find the perfect spot for it. Change its color and font, add a shadow to it. And this is it!
Use your Android phone to add text to your video
The application has a big collection of unusual-looking fonts

Have a dream of turning your video into a live-action comic strip? It can become a reality. Learn how to add stickers to videos. Spice up your footage with banners, dialogue bubbles, or logos.

Way 6. Write Text on Videos using iPhone

If you prefer Apple products to anything else, then you are sure to like our next entry. Vont is a user-friendly app that allows you to insert text in videos with no effort. The application is particularly praised for a large collection of fonts. Let’s have a closer look at it.

  1. Load your video to the app Browse through your video reel to find the clip you want to caption. Open it within the app.
  2. Write text on your video Now, simply tap the screen. A window will pop up. Use it to type in your caption.
  3. Stylize your text Resize your caption, move it around the video to find the perfect spot. Change the size, font, and color of the text. Save your captioned video.
Go with your iPhone to caption your footage
Vont allows users to upload more fonts to the library

Way 7. Add Text Over a Video Online

Want to caption your video without downloading and installing softwares and applications? Then how about doing it online? Let’s have a look at a popular web-based service Kapwing and learn how to add text to videos with it.

  1. Open your video file Go to the website and click Upload File. Pick the clip you want to caption.
  2. Add text to your video Switch to the Text tab, browse through the options, pick the one you like and click it once to add it to the timeline.
  3. Customize your caption Type in the text, then adjust its position, size, font, and color. Add an outline to it and change the text opacity for a better look.
Use online tools to caption your video
Kapwing allows you to animate your caption with predetermined effects

Want to speed up or slow down segments of your footage? Then read this step-by-step guide to find out how to edit the speed of a video in a couple of clicks.

Way 8. Insert Text in a Video Using Instagram

A day doesn’t go by without you posting stories on Instagram? Want to make your videos stand out from the endless feed? Then caption them! You don’t need any third party editor to do that. The Instagram app has all the tools. Let’s see how to put text on a video with it.

  1. Record a video Record a single clip or a bunch of them and stitch them all together.
  2. Add your text Tap the button with the letter. Type in the text of your caption.
  3. Pick the style Browse through available styles for your text and pick the one that would look best on your video. Now your reel is ready for posting!
Caption your videos with Instagram
You can also add emojis to your video along with text
Your video could use some enhancing before you caption it? Then use Clipify to improve your footage. Fix its color balance, brightness, and contrast, get rid of black bars, and stabilize it.
DownloadDownload Free WindowsFor Windows 11, 10, 8, 7

Way 9. Add Text to Videos in TikTok

Can’t live without posting short hilarious or educational videos on TikTok? Want your clips to be more informative or funny? It’s easy, because TikTok allows you to add captions to your videos in a snap. That’s how you do it.

  1. Shoot a video Record a short clip within the application. Watch your video to make sure it’s fine.
  2. Type in your text Find the Text button at the bottom of the screen and tap it. Type in your caption.
  3. Customize your caption Browse through the font options to find the one you like. Change the color of the text so that it doesn’t blend with the video.
Caption your clips in TikTok
Make sure to check your spelling because TikTok does not auto correct your text

Final Thoughts on Adding Text to Videos

And this is it - now you know how to put text on a video in not just one or two, but as many as 9 ways. So pick the method that suits your needs and make your videos eloquent, touching, or funny. And make sure to share them with the world to showcase your way with words!

About the author: Brought to you by the Clipify team, movie making enthusiasts. We aim to provide you with the most comprehensive tutorials and most useful tips on video editing.
Need to add text to your video?
Get started with Clipify for free!
DownloadDownload Free WindowsFor Windows 11, 10, 8, 7