%20(1).webp)
Ever uploaded a video and wondered whether your subtitles should be soft (selectable) or hard (always visible)? Or maybe you’ve seen “SRT” and “burned-in” and thought, what’s the difference?
In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about subtitle formats — what they are, when to use them, and how to create both in just a few clicks.
Soft subtitles — or soft subs — are subtitles that aren’t permanently attached to your video. Instead, they remain as independent text tracks that your video player can read and display during playback.
But not all soft subtitles work the same way. There are actually two main types — and it’s important to understand the difference.
These soft subtitles are packaged within your video container — for example, inside an MP4, MKV, or MOV file. They don’t affect the actual video stream, but they travel with it.
When someone plays your video in a media player like VLC or Windows Media Player, the subtitle track appears as an option in the subtitle menu. The viewer can turn it on or off, and even switch between languages if multiple subtitle tracks are embedded.
This format is great for:
However, not all platforms support embedded subtitles the same way. Some social media or web players might ignore them completely.
This is the most common approach, especially when uploading content to platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, or e-learning platforms.
In this case, the subtitle file — typically in SRT, VTT, or TXT format — is kept separate from the video file. You upload the video and subtitle file together, or load them both in a media player that supports pairing.
This format is lightweight and easy to update. You can fix a typo or retranslate a line without re-exporting your video.
But it also comes with a downside: if the subtitle file gets lost, renamed, or isn’t uploaded correctly, the subtitles won’t appear.
Hardcoded subtitles — often called hardsubs — are subtitles that are permanently embedded into your video.
When you hardcode subtitles, you’re literally printing the text onto each video frame. This is usually done during the export or rendering process in your video editor or with a video transcoding tool like HandBrake.
Once exported, your video becomes a single self-contained file — with the subtitles visually displayed on screen. No matter what player is used — VLC, QuickTime, social platforms, or smartphones — the subtitles will be there.
Now that you know the difference between soft and hardcoded subtitles, the next question is simple — which one should you choose for your video?
The answer depends on your content, your audience, and where you plan to publish.
Let’s break it down.
Soft subtitles — both embedded in the video file or as separate subtitle files (like SRT or VTT) — give you more control after the video is exported.
✅ You can update the text at any time without re-editing the video.
✅ You can offer multiple language tracks in one video.
✅ Viewers can turn subtitles on or off, depending on their needs.
✅ Many platforms (like YouTube, Vimeo, and Netflix) support soft subs and let users pick their language or disable captions altogether.
Soft subtitles are perfect for:
But keep in mind: Not every media player or platform supports soft subtitles equally. If you're distributing your video on USB drives, email, or basic players, soft subs might not show up unless properly embedded or uploaded together.
Hardcoded subtitles make sure your captions are always visible, no matter what.
✅ There’s no risk of subtitle files getting lost.
✅ They work perfectly on social media and mobile apps where viewers usually watch with the sound off.
✅ You have full creative control over style, placement, and animation.
Hardcoded subtitles are ideal for:
However, hardsubs are not editable. You can’t fix a typo without re-rendering the whole video. You also can’t switch languages, so if you need subtitles in three different languages, you’ll have to make three versions of your video.
Now that you understand the pros and cons of soft and hardcoded subtitles, you might be wondering — how do you actually create them quickly and efficiently?
This is where Checksub comes in.
Checksub is an AI-powered subtitle platform that helps you generate, edit, and export both soft and hard subtitles — all in a single, streamlined workflow.
Let’s walk through how it works.
Head to checksub.com and log into your account. If you’re new, signing up is fast and free to try.
Click “Upload Video” and select your file. Checksub supports all major formats, so you don’t need to worry about conversions.
Once uploaded, choose the original language of your video. Want subtitles in other languages? You can select as many as you need. Checksub supports over 267 languages and dialects, so it’s ideal for multilingual content.
After you confirm your settings, Checksub’s speech recognition will kick in. In just a few minutes, it will:
✅ Transcribe your audio
✅ Automatically time the subtitles
✅ Create a full caption timeline, ready to edit
No manual syncing, no dragging text blocks around — just fast, reliable results powered by AI.
Once the subtitles are generated, use Checksub’s real-time editor to polish the transcript. You can:
Want your subtitles to match your brand? Unlike most subtitle tools, Checksub lets you customize the look and feel:
This works great for hardsubs, where design matters.
Now the best part — exporting.
.png){kind=logo}
