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Add text to YouTube videos?

Started by Norton Canes, November 02, 2020, 03:17:49 PM

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Norton Canes

Is it possible to add text to a video on my YouTube channel? In this case it's the name of the interviewee, which just needs to appear at the start of the video for a few seconds. Fade in/out plus choice of font would be nice. Or do I have to do that with the original video file, before uploading to YT?

the

I'm no expert on this - but if you wanted to add text without replacing/updating the video itself, you should be able to add a timed annotation, which could appear as an overlaid caption at the start.

This won't change the timing of your vid though, and will be limited in terms of visual appearance. They also won't be burned-into the video file itself, and can be toggled on and off by the viewer.

I've seen plenty of vids where people have used timed annotations to add information they forgot to include, or to point out errata.

Norton Canes

Right, ta. I was looking at the subtitle/caption options in the YT video editor and apart from the drawbacks you mentioned it looks like you can only have a single text object present at any one time.

Change of question then! Is there a web app that can add captions to video files? Or will I have to install video editing software? Which are the best ones for adding no-frills text as described in my OP? (Doesn't help that when I search using the word 'captions' most of the returns are to do with subtitles)

touchingcloth

Quote from: Norton Canes on November 02, 2020, 03:59:55 PM
Change of question then! Is there a web app that can add captions to video files?

Kapwing's free editor will do this, including having multiple text object on screen at once each with their own fade ins and outs: https://www.kapwing.com/tools/free-video-editor

It will watermark the video, though, but I've sometimes used it to add text to video, and then use the Kapwing option to add padding to the right or bottom of the video (see screenshot) as this puts the watermark on a blank background outside of the actual video, exporting it from Kapwing and then using a free, watermarkless editor on my laptop to crop the video and remove the padding & watermark. I haven't used the YouTube editor, so if that can handle cropping then maybe you could use that to trim the watermark.


the

If you've already got a later edition of Photoshop to hand, it's quite easy to add things to video and re-export. Import video, then make a layer with your caption on, and get it to disappear/fade at the necessary point in the timeline editor. Then export.

Norton Canes

Oh yeah, Photoshop - good thinking. Job done, thanks!

Zetetic

I've found https://shotcut.org/ entirely tolerable for very simple things.