Subtitles and closed captions are sometimes used interchangeably, but there is a significant difference.

The text version of a video’s spoken audio is known as a closed caption or subtitle. Closed captions, on the other hand, are in the same language as the audio, whereas subtitles translate the video into a different language.

Closed captions include speaker changes and background sounds to enable deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers to enjoy the video. Subtitles do not include notifications for speaker changes or background sounds because they assume the viewer is hearing the audio.

The purposes of subtitles and captions are distinct. Subtitles enable viewers to watch videos even if they do not speak the language. Many video owners see the value in adding subtitles to make their content available in multiple languages as global video platforms grow.

As more people watch videos in public places with the sound muted, closed captioning has grown alongside mobile video consumption.