Workflows 6 min read
Adding Subtitles to Video: Soft Tracks, Burned-in and External Files
Subtitles can live inside the file, on the pixels, or beside it. The right choice depends on where the video will be played — the same SRT can follow all three paths.
Trade-offs at a glance
- Soft track (mov_text in MP4): toggleable, stays editable; only some players show it (VLC yes, many mobile gallery apps no).
- Burned-in: visible everywhere including screenshots and re-uploads, but permanent — needs correct font rendering and cannot be turned off.
- External SRT: zero re-encode, works with VLC/IINA/PotPlayer; dies the moment the video is re-uploaded to social platforms.
Decision rule
Personal playback and editing → external SRT. Cross-platform distribution where viewers may need translations → soft track. Social media upload where you control nothing downstream → burned-in, because every platform strips side files and most drop soft tracks on re-encode.