Guide
How to add captions to a podcast clip on iPhone
Updated
To add captions to a podcast or interview clip on iPhone, cut the moment you want to share as a video, open it in CaptionAddr, let it transcribe the English speech on your iPhone, fix names in Edit Captions, then export a captioned copy to Photos and post it anywhere. Clips up to 2 minutes are free; CaptionAddr Pro covers up to 30 minutes.
Why podcast clips need captions
A podcast clip on a social feed usually starts playing with the sound off. Without captions, a conversation looks like two people talking silently, and most viewers scroll past before they hear a word. Captions let people follow the best line of an episode or interview at a glance, and they help viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing.
CaptionAddr burns the captions into the picture, one word at a time, so the clip reads the same in every app you post it to.
Caption a podcast clip on iPhone
- Cut the clip. Trim the moment you want to share in Photos first, so the clip is short and stays within your plan’s length. CaptionAddr captions video files, so for an audio-only episode, use a video version of the clip.
- Choose the video. Tap Select Video in CaptionAddr and pick the clip with Apple’s Photos picker. Vertical, square and landscape clips all work, and the video keeps its shape.
- Let the captions generate. Captions start as soon as the video opens; keep the app open; the English speech is transcribed on your iPhone, not on a server.
- Fix names and terms. In Edit Captions, correct the host’s and guest’s names, show names, brands and jargon. You can edit, delete and reorder words, with undo and redo.
- Style and place the captions. Pick one of the 20 fonts and a size that reads on a phone, turn on the tinted background over busy footage, and drag the captions clear of faces and microphones.
- Export and share. Tap Export Video to save the captioned copy to Photos, then post it to Reels, TikTok, Shorts, LinkedIn or anywhere else that accepts video.
Tips for clips people finish
- Start on the hook. Begin the clip on the strongest sentence instead of a greeting, so the first captioned words give viewers a reason to stay.
- Use the cleanest audio. A clip exported from your recording or editing software, with each person on a good microphone, gives more accurate captions than audio re-recorded from a speaker.
- Watch for crosstalk. When two people talk at once, speech models can miss or merge words, so play those moments back in Edit Captions.
- Keep your original. CaptionAddr exports a new copy and leaves the original clip in your library.
Limits
- English only. CaptionAddr transcribes English speech and doesn’t translate.
- Video files only. The app picks videos from Photos; it doesn’t import audio files or turn audio into video.
- No speaker labels. Captions show the words spoken, not who said them.
- Length. Free covers clips up to 2 minutes; CaptionAddr Pro covers up to 30 minutes. The App Store shows the current Pro price in your currency.
- Burned-in captions only. There is no SRT, VTT or transcript export, so it doesn’t produce show notes or a text transcript.
- No direct posting. The app doesn’t post to social platforms; you upload the exported video yourself.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add captions to a podcast clip on iPhone?
Trim the moment you want as a video in Photos, open it in CaptionAddr, generate captions on your iPhone, correct names in Edit Captions, choose a style and export a captioned copy to Photos.
Can CaptionAddr caption an audio-only podcast?
No. CaptionAddr captions video you choose from the Photos library. Use a video version of the clip, such as a recording of the conversation or a clip exported from your editing app.
Does it label who is speaking?
No. CaptionAddr shows the spoken words one at a time and doesn’t add speaker names. Overlapping voices can also cause missed words, so review those parts before you post.
Can I caption a whole episode?
Free covers videos up to 2 minutes. CaptionAddr Pro, an optional monthly or annual subscription through Apple, covers videos up to 30 minutes. Longer episodes need to be cut into shorter clips.
Can I get a transcript file of the episode?
No. CaptionAddr burns captions into the video and doesn’t export SRT, VTT or text transcripts.