Hardcoded subtitles
Hardcoded / burned-in subtitles
Subtitles permanently rendered into the video frame. They can't be turned off, but they look identical on every player and platform.
In depth
Hardcoded subtitles (also called burned-in or hardsubs) are rasterized directly into the video pixels during export. Because they're part of the image, they survive any platform, codec, or player — there's no separate text track to lose, no font fallback to fail. The trade-off is permanence: the viewer can't toggle them, choose a language, or restyle them.
When to use it
Hardcode when delivering to platforms with weak or unreliable caption support (TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, ad networks), when style is critical (designer captions, kinetic typography), or when you want guaranteed visibility regardless of the viewer's settings.
Frequently asked
Are hardcoded subtitles the same as open captions?+
Practically yes — both terms describe captions baked permanently into the video frame. 'Open captions' is the broadcast/accessibility term; 'hardcoded' or 'burned-in' is the post-production term.
How do I hardcode subtitles into a video?+
Most tools support it: ffmpeg with the subtitles filter, Premiere Pro by exporting captions burned in, DaVinci Resolve via the Edit page, CapCut natively, and SoCaptions exports MP4 with captions burned in by default.
Are hardcoded captions accessible?+
They're visible to everyone but don't satisfy 'closed captions' accessibility requirements that demand toggleable tracks. For broadcast/streaming compliance, deliver a separate VTT or SRT alongside.
Captions burned permanently into the video frame so every viewer sees them. The opposite of closed captions, which can be toggled.
Captions that the viewer can toggle on or off, typically delivered as a separate text track encoded into or alongside the video.
A heavily-styled subtitle format used by Aegisub and the anime fansub community. Supports per-cue fonts, colors, positioning, and karaoke timing.