Open Captions vs Closed Captions: Which is Best for Your Videos

Open and closed captions (CC) are a must-have for video content.  

Because of multitasking.  

To scroll through emails or chat with your friends on social media while watching videos, you need captions. Closed or open captions? We’ll find out soon.

The thing is, whether you accept it or not, most of your target audience uses captions and subtitles when watching videos.

Numbers don’t lie. 80% of your customers are likely to watch the entire video when you add captions. 

Adding captions doesn’t bring any harm to your business. On the contrary, it opens the gate for many benefits like inclusivity, accessibility, customer engagement, and higher SERP rankings.

Now that you know video captions are necessary, should you use closed or open captions? Is there a difference between the two? Let's find out. 

Open captions vs closed captions: What’s the difference?

What makes closed captions “closed” and open captions “open”? The fundamental difference between the two boils down to how synchronized transcription is provided with the video.

• Closed captions: Closed captions are separate text files, synced with your video, and can be turned on or off at will via the video player or platform’s settings. The caption file comes in many different file formats, and viewers can choose whether to display them or not. 
• Open captions: Open or burned-in captions are a permanent part of the video because they have been directly embedded into the file. They become an integral part of the video content since viewers cannot disable them when watching videos. No matter what platform or device users employ to watch the video, the captions remain visible to all viewers.

Why are they called open and closed captions?

Now, you know what open and closed captions mean, you probably want to know how they got their name.

• Open captions are called “open” because they play or open as soon as someone plays the video.
• Closed captions are “closed” or “open” depending on the customer or viewer’s preference.

Open captions: A dive into what they are

Key characteristics of open captions

• Open captions unlike closed captions are permanently visible because they’re hard-coded into your video.  
• Viewers cannot disable open captions. 
• Open captions work on some media players and social media platforms that don't support closed captioning. 
• Every device and media player displays captions identically, providing viewers a uniform viewing experience.
• Open captions work for offline videos or downloads since they stay with the video, even without internet access.  
• They increase your SEO efforts since platforms like YouTube index videos with captions.

Example of open captions

Movie theaters use open captions. For instance, if there is a part of the movie where the speaker switches to a different language, the movie shows open captions to provide English translation.

Also, when a movie is screened in a language that your viewers don’t speak, the entire movie has hardcoded open captions.

Benefits of open captions

Here’s a breakdown of how open captions will help you:

Universal accessibility

Open captions are always on, which enables viewers to understand and absorb the information.

There is no need to worry whether audience members have the technical ability to enable or disable captions.

Creative control

Open captions give creators control over how they look.

Do you want bold yellow text with a modern font to match your upbeat travel vlog? 

Do you need clean, subtle white captions for a serious documentary?

You can change fonts, colors, and sizes, and place them wherever you want on the screen.

Think of it as turning captions into part of your video’s vibe, adding to the experience.

Consistency across devices

Captions are permanently embedded in the video content.

An open-captioned video maintains a consistent appearance no matter which device people use for viewing their content.

For instance, your captions will appear without glitches when you video stream how-to content on your smart TV and documentations on your tablet during flights.

Whenever captions play, they execute as intended without any formatting problems or technical glitches.

No technical barrier 

The beauty of open captions? They’re always there.

Viewers don’t have to dig through settings or figure out how to turn captions on.

For instance, if someone’s watching your content on a public bus with no sound, or in an environment with background music or on an older device that doesn’t support caption settings, the captions are still visible.

It’s effortless accessibility for everyone, every time.

Limitations of open captions

After benefits, let’s understand how open captions are likely to trouble you:

There’s no viewer control

Viewers who think captions are a distraction have no choice because they can’t hide or disable open captions.

This disrupts their viewing experience.

Besides, wrongly timed and placed captions can obstruct visuals, further degrading the video viewing experience. 

You cannot edit them

Editing open captions for errors and inconsistencies is a nightmare because you have to edit every block of caption separately.

Changing the placement of these blocks or making edits is extremely time-consuming, especially for long videos.

You spend hours on encoding

As mentioned earlier, you encode or hardcode captions into your videos.

Encoding is another uphill battle to win because you need a specialized tool to hardcode or burn captions into your videos. 

When to use open captions

Social media platforms

Platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram often autoplay video content without sound.

Open captions allow users to enjoy and understand videos without audio.

Educational content and tutorial

Open captions are useful in online courses, e-learning platforms, and instructional videos.

They clarify detailed explanations or technical jargon by reinforcing information visually and audibly. 

Corporate and marketing videos

Open captions in promotional videos, corporate presentations, or digital advertisements can amplify the message and ensure it resonates with everyone, regardless of location or listening constraints.

Closed captions: What do you want to know?

Key characteristics of closed captions

• Any viewer can opt into captions if they think they’re helpful, or opt out if they’re distracting them.
• Gives viewers control of their visual presentation.
• Closed captions include non-speech sounds (applause, laughter) and speaker identification to enhance the experience of deaf people or those hard of hearing.
• These are synced with video playback using closed caption files like SRT or VTT. 
• All popular video platforms like YouTube and Vimeo support closed captions.
• They support multiple languages, helping your videos reach a wider and more diverse audience.

Examples of closed captions

Most online video platforms support closed captions. On Netflix, viewers can turn captions on/off using the audio and subtitles menu. 

Traditional TV programming, a wide range of streaming services, and other online video platforms provide closed captioning features to cater to a diverse audience. 

Benefits of closed captions

Greater accessibility

People with hearing impairments can fully engage with videos through closed captions.

Your content becomes inclusive and accessible.

Higher viewer control

Closed captions put viewers in charge by letting them switch on or off captions based on their vibe.

Whether it’s a noisy café or a quiet night in, they adapt to your needs and style.

Wider multilingual reach

Closed captions knock down language barriers, making it easier to connect with people everywhere.

Toss in multilingual options, and suddenly your content speaks everyone’s language.

Limitations of closed captions

Not always spot on

Sometimes, captions can miss the mark with typos, wrong words, or poor translations.

It’s frustrating when they don’t match what’s actually being said.

You’ve to turn them on

Captions are awesome, but they won’t help if viewers forget or don’t know how to activate them.

They’re only useful if people take that extra step.

Struggles with speed

Fast-talking speakers or noisy, chaotic scenes? Captions can fall behind or leave out details, making it hard to keep up with what’s going on.

When to use closed captions

Use closed captions  in the following scenarios:

Long-form content

Closed captions work wonders for long-form content shared on social media platforms.

Viewers can switch on the captions for clarity or simply use them throughout the video. 

Online course

Online learning has taken off, and closed captions make courses accessible and effective for everyone.

They make it easier for students with hearing impairments to engage, help learners grasp tricky topics by combining reading and listening, and are handy for studying in noisy or quiet spots.

Multilingual content

Closed captions make it so much easier to connect with people worldwide.

Viewers can pick the language they’re most comfortable with, your videos reach way more people.

Open captions vs closed captions: Summary

<table>

<tbody>

<tr>

<td>

<p><strong>Feature</strong></p>

</td>

<td>

<p><strong>Open Captions</strong></p>

</td>

<td>

<p><strong>Closed Captions</strong></p>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>

<p>Viewer control</p>

</td>

<td>

<p>❌ Cannot be turned off</p>

</td>

<td>

<p>✔️ Can toggle on/off</p>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>

<p>Device compatibility</p>

</td>

<td>

<p>✔️ Works everywhere</p>

</td>

<td>

<p>❌ Needs compatible support</p>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>

<p>Editing flexibility</p>

</td>

<td>

<p>❌ Fixed and unchangeable</p>

</td>

<td>

<p>✔️ Editable and customizable</p>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>

<p>Good for file sharing</p>

</td>

<td>

<p>✔️ Always visible</p>

</td>

<td>

<p>❌ Might not display if unsupported</p>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>

<p>Adaptability</p>

</td>

<td>

<p>❌ One-size-fits-all</p>

</td>

<td>

<p>✔️ Tailors to viewer preferences</p>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>

<p>Accessibility</p>

</td>

<td>

<p>✔️ Automatically inclusive</p>

</td>

<td>

<p>✔️ Great when activated</p>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>

<p>Production cost</p>

</td>

<td>

<p>✔️ Lower cost&nbsp;</p>

</td>

<td>

<p>❌ Higher cost due to additional processing</p>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>

<p>Language options</p>

</td>

<td>

<p>❌ Only one language at a time</p>

</td>

<td>

<p>✔️ Supports multiple languages</p>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>

<p>Live streaming</p>

</td>

<td>

<p>❌ Not compatible</p>

</td>

<td>

<p>✔️ Works seamlessly with live captions&nbsp;</p>

</td>

</tr>

</tbody>

</table>

Making the right choice

When creating videos, video captions are a no-brainer because they’re a MUST.

By choosing either closed or open captions, you make sure your messages reach a wider audience. Your choice depends on:

• What type of media player or platform are you using?
• Is your audience technology savvy?
• Do you want to edit your captions now and then?

Based on these factors and the limitations and benefits we have listed, make a wise choice. 

To add captions to your videos, check out QuickSubs automatic captions generator.