Home › Learn › Closed Captions vs Subtitles — What Is the Difference?
Closed captions and subtitles both display text on screen, but they serve different purposes. Understanding the difference helps you choose the right option for your content.
Key differences
Closed captions: for deaf/hard-of-hearing viewers — includes all audio (speech, sound effects, music)
Subtitles: for viewers who speak a different language — translates or transcribes dialogue only
Open captions: burned into the video, always visible, cannot be turned off
Closed captions: can be turned on or off by the viewer
SDH (Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing): subtitles with caption-style information
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