What's the difference between a voiceover and closed captions, and why would I use both?

A voiceover is audio — your spoken words recorded over the video. Closed captions are text — subtitles displaying what you’re saying, in your own language. Many people watch reels on mute (in public places, late at night, etc.), so adding closed captions ensures they can still understand your message even without sound. The captions are generated from your audio track (either voiceover or original video sound), making your content accessible and keeping viewers engaged even when they can’t listen.

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Asked by a photographer learning video editing · Answered by Indra · Office Hours · 2026-07-07