How to add subtitles in iMovie

Let's start with the thing nobody tells you up front: iMovie cannot import subtitle files. There's no SRT import, no caption track, and no way to attach a sidecar file. Every method is a workaround, and which one you want depends on whether you're willing to place text by hand.

1. Why there's no SRT import

iMovie is built for straightforward home editing, and captions were never part of that remit - Apple keeps them for Final Cut Pro, which does have a proper caption track with SRT import and export. If you own Final Cut, use it for this; the rest of this guide is for people who don't.

2. The Titles method

Workable, and tedious in proportion to how much talking there is.

1. Position the playhead where the line should start.
2. Open Titles and pick a plain style - Lower or Standard. Avoid animated styles; they distract and re-time awkwardly.
3. Drag it onto the clip, type the line, and drag its edges to match the speech.
4. Repeat for every line.

Two things make it bearable. Copy your first title and paste it for each subsequent line, so the styling stays consistent instead of being reset each time. And keep every line under about 40 characters - long lines wrap unpredictably and swamp the frame.

Realistically this is around 15-20 minutes of work per minute of speech, which is why most people abandon it partway through a long video.

3. A much faster route

Because iMovie can't read subtitle files, the shortcut is to stop asking it to. Burn the subtitles into the video first, then bring that file into iMovie and edit as normal - the subtitles are simply part of the picture, correctly timed, with nothing to place by hand.

Our subtitle generator does this: upload the video, correct any misheard words, style the subtitles, and download a version with them burned in. Every word is aligned to the audio rather than estimated, so nothing drifts. If you already have a caption file with the right words but poor timing, drop that file in alongside the video and every word gets re-timed - your words are kept exactly as they are.

The trade-off is that burned-in subtitles can't be turned off later. For social video that's what you want anyway. For anything a viewer might want to disable, keep a separate SRT as well.

4. iMovie on iPhone and iPad

The mobile version is more limited again: fewer title styles and less control over placement. The same logic applies with more force - burn the subtitles in before you start, and use iMovie only for cutting.

If the video is destined for TikTok, Reels or Shorts, note that all three add their own auto-captions on upload. Those are free but estimated, and they cover part of the frame. Burned-in subtitles you've checked yourself look better and stay put.

5. When to use something else

• Final Cut Pro - real caption tracks, SRT import and export. The Apple answer if you have it.
• DaVinci Resolve - free, and imports SRT onto a native subtitle track. See our Resolve guide.
• CapCut - auto-captions built in, but the timings are estimated and drift on longer videos.

If subtitles matter to your work and you're on a Mac, Resolve is free and will save you the manual placement entirely.