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How to Add Subtitles in QuickTime Player?

Liza Brown
Liza Brown Originally published Feb 21, 23, updated Sep 29, 24

QuickTime is among the most popular multimedia players available for PC users. Developed by Apple Inc. in 1991, it was initially made available for Mac OS. However, from 2005 till 2016, QuickTime was available for Windows operating systems as well. While QuickTime allows you to view images and music, it is a popular choice for playing videos.

Do you use QuickTime player to watch music videos, movies, and TV shows? Well, you may find it interesting that the QuickTime player allows you to add subtitles. As there are multiple methods through which you can add subtitles in QuickTime, we are going to discuss them one by one in this blog. So, let’s start our discussion!

In this article
  1. Method 1: Turn on the Subtitles in QuickTime
  2. Method 2: Download and Add Subtitles to Videos in QuickTime
  3. Method 3: Watch Subtitles in QuickTime Player with iPad Screen Extension
  4. Bonus Tips: How to Edit and Add Subtitles to Videos Easily

Method 1: Turn on the Subtitles in QuickTime

As you might know, some videos come with embedded subtitles. It’s up to you whether you want to view them while playing the video or not. If you are playing a video with embedded subtitles in the QuickTime player but are somehow unable to view the subtitles, it’s probably because the subtitles feature is turned off. So, you need to enable the subtitles by following certain steps.

Steps to Turn on Subtitles in QuickTime

Step1 Open the QuickTime Player application on your Mac computer.

open quicktime player

Step2 Play the video having subtitles embedded in it.

Step3 Within the menu bar, find the “view” tab and open it.

find and open view tab in quicktime

Step4 Now, you need to find the subtitles option.

find and access subtitles option in quicktime

Step5 Choose a language in which subtitles are available.

Step6 You will be able to view the subtitles at the bottom of the player window.

Step7 You can also click the “subtitles” button in the playback controls to view the subtitles available with a video.

Method 2: Download and Add Subtitles to Videos in QuickTime

If you want to play videos in QuickTime that do not have embedded subtitles, you can add subtitles to them manually. With QuickTime player, it is quite easy to add external subtitles files and watch movies and TV shows with subtitles of your choice. However, you first need to download an appropriate subtitles file for a video from a reliable website and then load it onto the QuickTime player.

While downloading subtitles for the QuickTime player, keep in mind that you need subtitles in .QT file format.

Steps to Add Subtitles to QuickTime Player

Step1 Download the subtitles for the video in the .QT format.

Step2 Navigate to the directory where you have downloaded the subtitles file.

Step3 Right-click the file and select the “Open with QuickTime” option.

Step4 You will be able to see the subtitles. Select all the subtitles, right-click and select “Copy”.

Step5 Now, open the video in the QuickTime player.

Step6 In the menu bar, click “Edit” and then “Add to Movie”.

Step7 Paste the subtitles that you have copied earlier and click the “Save” button.

Note: While adding the subtitles, make sure the video is set at its very beginning. This will help to ensure that the subtitles are synchronized properly with the video.

Method 3: Watch Subtitles in QuickTime Player with iPad Screen Extension

If you own an iPad, you can use it to view subtitles while playing a video in QuickTime player. In other words, you can use the iPad as an extension to the Mac. The iPad displays the subtitles while the video plays on the Mac.

While using an iPad as an extension to your Mac, there are certain things you need to keep in mind. They are as follows:

  • To ensure a proper connection between the Mac and iPad, place both devices within 10 meters of each other.
  • To allow synchronization between the two devices, it is important that both of them are signed into one single iCloud account.
  • You also need to check the operating systems of both devices to make sure they connect with each other. To be precise, your Mac needs to run macOS Catalina or later versions, while your iPad should run iPadOS 13 or later versions.

If all three conditions specified above are met, you can proceed to connect your iPad with Mac OS and watch subtitles on the iPad.

Steps to Watch Subtitles in QuickTime Player with an iPad Screen Extension

Step1 Open Apple Menu on your Mac by clicking on the Apple icon at the top left of the screen.

open the apple menu from the home screen

Step2 Find and click the “System Preferences” option.

access system preferences from the apple menu

Step3 Search and open “Sidecar”.

Step4 You will see options to connect your Mac with other devices. Connect your Mac with your iPad by follow4ng the instructions provided on the screen.

Step5 You can change the display settings for the iPad from Apple Menu > System Preferences > Displays.

change display settings for connected screens

Step6 You can now use your iPad to display the subtitles of a video.

Bonus Tips: How to Edit and Add Subtitles to Videos Easily

As you already know, the subtitles available for a video may have errors and/or inconsistencies. In some cases, you may be unable to find the .QT subtitles file for a video or simply want to add custom subtitles to a video. Whether you want to edit the subtitles file or add subtitles to a video, you should consider using Wondershare Filmora.

Free Download
Free Download

Filmora is an advanced and feature-rich video editing software developed by Wondershare. It is an exceptionally popular choice among creators for editing and giving a professional touch to raw videos. The software comes loaded with several features to help you style your videos and make them more engaging. With Filmora, you get access to features like green screen, split screen, motion tracking, and HDR support. You can also add subtitles to videos through SRT files or add custom subtitles.

A Step-by-Step Guide for Adding Subtitles to a Video Using Filmora

Following are the key steps to add custom subtitles to videos with Wondershare Filmora:

Step1 Open the Filmora application on your desktop.

Step2 You can either create a new project or choose an existing project.

Step3 Import the video to which you want to add subtitles by clicking the “Import Media” button.

Step4 Once the video gets imported successfully, you can see its thumbnail within the media tab.

Step5 You can load the video into the timeline by either clicking on the “+” button available on the thumbnail or simply dragging and dropping the video onto the timeline.

Step6 Play the video and pause it at the exact section where you need to add custom subtitles. You can leave a mark by either pressing the M key or clicking the marker icon, which is available next to the microphone icon in the timeline tab.

Step7 Now, click the “Titles” option present at the top of the Filmora interface.

Step8 Choose a subtitle template and add it to the video timeline.

add subtitles to a video in the filmora app

Step9 You can add text, modify text style, and add animations.

Step10 Click the “Ok” button to save the subtitles.

Step11 You can repeat the same process for adding subtitles to different sections of the video.

Conclusion

It’s quite easy to add subtitles to QuickTime player and watch videos with subtitles in your preferred language. In this guide, we discussed how to enable embedded subtitles and add external subtitles files to a video in QuickTime. Additionally, we talked about the steps to view subtitles on an iPad and add custom subtitles to videos using the Filmora video editor.

Liza Brown
Liza Brown Sep 29, 24
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