Open the timeline
Go to the Edit page. Set In and Out points to caption part of the timeline, or leave them clear for the whole thing.
Home / Guides / DaVinci Resolve auto captions
How-toDaVinci Resolve auto captions: Studio path and free workaround
Offline Captions is a pay-once caption app for creators: it adds animated word-by-word captions to videos on your own computer (Windows now, Mac coming) or free in your browser for clips up to 5 minutes.
Short answer: Yes, DaVinci Resolve has auto captions, but only in the paid DaVinci Resolve Studio. In Resolve 21 it's Timeline > AI Tools > Create Subtitles from Audio. The free version can't transcribe speech, but it can import an SRT. Make one in the free Offline Captions web version (clips up to 5 minutes, no signup), then import it into Resolve.
Does DaVinci Resolve have auto captions?
Only in Studio. Blackmagic added Create Subtitles from Audio in Resolve 18.5 as a Studio feature, and it's still Studio-only in Resolve 21. In the free version the Timeline > AI Tools menu is greyed out. Studio is a one-time purchase: Blackmagic listed it at $236, down from $295, when we checked on 5 Nov 2026.
Resolve Studio: Create Subtitles from Audio (Resolve 21)
Run the command
Choose Timeline > AI Tools > Create Subtitles from Audio. In versions before Resolve 20 it sits directly under the Timeline menu.
Pick the options
Choose the language (or Auto), a caption preset, the maximum characters per line, and one or two lines.
Create and check
Click Create. Resolve writes the captions to a subtitle track, adding one if there is none. Read them through: names and niche words are where speech recognition slips.
Free version workaround: make an SRT, then import it
Export the clip or audio
Render the section you want captioned from Resolve (or use the original clip).
Caption it for free
Open app.offlinecaptions.com, drop in the video and transcribe. Fix any word once and it's remembered.
Download the SRT
Click SRT. Every line keeps its timing.
Import into Resolve
In the free version, choose File > Import > Subtitle, then drag the subtitle file onto the timeline (Resolve adds a subtitle track). Style it in the Inspector and pick burn-in or a separate file on the Deliver page.
Want animated word-by-word captions instead?
Resolve's subtitle track shows plain lines. If you want the bouncing word-by-word style used on Shorts and Reels, export the MP4 from Offline Captions with captions already burned in, then drop it into your Resolve timeline. The desktop app handles any length and whole batches for $39 once ($29 founding price). More on the style in how to add word-by-word captions.
See also
FAQ
Does DaVinci Resolve have auto captions?
Yes, in DaVinci Resolve Studio: Timeline > AI Tools > Create Subtitles from Audio in Resolve 21. The free version does not transcribe speech.
Can the free version of DaVinci Resolve make subtitles?
It can hold, style and export subtitles, and import SRT files made elsewhere, but it cannot create them from audio. Make the SRT with a free tool and import it with File > Import > Subtitle.
Where is Create Subtitles from Audio in Resolve 21?
On the Edit page, under Timeline > AI Tools > Create Subtitles from Audio. Before Resolve 20 it was directly in the Timeline menu.
How much is DaVinci Resolve Studio?
Blackmagic listed Studio at $236, down from $295, on 5 Nov 2026. It is a one-time purchase.
Is the SRT from Offline Captions free?
Yes. SRT, VTT and TXT downloads are free in the web version for clips up to 5 minutes.
Stop renting your captions.
Unlimited videos, offline, no watermark. $39 once, or $29 at the founding price.