To add subtitles to a Seedance 2.5 video, download the finished clip, bring it into a subtitle-capable editor, transcribe and correct its speech, then translate and time each language version. Preview the complete edit before exporting either a video with subtitles burned into the picture or a separate subtitle file supported by your destination.
This workflow starts with an existing video from the linked Seedance 2.5 workspace and finishes in your chosen editor. The script, translations and timings below are original teaching examples, not a tested export or a demonstration of built-in subtitle tools.
Know which kind of text you are editing
| Type | What it is | How to handle it |
|---|---|---|
| Text generated inside the picture | Letters rendered as part of the scene, such as a label | A subtitle file cannot change those pixels |
| Subtitles added in post-production | Timed text placed over the finished footage | Correct wording, timing and placement in the editor |
| A separate SRT file | Plain text cues with start and end times | Deliver alongside the video where subtitle-file import is supported |
Speech subtitles reproduce or translate dialogue. An advertising headline on a silent clip is an editorial overlay; do not present it as a transcript. For accessible captions, also describe meaningful sounds and identify speakers when necessary.
1. Collect the video and the actual spoken words
Save the original clip and keep a separate working copy. Confirm that it plays locally, then finish the cuts and voiceover before timing subtitles. Later trims can shift every cue.
Collect the approved script, product spelling and any numbers or units. Listen to the actual audio: generated speech may differ from the intended script. If the clip is silent, either add an approved voiceover first or write clearly intentional on-screen copy instead of inventing a transcript.
2. Transcribe, then correct before translating
Use manual transcription or a transcription tool appropriate to the audio language. Automatic output is a draft. Listen sentence by sentence and repair missed words, punctuation, speaker changes and similar-sounding names.
Check every product claim against the approved copy. A transcription mistake such as “fifteen” becoming “fifty” must be fixed before it spreads into three language versions. If a word remains unclear, resolve the audio or script mismatch rather than guessing.
3. Translate one approved script into three versions
Here is a fictional 12-second ceramic-mug spot. Its English voiceover introduces the mug, describes its capacity and closes with an invitation. The proposed shots are a mug reveal, a pour and a final tabletop view. Mori and 300 mL are invented example specifications, not claims about a real product.
| Proposed cue | English | Japanese | Korean |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00.500–00:03.500 | Meet the Mori mug. | Moriのマグカップをご紹介します。 | Mori 머그컵을 소개합니다. |
| 00:03.800–00:07.300 | It holds 300 mL. | 容量は300 mLです。 | 용량은 300 mL입니다. |
| 00:07.600–00:11.500 | Make time for a quiet break. | ほっとひと息つきませんか。 | 잠시 여유를 즐겨 보세요. |
Translate the meaning and tone, not English word order. Keep a glossary: here, preserve Mori in Latin letters and 300 mL unchanged in all versions. In a real project, use the brand's approved local spelling. Do not silently convert currencies, change measurements or turn a neutral sentence into a stronger claim.
Create separate language tracks or projects. Ask a fluent reviewer to check Japanese subtitles and Korean subtitles in context, including politeness, natural phrasing and the action visible during each line.
4. Adjust timing and line breaks together
Start each cue with the corresponding speech and end it when that phrase finishes, allowing readable timing without covering unrelated dialogue. The example uses roughly three-to-four-second cues; those are proposed timings, not universal limits. Match your real recording and destination requirements.
If a translation is too dense, simplify it without losing meaning or divide it at a phrase boundary. Do not shrink text until it becomes unreadable or keep an old line on screen over a new speaker.
For Japanese, keep meaningful phrases together. Avoid isolating particles such as は or を from their preceding phrase, splitting a product name, or starting a line with closing punctuation. For Korean, prefer breaks between meaningful phrases at spaces; avoid splitting a word or separating an attached particle or ending.
For example, if the first cue needs two lines, these are useful starting layouts:
- Japanese:
Moriのマグカップを/ご紹介します。 - Korean:
Mori 머그컵을/소개합니다.
The slash marks a proposed line break; it is not subtitle text. Keep 300 mL together. Review each layout at actual playback size instead of forcing the English line breaks onto every translation. Language-specific delivery guides can differ: Netflix publishes separate Japanese and Korean guidance, whose limits apply to its deliveries rather than every social video.
5. Build a simple SRT file
An SRT cue contains a sequential number, a timestamp range, text and a blank line. Use a comma before milliseconds and --> between start and end. This follows the structure documented by the Library of Congress.
1
00:00:00,500 --> 00:00:03,500
Meet the Mori mug.
2
00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:07,300
It holds 300 mL.
3
00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:11,500
Make time for a quiet break.
Save a plain-text file such as mori.en.srt, using UTF-8 where supported. Create mori.ja.srt and mori.ko.srt separately. Start with these example times, then adjust each version to the real audio and reading pace. Do not paste Markdown code fences into the file. Reopen the imported subtitles to check that Japanese and Korean characters display correctly.
6. Preview and choose your export
Watch once with sound for accuracy and synchronization, then muted for readability. Check the mug, hands, label and any call to action throughout the clip. Move subtitles to an unobstructed area when needed; the bottom is not always safe. Use a font containing the required Japanese and Korean glyphs, sufficient contrast, and the destination's actual player preview.
Burned-in subtitles suit a version that must always show one language with fixed styling. They become part of the image and cannot be switched off. Keep a clean master so corrections do not require covering old text.
Separate SRT files suit destinations that accept subtitle uploads and offer selectable tracks. Appearance and positioning depend on the player; do not assume an SRT preserves your editor's design. Confirm support before delivery. Preview the final exported video or imported track, and avoid showing burned-in and selectable captions simultaneously.
Final subtitle checklist
- Spoken words, translations, brand spelling and numbers agree.
- Every cue is readable, synchronized and within the final runtime.
- Japanese and Korean line breaks preserve natural phrases.
- Text avoids subjects, labels and player controls.
- The correct language file opens without missing characters.
- The delivered version has been watched from beginning to end.
If the problem is text already distorted inside the generated picture, use the Seedance 2.5 prompt troubleshooting guide. When subtitles are ready and the whole product clip needs review, use the AI video QA checklist.
