[Mastering Editing Part 3] Stop manual typing! 'AI Auto Subtitles' Guide

On the subway or in public places during your commute, the fact that many people watch videos without sound did you know? Subtitles are a necessity, not an option. However, rewatching and typing out every word is a time-consuming 'grunt work' task.

AlphaCut, as soon as the video is generated, AI automatically adds subtitles. All you have to do is lightly review and edit them.

<AlphaCut Editing Mastery Series>

• Part 1: Visuals & Design (Text, layout)
• Part 2: Cut Editing & Pacing (timeline, Silence Removal, Playback Speed)
• Part 3: Auto Subtitles (Using AI Subtitles & Styling) 👈 Today's Topic!
• Part 4: AI hooking (Highlights, AI Narration)

1. Locking Styles with a template

You don't need to edit the subtitle style every time. The smartest way is to [template] page. Once set, your subtitle style will be automatically applied to all future Shorts.

• Go to: In the top menu, [template] go to the page.
• Activate: In the settings panel on the right, [Subtitles] click the tab and turn on the 'Enable Subtitles' checkbox.
• Design & Position: You can set details like font type, size, color, and even text borders. Drag the subtitles with your mouse in the preview screen to place them where you want.
• Tempo Control (Characters per line): Using the slider, you can adjust it in 5 levels (Very Few to Very Many). Set it to 'Few' for a short and snappy pace, or 'Many' for information-heavy content.
• Fill Empty Time: If checked, the previous subtitle is maintained even through silent sections without subtitles, eliminating the 'flickering' effect of subtitles.
• Fixed Subtitle Background Width: This option 'fixes' the width of the subtitle background box.
• • In the default state (Off), the background box size changes unevenly according to the length of the subtitle text.
  • When this option is turned on, the background boxes for all subtitles are set to the same width, giving a clean look without subtitles jumping around, even in fast-paced Shorts. You can use the slider to manually adjust how much of the screen width (Min to 100%) it occupies.
  • 💬 Tip: When you need to cover subtitles already embedded in the original video, it is especially useful.
• Animation: Choose one of the 7 presets in the [Animation] tab, and the same subtitle animation will be automatically applied to all future Shorts. This is the fastest way to create your channel's unique 'signature subtitle tone.' (Details on each preset effect are covered in section 5 below.)

Now, every time you generate Shorts with this template, subtitles will appear with the design and tempo you've set. Drastically reduce repetitive tasks.

2. Editing Text on the Edit Screen — Precise Word-by-Word Editing

With the AlphaCut subtitle editor, you only need to remember three actions: Click Word · Click Empty Space · Drag. The combination of these three handles everything from fixing typos to line breaks and moving words.

① Click Word — Direct Text Editing

• When you click the word you want to fix, an input box opens right there. Just change it to the desired word and press Enter. The timestamp for each word is preserved.
• Hover over a word to see a red [X] button. You can cleanly delete just that word.

② Click Empty Space — Add Text or Insert Line Break (/)

• Clicking the empty space between words will bring up the 'Add Text / Split Line' menu.
• Selecting [Add Text] allows you to type and insert a new word or sentence, and the surrounding timestamps are automatically redistributed proportionally.
• Selecting [Split Line] separates one line into two based on that point. Hovering over the line break character '/' shows a red [X] button, allowing you to merge the two lines back into one with a single click.

③ Drag — Drag Words or Line Breaks (/) to Move Lines

• By dragging a word or the '/' delimiter to the desired spot, you can freely change the line structure.
• When you think, "This word would look more natural on the next line," you can solve it with a single drag without needing to delete and retype. Timestamps are preserved.
• ⚠️ Words in the middle of a line cannot be moved by dragging.

💬 Tip. Characters Per Line Slider — At the bottom of the [Edit Subtitles] tab, there is a slider to adjust the number of characters per line in 5 levels. Moving the slider automatically rearranges the existing subtitles. When you feel "the subtitles are too long/short," this is the fastest way to redistribute the pacing all at once without editing line by line.

3. Adjusting timeline 'Sync'

In the bottom timeline, you can precisely adjust the timing (sync) of the subtitles in 0.1-second increments.

• Adjust Length: By grabbing and dragging either end of the subtitle bar, you can increase or decrease the duration the subtitle stays on screen.
• Move Position: Try dragging the middle of the subtitle bar left or right. You can adjust the timing of when the subtitle appears.
• Auto Merge: If you overlap a subtitle bar onto another, the two subtitles will merge into one. You can combine sentences just by dragging, without needing to press any extra buttons!

4. Editing 'Styles' for Better Readability (Individual Settings)

Even if you've set a template, if you want to change the style to match the mood of the current video, use the [Style] tab in the subtitle panel on the right.

• Font & Size: Change to a font that fits the video's mood and adjust the font size to make it stand out.
• Letter Spacing, Border, & Background Color: Refine the text's aesthetics by adjusting letter spacing, and improve readability by adding a text border color to clearly separate it from the background.
• Using Background Color (Tip): Are there already hard-coded subtitles in the original video? By setting a subtitle background color, you can naturally cover and hide the existing subtitles.
• Move Position: You can move the subtitles to your desired location by grabbing and dragging them with your mouse in the preview screen.
• Fill Empty Time / Fixed Width: The options you saw in the template can also be adjusted individually in this tab. Use this when you want to apply different rules only to the current video.

5. Subtitles Stronger Than Words: Capturing Attention with 'Animations'

You've probably heard many times that the first 3 seconds are crucial in Shorts. AlphaCut provides a feature to make flat cuts come alive by adding animation effects to the subtitles themselves.

Just pick a preset from the [Animation] tab in the subtitle panel on the right. Choose one of the 7 that fits your video's tone.

• None: White text on a black background, the most basic style.
• Karaoke: A karaoke subtitle effect where the spoken words fill up with color character by character. It works especially well for informative or lecture content. You can also manually specify the highlight color.
• Bounce: An effect where the word currently being spoken pops up and enlarges slightly. Perfect for reaction or variety-show style videos.
• Karaoke + Bounce: Color change + word pop-up at the same time. The ultimate combination for emphasis.
• Box: An effect where a highlighter box appears behind the spoken word. Great for emphasizing key keywords. Box color can be changed.
• Bounce Group: The entire subtitle pops up and appears in one breath. Recommended for short, strong statements.
• Typing: An effect where letters appear one by one as if being typed. Perfect for narratives, retrospectives, or calm vlogs.

Captions are more than just 'text'; they are a key hook that keeps viewers engaged and a feature that creates your channel's unique tone. With AlphaCut's editor, put intention into every single word. 👋