Recently updated on November 22nd, 2025 at 12:37 pm
Video translation used to be something we talked about once in a while, but since the pandemic, it’s become something we talk about almost every day. YouTube’s audience keeps growing, and to be honest, someone in our office always has a video playing in the background.
With so many people watching, businesses naturally want their content to travel farther. And from what we’ve seen working on English-Chinese projects, adding Chinese subtitles helps more than most folks expect. Sometimes a simple subtitle line pulls in viewers who would’ve scrolled right past.
So you may be wondering, what do Chinese subtitles actually do for you?
The Benefits of Having Chinese Subtitles for YouTube Videos
Reaching Chinese speakers means reaching more than a billion people. That still amazes us, even after years of doing English-Chinese translation. We’ve seen creators add subtitles and suddenly notice viewers popping up from places they never expected.
People who have trouble hearing also benefit a lot from subtitles. Some clients told us they didn’t know how many people depended on them until they got the comments.
And to be honest, most of us watch videos in loud places anyway. On the bus, in a café, or next to someone who is trying to sleep. Chinese subtitles make sure your content is clear, even when the sound is off.
3 Essential Parts of a Perfect YouTube Channel Translation Strategy
Translating your YouTube channel into Chinese goes beyond subtitles. To provide a seamless user experience, here are three key considerations we recommend keeping in mind.
# Translate Captions/Subtitles into Chinese
YouTube now makes it pretty easy to add subtitles in your own language. You can type and upload your own captions, or let the community help out. When you turn on community contributions, viewers can submit subtitles for your videos, and you still get to review everything before it goes live.
YouTube also offers auto-generated captions, but they don’t work for Mandarin. If you’ve ever clicked the “CC” button on a Mandarin or Cantonese video, you’ve probably seen that little message saying subtitles aren’t available. Always a bit disappointing.
Why Can’t YouTube Auto-Generate Chinese Subtitles?
Mandarin is full of nuance, one sound can mean several different things. YouTube just listens and guesses, so it often gets it wrong. That’s why auto-generated subtitles aren’t reliable… at least not yet.
How to Upload Chinese Subtitles to YouTube Videos?
First, you should have the Chinese subtitles with timing in .srt file. Then, follow our guide to add Chinese subtitles/captions to YouTube videos in 7 simple steps.
Total Time: 5 minutes
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Step 1
Log in to your YouTube account, go to “Your Videos”
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Step 2
Click the “Edit” button of the video you would like to edit, go to “Subtitles”, click the “Add” button marked in red.
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Step 3
Select “Upload File”
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Step 4
Select “Subtitle File Type with Timing” from the popup menu, and click “Continue”
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Step 5
Browse for the Chinese subtitle file(*.srt) and select “Upload”
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Step 6
Adjust your subtitles
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Step 7
Press “Publish” and your Chinese subtitles will be uploaded to your video
How to Type Chinese Subtitles Manually on YouTube Videos?
The best thing about this method? You can type the subtitles and adjust the timings directly on the videos. There is no need to prepare an .srt file in advance.
The first two steps are the same with uploading .srt subtitles to the video. When it comes to the third step, choose “Type Manually”.
Type the subtitles from the popup menu, adjust the timings, and click “Publish”.
# Translate Titles and Descriptions into Chinese
If your video titles and descriptions are in Chinese, Chinese-speaking viewers can actually find them in search. It’s an easy way to boost discoverability and reach a much bigger audience.
How to Add Chinese Titles and Descriptions to YouTube Videos?
- Go to YouTube Studio
- In the right-hand menu, scroll down and click “Edit title and description”
- Enter your translated Chinese title and description
- Click “Publish” and you’re done
# Translate Playlists into Chinese
With playlists, your subscribers can easily scroll through your channel and find the videos they’re looking for. In addition, it creates helpful content categories so you can make sure you’re covering your major topics thoroughly.
How to Add Chinese Titles and Descriptions to YouTube Playlists?
- Select “Playlists” from the Video Manager
- Click “Edit” button of the playlist you’d like to translate
- Click the three dots on the right-hand side and select “Edit playlist info”
- Enter the translated title and description and then click “Save”
Having a YouTube strategy in place is key to finding success on YouTube. You’ve already invested time in your channel, so why not spend a bit more to make your videos easy for Chinese viewers to enjoy?
3 Ways to Create Chinese Subtitles for YouTube Videos
You’ve covered subtitles, translated titles and descriptions, even playlists. But what if you don’t speak Chinese, how do you get subtitles for your videos?
Here are three easy ways to get Chinese subtitles.
- Machine translation: Online tools can generate Chinese subtitles, but they often make mistakes, you’ll need to edit them.
- Community contribution: You can let viewers add subtitles, but make sure to check them before publishing.
- Outsourcing to a professional Chinese translator: Hire a skilled translator ensures accuracy and makes your subtitles feel natural and culturally relevant.
Need Chinese subtitles for your YouTube videos? Contact one of our translation managers for an accurate quote.
Chinese Copywriter Team consists of talented linguists, project managers, localization engineers, and SEO experts. Since 2012, we have been providing translation, localization, and marketing services for various international businesses targeting the Chinese markets as well as Chinese businesses expanding their global reach.