Feature
Karaoke captions: the whole line shows, the spoken word lights up
Karaoke captions show a line of up to four words and light up the word being said. Viewers read ahead without losing their place, which helps most on how-tos and step-by-step videos.
In short
- Karaoke captions, also called word-highlight captions, show a whole line and light up each word as it is spoken.
- They work best for how-tos, explainers, comparisons and anything with steps, because viewers can read ahead.
- Skip them for a single price or deadline, a testimonial where the face matters most, or luxury products.
- In Cutroom, Pour, Chip, Hollow and Highlighter are karaoke styles among the 40 caption styles.
- Karaoke captions are included in Cutroom's 100-credit edit, and exporting costs 20 credits per minute of video.
- Words on screen at once, with one lit up
- 4
- Caption styles in Cutroom, karaoke included
- 40
- Credits for the Cutroom edit, captions included
- 100
What are karaoke captions?
A line of up to four words appears. Then a highlight moves across the word being said, like lyrics on a karaoke screen.
- Up to 4 words show at once, and all of them are readable.
- The spoken word is filled, boxed, underlined or changed in colour, depending on the style.
- Unlike word-by-word captions, the words appear before they are spoken.
- Karaoke captions need someone talking, because the highlight follows the voice. In Cutroom, every caption style is built from the words you say.
How karaoke captions work
Word-by-word captions show each word as it is spoken. Karaoke captions show the line first and mark your place.
The line appears
Up to four words, all readable
The highlight starts
On the word being spoken
The viewer reads ahead
And knows what is coming
The next line appears
Nobody loses their place
Karaoke captions vs other caption types
Karaoke is one of several caption types. The difference is how many words you see, and when you see them.
- Hormozi-style captions are close to the loud type. They show fewer, bigger words in bold capitals, with the spoken word in a bright colour.
Karaoke captions compared with other caption types
| Caption type | What you see | Words on screen | Best for | Cutroom styles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karaoke | Whole line shown, spoken word lights up | 3 to 4 | How-tos, explainers, steps | Pour, Chip, Hollow, Highlighter |
| One word at a time | Only the current word, large | 1 | Opening lines, a price, one claim | Slam, Hit |
| Loud | Heavy capitals, spoken word in a colour box | 3 | Offers with a deadline | Shout, Brick, Stamp |
| Clean | White text, one word in colour | 4 | Testimonials, creator-style ads | Clean, Plain |
| Calm | Lower-case or serif text, little or no motion | 4 to 5 | Beauty, luxury, calm brands | Soft, Quill |
Caption type: Karaoke
- What you see
- Whole line shown, spoken word lights up
- Words on screen
- 3 to 4
- Best for
- How-tos, explainers, steps
- Cutroom styles
- Pour, Chip, Hollow, Highlighter
Caption type: One word at a time
- What you see
- Only the current word, large
- Words on screen
- 1
- Best for
- Opening lines, a price, one claim
- Cutroom styles
- Slam, Hit
Caption type: Loud
- What you see
- Heavy capitals, spoken word in a colour box
- Words on screen
- 3
- Best for
- Offers with a deadline
- Cutroom styles
- Shout, Brick, Stamp
Caption type: Clean
- What you see
- White text, one word in colour
- Words on screen
- 4
- Best for
- Testimonials, creator-style ads
- Cutroom styles
- Clean, Plain
Caption type: Calm
- What you see
- Lower-case or serif text, little or no motion
- Words on screen
- 4 to 5
- Best for
- Beauty, luxury, calm brands
- Cutroom styles
- Soft, Quill
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
When karaoke captions work best
They help when your script has an order: first this, then that, and why the second part matters.
- In how-to videos, viewers can read the next step while they hear the current one.
- In comparisons and walkthroughs, the highlight shows where in the list the viewer is.
- Steps that people often miss are easier to catch when the whole line is already on screen.
- If your script says "then" a lot, it has an order, and karaoke captions suit it.
Four karaoke caption styles in Cutroom
Pour fills the letters with colour as you speak, Chip moves a small pill from word to word, Hollow fills each outlined word once it is said, and Highlighter underlines the spoken word on an amber band.
Pour
Chip
Hollow
Highlighter
When to use a different caption style
Karaoke captions show words before they are said. On some ads you want each word to arrive as it is spoken, or the text to stay out of the way.
- For a price and a deadline, use a one-word style such as Slam. Each word appears only when it is said, so the price lands at the right moment.
- For a testimonial, use a low, clean line such as Clean, so the text does not cover the face.
- For luxury or beauty, use a calm style such as Soft, with small lower-case text and no motion.
- If you are not sure, switch between a karaoke style and Clean in the editor and compare them. Switching is free.
Where to put karaoke captions on screen
The position decides how much of the picture the words cover. Changing it never re-cuts the video.
Caption positions in the Cutroom editor
| Position | What it does | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Middle | Puts the line where the eye already is, and covers more of the picture | The words are the point, as in an explainer |
| Low | Keeps the line out of the way of the face | The face is the point, as in a testimonial |
| Moving | Each line moves to a new spot, so the face stays clear | You want the words and the face both clear. Cutroom's karaoke look starts here |
| Top | Puts the line across the top of the frame | A meme-style video |
Position: Middle
- What it does
- Puts the line where the eye already is, and covers more of the picture
- Use it when
- The words are the point, as in an explainer
Position: Low
- What it does
- Keeps the line out of the way of the face
- Use it when
- The face is the point, as in a testimonial
Position: Moving
- What it does
- Each line moves to a new spot, so the face stays clear
- Use it when
- You want the words and the face both clear. Cutroom's karaoke look starts here
Position: Top
- What it does
- Puts the line across the top of the frame
- Use it when
- A meme-style video
Can you mix karaoke captions with a louder style?
Yes. You can keep karaoke captions through the steps and give the offer at the end a louder look.
- Select the closing words in the editor and give just those a different style or colour.
- The steps stay easy to follow, and the offer gets the look of a louder style.
- It costs nothing extra, because it is part of the edit.
- Keep the louder look to a few words, like the price or the offer, so they stand out.
How to add karaoke captions to a video
Most caption tools can add them. Look for a style that highlights the spoken word.
Karaoke captions in three tools
Details and prices from each company's own site, checked 21 September 2026.
| Tool | How you add them | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CapCut | Generate auto captions, then pick an animated caption with word-by-word highlights | Auto captions are listed under Pro, $19.99 a month |
| VEED | Generate auto subtitles, then pick a karaoke-style highlight | Free plan; Creator $10 a user a month, billed yearly |
| Cutroom | Upload a video of you talking, then pick Pour, Chip, Hollow or Highlighter | First video free; the edit is 100 credits |
Tool: CapCut
- How you add them
- Generate auto captions, then pick an animated caption with word-by-word highlights
- Price
- Auto captions are listed under Pro, $19.99 a month
Tool: VEED
- How you add them
- Generate auto subtitles, then pick a karaoke-style highlight
- Price
- Free plan; Creator $10 a user a month, billed yearly
Tool: Cutroom
- How you add them
- Upload a video of you talking, then pick Pour, Chip, Hollow or Highlighter
- Price
- First video free; the edit is 100 credits
Karaoke captions in Cutroom
Cutroom picks a starting look for each video from what you say. For how-tos and explainers, it can pick its karaoke look, and you can change any part of it.
- You can change the caption style, font, colour, size and position at any time.
- Every export is a vertical 9:16 MP4 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
Cutroom's karaoke look
| Setting | Starting value |
|---|---|
| Caption style | Pour, where your voice fills the letters with colour |
| Words on screen | Up to 4 |
| Position | Moving, or pick Top, Middle or Low |
| Cost | Included in the 100-credit edit. Export is 20 credits per minute |
Setting: Caption style
- Starting value
- Pour, where your voice fills the letters with colour
Setting: Words on screen
- Starting value
- Up to 4
Setting: Position
- Starting value
- Moving, or pick Top, Middle or Low
Setting: Cost
- Starting value
- Included in the 100-credit edit. Export is 20 credits per minute
Questions people ask
- What are karaoke captions?
- Captions that show the whole line, up to four words, and light up each word as it is spoken. They are also called word-highlight captions. Viewers can read ahead without losing their place.
- How are karaoke captions different from word-by-word captions?
- Word-by-word captions show each word only as it is spoken. Karaoke captions show the whole line first and highlight the word being said, so the eye can read ahead. That helps most on steps and explainers.
- How do I add karaoke captions to a video?
- Use a caption tool with a word-highlight style. VEED offers karaoke-style highlights, and CapCut has word-by-word highlights. In Cutroom, upload a video of you talking, up to 3 minutes long, and pick Pour, Chip, Hollow or Highlighter.
- Are karaoke captions the same as Hormozi captions?
- Close, but not the same. Both light up the spoken word. Hormozi-style captions show fewer, bigger words in bold capitals, like Cutroom's Shout, while karaoke captions show a longer line.
- Should karaoke captions go in the middle of the screen?
- On an explainer, yes, because the words are the point and the middle is where the eye already is. On a testimonial, keep them low so the face stays clear, or pick Moving.
- Do karaoke captions work without a voice?
- No. The highlight follows the spoken words, so without a voice there is nothing to caption.
- Who should not use karaoke captions?
- Anyone whose ad is one price or deadline. Karaoke shows the whole line early, so viewers read the price before it is said. A one-word style such as Slam shows each word only as it is spoken.
Karaoke captions help viewers follow every step, and they come with every Cutroom edit. Your first video is free.