[Fixed] Captions burning into video even when not selected to

[JTW Jr]

When I export a video ( h.264 ) I am selecting to create a sidecar file ( SRT ) on the captions tab , when I export, it does create the SRT file, but it also burns the closed captions into the video. When I select NONE for Caption Export options when exporting, it is still burning the closed captions into the MP4 file.

This is happening on all 23 sequences inside my project file. The only way I can get the captions to not burn in, is to turn off the eyeball on the Subtitle track. Which then requires me to re-render the entire timeline.

This is using Premiere v15.4.1 build 6 . Any thoughts ?

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hi Community,

This bug has been marked as fixed in Premiere Pro 22.1 and later. If this fix is still not working for you, please let us know.

Thanks,
Kevin

[Barry-KOMOTV]

Kevin-Monahan This is still hapopening for me. The latest Premiere and Media Encoder as of August 7, 2024. This is an old project that I update quarterly for my client. I need access to the old edits so I cant just start a new project from scratch without re-editing several years of work. No matter what I try I constantly get burned in captions on export. One exception was exporting by sending to media encoder to get files without those burned in captions, but that worked in the previous project and not the one I just created by importing in the old project into a new project file. I did a screen capture of my process, showed the export preset settings, program versions and how I am doing this. Note that at the end the demo file did finally export with burned in captions again. I had to compress the piss out of the video to get it undr your 47 MB limit, so its a little soft. This project has 4 or 6 videos each quarter, so my export process is this wayt to try and avoid exporting each video 2 times individually through Premiere only. And that works for all my other projects. But that is what I had to do yesterday to get any video that was clean. Note also I have cleared teh caches as well.

[Barry-KOMOTV]

Adding another screen capture with the computer and program settings in case that might help.

[Stan Jones]

John, thanks for continuing to be responsive. The videos were helpful. I got reasonable detail by downloading and playing back. This project and export workflow is more complex than many. This thread is old, and involves a problem/bug I could never replicate, and that was probably fixed. In any event, let me see if I understand the main features of your situation correctly.

Most projects work correctly? This project was started multiple PR versions back, and for the reasons you state, creating the project new is a problem. You have taken other steps, e.g. copying the sequence into a new sequence. I was not clear: have you tried importing the old project into a new project created in the current version?

The sequence has 608 captions that are (must be) enabled when exported. You are exporting via AME, by dragging the sequence from PR Project Panel to a preset folder in AME. (In preferences, "import sequences natively" is on - I think that generally produces the best results.)

The preset folder generates 2 items in the queue: H.264 import with captions turned off; mxf op1a export with captions embedded. These come from 2 custom presets in your list. (You scanned their settings in the video; I did not pay close attention except to note that the caption settings were as intended.) The actual result is burned in captions in both exports. You can see the captions in the export preview window - which you should not unless they are being burned in.

There are multiple possibilities including a bug (that so far can't be replicated by others), a corrupt PR project, or corrupt AME presets.

I assume a test of a new project, with a simple one clip sequence, would work correctly? And I assume you are convinced that the AME presets are okay because other projects (other sequences in the same project?) work correctly when using the same export workflow/presets?

One test of the problematic sequence would be to simplify a duplicate by deleting everything but the primary clip, creating captions, and exporting. Does that show the problem?

My regular troubleshooting for unusual problems, is resetting Workspace (particularly if you have Import Workspaces from Projects turned on) and , if unsuccessful, resetting PR preferences (with the usual cautions about losing customization. See this page:

https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/using/reset-preferences.html

But I suspect you've tried all of those things.

@EckiAME We've looked at some other threads on similar reports. Any suggestions? AME does not always follow the "hold shift down" to start a reset for me. Any comments on how to reset AME preferences without losing customization?

Stan

[Barry-KOMOTV]

Stan,

Responding to your questions in order:

This project has had this issue for about 1 year, but dates back to about 2020.

 I have taken a completely new project file and imported the entire project twice now, including the same day I posted on this thread.

Copying into a new sequence also has not solved the issue. I tried that most recently in one of the screen captures I posted, but I may not have called that out.

Yes, dragging to AME shows this issue, but it also happens when exporting through Premiere.

The presets work properly in all my other current projects, roughly 30 other projects this year so far, and this is the only one where this issue remains. Note that there are no captions for the H264 preset, only the .MXF preset as that is intended for broadcast.

 Yes, a test of a new project does not produce this issue, and again the presets are not corrupted.

I just tried simplifying the project to just 1 video layer and VO track. I deleted the existing subtitle track, then eliminated the adjustment layer, music, graphics, and bottom video layers. I cut some of the VO and corrected the mistakes Premiere made when transcribing the new VO. I ten exported by dragging to AME. The issue persists on both exports. What did work this time was exporting through Premiere to the same H264 preset. But that did not work the day I made the screen captures. This has worked some of the time, but not all the time and this is how I had been able to get clean exports the last 2 times I updated this project. But again this did not work the day I posted.

I have reset preferences plus uninstalled and reinstalled both Premiere and Media Encoder multiple times, more times than I remember due to either this issue or other problems with Premiere. The Macbook I used in the screen captures has had every Adobe folder removed in a tech support call, with an Adobe tech in an unrelated problem and later was completely wiped and rebuilt from scratch and the problem persisted. The issue even happens across 2 computers including my iMac Pro.

[Barry-KOMOTV]

@Stan Jones, @Kevin-Monahan 

Note that a co-worker here at the station has the same issue with 2 projects that originated about a year ago. Closed captions are getting burned in on all exports regardless of settings- the same issue that I have been experiencing. He is not on this forum. Same computer, its an identically configured MacBook pro, same Adobe product versions as I am using. He has also done all the steps I have to try and remedy the issue- deleted preferences, reinstalled apps, and recently the computer was wiped and rebuilt from scratch.

[Stan Jones]

Thanks, Barry for both additions. Helpful.

Stan

[Barry-KOMOTV]

@Kevin-MonahanAgain, this is still happening for me. See my 2 posts from 10 days ago.

[Kevin-Monahan]

Sorry about that. Thanks for tagging me, though.

@Stan Jones , can you reproduce this issue?

Thanks,
Kevin

[Stan Jones]

@Kevin-Monahan,

Before responding to John, reviewed this whole thread, including the screenshots, and then ran a group of basic tests. Subtitle captions, exported H.264, all from PR (not AME), with and without using Previews and with and without an AE linked composition, and varying the order of plain export, export sidecar only, etc. I could not get a burned-in export with captions off in the export setting.

Barry's situation is very different, and I commented in that post.

I noted that ESTLL was different from all others because captions were disabled in the track header and still showed in the Program Monitor. I don't think there's any other report of that problem.

Many users reported too little information to attempt replication.

Stan

[Barry-KOMOTV]

@Kevin-Monahan 

This is still happening here. I just wiped and reinstalled everything on my Macbook Pro on 8/16/25. The first test was fine. But the next test on a completely new project and the captions started burning in. I am also seeing this on a different computer in our department in the station. This bug is NOT fixed. At best it goes away for a short time, then comes back, and this has been going on here for YEARS.

[Wylie_702]

Happy to report that even though this issue drove me crazy for what seemed like forever, I have not ran into the issue again in many months. 

[JTW Jr]

Oops, no idea how it keeps logging me into my old account. 🙂

[Kevin-Monahan]

Cheers, @Wylie_702. Thanks for letting the community know.

Kevin

[digital.nomad624]

Hi @Kevin-Monahan We are still having this issue with Premiere 24.2.1

[Stan Jones]

@digital.nomad624,

As you can see, this thread is long (and mostly old), and there was confusion regarding whether the captions were actually burned in. I have never been able to replicate the problem once those issues were ruled out. But it is marked as fixed, so some bug was identified in an earlier version. Thanks for reporting you are in 24.2.1.

So first, just report your testing method.

I recommend reimporting the file to PR - are the captions burned in?

Or, in PR export settings with the Captions setting as None or Sidecar, before exporting, look at the preview window. Are the captions visible? If so, they will burn in.

Also, disable the captions (turn off visibility with the eyeball in the caption track header), and confirm that they do not burn in.

If they are indeed burning in, then let us know the caption format (Subtitle/608/etc), the export format (H.264/mxf/etc), and and what export settings (Other than burn-in) result in the captions burning in (embed/sidecar/none).

Edit to add:

Reading through this thread, I'd also like to know Mac (version?) vs PC and whether you have linked AE comps.

Stan

[ghuff]

I am on a 2020 i9 iMac with maximum specs (2TB SSD) and macOS Ventura 13.6.6. This has not been an issue for me for the most part anymore, but it did happen with a ProRes HQ encode out of Premiere 24.3.0  where I had toggled Captions to be rendered as a sidecar file, and instead it burned them in to the ProRes render (and I confirmed they were indeed burned in and not just referencing the sidecar file).

[r5dsign · Accepted solution]

Hello Folks,
Any permanent solution to this issue? I just ran into this issue on Pr 24.3 (Build 59) as of May 16, 2024. Using MacStudio 2023 macOS Ventura 13.5. I even tried deleting cache to no avail. The only workaround I figured out is to turn off caption track, export the video; then turn on the caption track and export as a SRT file from the captions panel. Not very helpful if I have longer videos. Any other guidance to solve this issue once and for all would be most appreciated.

[Van Erik P]

First time I've experienced this today. Issue is just as described. Only way to export without burnt-in subs is to turn off caption track. Tried several times rendering with the captions turned off in export page thinking I might have missed the option to turn it off. Wasted hours re-rendering an hour long webinar.

Using Premiere Pro Version 24.5.0 (Build 57)

[hopem6029704]

Ever since I updated Premiere and Media Encoder, when I send my finished sequences to Media Encoder, for some reason the captions won't export with the video.  They will only export through Premiere.  I have my "Burn subtitles into video" option on and everything.  Help.

[Kevin-Monahan]

I apologize that this is still a problem for some people. @Alexander Riss, @EckiAME, or another team member might be able to comment on the bug report. The bug is marked as fixed, but people see it in current builds. If people have the issue, the bug should be reopened. 

I hope a product team member will respond to the bug shortly. I apologize for the frustration. 

Thanks,
Kevin

[CLWill]

I am experincing this exact problem in 25. AME always burns the captions in, unless I disable the captions track (with the eyeball) before export. Regardless of the setting of the export option, captions are burned into the video. I can even go into the export window and turn the entire Captions toggle OFF, and AME still burns in captions.

I've tried H.264, H.265. Cleared caches everywhere (PP & AME) this is STILL an issue.

My only workaround is to turn the eyeball on the captions track off, send it to AME, then turn the eyeball back on, and export the SRT from the captions edit window.

Running: PP 25.0.0 Build 61, AME 25.0 Build 54 on a M1 Max Mac Studio running Sonoma 14.6.1

[BDHorrigan]

I have the same issue, but sometimes it's the opposite – the captions SHOULD be burned in but aren't. I'm on v25 (build 61), MacBook Pro 2023 with M2 Pro chip, running macOS 15.0.1.

I use multiple 'destinations' to get different deliverables. For most of my video production projects, I deliver the files with and without burnt-in captions, plus an SRT sidecar. This used to be easy: toggle on two Media File destinations, one with burnt-in captions, one with sidecar. AME rendered them fine.

Now, however, it gives me two files the same – either both burnt in or both clean. It's infuriating. I've been fiddling around just now to try and get to the bottom of it, and have realised it must have something to do with the preview window in Premiere and how that talks to AME. AME takes the caption state from whatever I looked at last in the preview window.

Here's what I did:

Test 1

1. Select a sequence with captions, open Export tab
2. Toggle on captions, with Burn Captions Into Video
3. Duplicate destination
4. Set this destination to Create Sidecar File
5. Send to AME
6. AME renders out two identical files – neither of them have captions burnt in

Test 2

1. Repeat steps 1-4 above
2. Click back onto the first destination so that the preview window shows the CAPTIONED version
3. Send to AME
4. AME renders out two identical files again, but guess what – this time they both have captions

Screenshot attached to show I'm not making this up...

[Barry-KOMOTV]

Trying to get this issue back on your radar Adobe @Kevin-Monahan

Today yet another project is burning in captions in MP4s- different than the one I posted about last week. That makes 3 projects now, one is several years old the latest 2 are new projects.

This is with Premiere 25.2.1 build 2 and Media Encoder 25.2 build 141. MacBook Pro M1, Sequoia 15.3.2.

[Barry-KOMOTV]

Kevin- This is now happening on every project in every sequence I open, past or present. Captions are being burned in on all MP4 exports unless I turn them off in the timeline. It is seriously slowing down exporting as I do multiple file types for all my sequences and no I am forced to toggle off the captions between types and do them 1 type at a time.

This is with Premiere 25.2.1 build 2 and Media Encoder 25.2 build 141. MacBook Pro M1, Sequoia 15.3.2.