# Subtitle lead-in (/docs/product-guide/subtitle-lead-in)



Broadcast convention is that a subtitle appears a couple of frames **before** the speech it carries, because the eye is slightly slower than the ear. **Lead-in** does this for you.

At 25 frames per second, with a lead-in of 2 frames:

|                  | Time      |
| ---------------- | --------- |
| Speech starts    | 00:05.000 |
| Subtitle appears | 00:04.920 |

Set it [#set-it]

**Lead-in (frames)** is in the formatting settings of the upload dialog, and in your organization's upload presets. It is a whole number of frames from 0 to 25. The default is 0, which turns it off.

The built-in **Broadcast** preset uses a lead-in of 2 frames with 42 characters per line.

Where it applies [#where-it-applies]

* Subtitle files you download from the editor.
* Videos rendered with burned-in subtitles.
* The preview in the editor.

**Word timings do not change.** The transcript, the waveform and the word highlighting still show when each word was said. Only the moment each subtitle appears moves.

Rules it follows [#rules-it-follows]

* **Never closer than the minimum gap.** A subtitle is not moved earlier than the end of the one before it plus your *minimum frames between subtitles* setting (3 by default).
* **Never later.** If there is no room, a subtitle keeps its original start.
* **Never before the start of the media.**
* **Frame rate.** The media's own frame rate when it is known, otherwise 25 frames per second.

Lead-in and the API [#lead-in-and-the-api]

Subtitle files from the [API](../api/results.mdx#subtitle-files) do not include lead-in, and API jobs cannot set one. If you need a lead-in on API files, download from the editor, or shift the API file with `offsetSeconds`.

Related docs [#related-docs]

* [Subtitles and Timing](./subtitles-and-timing.mdx)
* [Export](./export.mdx)
* [Organization](./organization.mdx)