Setting the caption language in Premiere Pro

The language is set in the Transcribe sequence dialog, not in the caption track. Pick it there before transcribing. If the transcript came out wrong, transcribe again with the right language; there is no way to fix the language on existing captions.

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Where the setting is

Open Window > Text, click Transcribe sequence, and use the Language dropdown. Auto detect works for clear single-language speech. For accents, mixed languages, or short clips, choosing the language yourself gives a better transcript.

Language packs

Premiere transcribes locally and downloads a language pack the first time you use each language. If the transcribe button seems stuck, check Preferences under Transcription; the pack may still be downloading or may need a manual download.

Captions came out in the wrong language

Delete the caption track, open the Transcript tab, click Transcribe sequence again with the correct language, then create captions again. It takes a minute and is the only clean fix.

Which languages are supported

Premiere's own transcription covers a fixed set of common languages, and Adobe expands it over time. If yours isn't in the dropdown, a plugin built on Whisper handles a much wider range, close to a hundred languages, with the same auto-detect behavior.

Two languages in one video

Premiere transcribes in one language per pass. For bilingual clips, transcribe twice with different languages and keep the correct sections from each, or use a Whisper-based tool that detects language per segment.