How-to
Turn a video into an SRT file
An SRT is the closest thing subtitling has to a universal format: a plain text file of numbered blocks, each with a start time, an end time, and the words to show. Here is how to get one out of a video.
How to generate the file
Upload the video
MP4, MOV, AVI, or MKV within your plan's upload limit, or a link from an enabled source.
Pick a language
Choose the original language for a straight transcript, or pick from 45+ languages for a translated subtitle file.
Download the SRT
Every job returns an SRT in the original spoken language and one in the language you chose, plus plain TXT versions of both.
What is inside an SRT
Each block is a sequence number, a timing line, one or two lines of text, and a blank line. Timestamps use hours, minutes, seconds, and milliseconds separated by a comma. See what is an SRT file for the format in detail, including the mistakes that make a file fail to load.
What an SRT is good for
- Uploading alongside a video anywhere that accepts subtitle files, so viewers can switch them on and off.
- Feeding a translation. An SRT keeps the timings, so a translated file drops straight back onto the same video.
- Making the spoken content readable as text, which is how a video ends up findable by search at all.
- Editing. It is plain text, so you can fix a name in any text editor without touching the video.
What an SRT cannot do
- It carries almost no styling. Position, font, and colour are the player's decision, which is why platforms that accept SRT all look slightly different.
- It is not read by most social feeds, which expect the text to be in the picture instead. That is what burning in is for.
- It has no speaker labels or sound descriptions by convention, so it is a subtitle format rather than a full captioning one. See subtitles vs captions.
Before you publish the file
- Save it as UTF-8. Any other encoding turns accented and non-Latin characters into noise on someone else's machine.
- Check the first and last block against the video. A file that is off from the start usually has an offset problem rather than a drift problem.
- Look at your longest lines. If a line takes longer to read than it stays on screen, it needs splitting.
Translate up to 10 minutes of video for free.
Start translating freeFrequently asked questions
Do I get the SRT in the original language too?
Yes. Every job returns both an original-language SRT and one in the language you selected, plus TXT versions of each.
Can I edit the SRT after downloading it?
Yes, it is plain text and opens in any text editor. Keep the encoding as UTF-8 when you save, or accented characters will break.
Can I get a VTT file instead?
Downloads are SRT and TXT. VTT is close enough to SRT that converting is a small job, and many players accept SRT directly.
Does the SRT include speaker names?
No. The file carries the spoken words with timings. If you need speaker labels, add them in the editor or in the downloaded file.