SRT to Avid Media Composer subtitles in SubCap format, on the right timecode.
Media Composer's SubCap effect does not read SRT: it imports a text file in Avid DS format. This tool converts your SRT or VTT to that format at your sequence's frame rate and start timecode, fixes overlaps and checks line length before you import.
Free, no sign-upIn Media Composer: put the SubCap effect (Effect Palette > Generator) on an empty video track, open the Effect Editor and, under Caption Files, click Import Caption Data and pick Avid DS Caption File (*.txt).
How to bring an SRT into Avid Media Composer
- 01
Paste or drop the SRT
VTT and ASS work too. Broken accents and bad numbering get fixed along the way.
- 02
Match the sequence fps and timecode
Pick 23.976, 24, 25 or 29.97 (drop or non-drop) and the timecode your sequence starts at.
- 03
Import into SubCap
Download the .txt, open SubCap in the Effect Editor and use Import Caption Data with the Avid DS type.
How do I import an SRT into Avid Media Composer?
In Media Composer, subtitles live in the SubCap effect, found in the Effect Palette under Generator. SubCap imports the Avid DS format (a .txt with timecodes) and EBU STL, but not SRT. So the first step is converting the file.
With the .txt ready, add an empty video track above the picture and drag SubCap onto it. Keep the track selected, enter Effect Mode and, in the Effect Editor, open Caption Files and click Import Caption Data. Choose the Avid DS Caption File (*.txt) type and your file. Every caption becomes a segment on the track at the timecode written in the file. Then set font, size, box and position on the first caption and apply it to the rest.
@ This file written with the Avid Caption plugin, version 1
<begin subtitles>
01:00:04:08 01:00:06:02
Turn with me to John 3:16.
01:00:06:10 01:00:09:00
For God so loved
the world
<end subtitles>Why do captions land in the wrong place in Avid?
SubCap places each caption at the timecode written in the file, and that is sequence timecode, not time from zero. A new Media Composer sequence starts at 01:00:00:00 by default, while an SRT starts at 00:00:00,000. Without adding that hour, captions fall an hour before the sequence and the importer has nowhere to put them. Here you enter the start timecode and it is added to every caption.
The frame rate must match the sequence too. SRT stores milliseconds; Avid counts frames. We convert each time to the nearest frame at the chosen rate. At 29.97 drop frame, the labels follow drop-frame counting, which skips numbers 00 and 01 at the start of each minute (except every tenth), so they keep pace with the clock.
| Time in the SRT | 25 fps (start 01:00:00:00) | 29.97 drop frame |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00:04,320 | 01:00:04:08 | 01:00:04:09 |
| 00:01:00,000 | 01:01:00:00 | 01:00:59:28 |
| 00:10:00,000 | 01:10:00:00 | 01:10:00:00 |
Overlaps and frames 2 and 7: the errors that break SubCap
Import Caption Data rejects overlapping captions, and that is the most common reason an import fails. Auto-generated SRTs often have a caption starting before the previous one ends. We trim the earlier caption to the start of the next, and the report shows how many were adjusted.
In 23.976 fps projects, editors report that Media Composer skips captions whose in or out timecode ends in frame 2 or 7 (02, 07, 12, 17 and 22). With the option on, which also covers 24 fps to be safe, we move those points by one frame, earlier when there is room, without creating overlaps. At 25 and 29.97 fps nothing changes.
What line length works for captions in Avid?
SubCap shows the line breaks from the file. A line that is too long runs past the safe area or forces a smaller font. A good limit for 16:9 video is 37 to 42 characters per line, two lines at most. For broadcast, follow the delivery spec of whoever receives the program.
The tool rewraps captions that go over the limit, balancing the two lines, and flags the ones that still do not fit, such as a very long word. The caption numbers in the warning help you find each one on the track.
- Up to 42 characters per line, 2 lines max
- No overlaps between captions
- Sequence timecode, not file time
- Same fps and drop frame as the sequence
More than an Avid converter. Subtitles straight from your video, word by word.
Frequently asked questions
Does Avid Media Composer import SRT?
Not directly into SubCap. The effect imports the Avid DS format (.txt) and EBU STL. Convert the SRT here, then use Import Caption Data in SubCap's Effect Editor and choose the Avid DS Caption File type.
Why does Import Caption Data fail?
The usual causes are overlapping captions, timecode outside the sequence (the file starts at 00:00:00:00 while the sequence starts at 01:00:00:00) and a frame number that does not exist at the rate, like frame 25 in a 25 fps sequence. This tool avoids all three.
Which frame rate should I choose?
The one your sequence uses. Film and series projects mostly run at 23.976. In the US, broadcast is usually 29.97. Check drop frame only if your sequence uses drop-frame timecode (shown with a semicolon).
Accents look broken in SubCap. What now?
Create the file again with Windows-1252 (ANSI) encoding. Older Media Composer versions expect it. Characters it lacks, like some symbols, become the plain letter or a question mark, and the report counts them.
Can I export Avid captions to SRT?
Yes. In SubCap's Effect Editor, Export Caption Data saves an Avid DS file. That format can be converted back to SRT with a subtitle editor that reads Avid DS.
Do SRT italics carry over?
No. The Avid DS format holds only timecode and text, so we remove italic, bold and color tags. The look is set in SubCap itself, for every caption at once.
Get your video's subtitles automatically. Then take them to Avid.
Upload the video or paste a YouTube link. We transcribe every word, you download the SRT and convert it here for SubCap.
See the result on your own recording before adding a card.