Subtitle converter online SRT, VTT, TXT, SBV, ASS, TTML and CSV, with a report.
To convert a subtitle file, paste it or drop it in and pick the output format. We read SRT, VTT, SBV, ASS, SSA, TTML, DFXP, CSV, segment JSON and plain text, and write seven subtitle formats plus Word and PDF. Every result comes with a report of reading speed and characters per line, always in UTF-8.
Free, no sign-upSecond file
For example, the video name and the version up for approval.
This text has no timings. We will build subtitles from reading speed: each line or sentence becomes a block of up to 2 lines.
The JSON has a time for every word. We cut blocks of up to 2 lines of 42 characters, at sentence ends and pauses.
Subtitle report
- Subtitles
- Duration
- Words
- Average CPS
- Max CPS
- Flagged
| # | Time | Duration | Text | Characters per line | CPS | Flags |
|---|
How to convert your subtitles
- 01
Paste or drop the file
Any format on the list. We detect the format and the encoding for you, UTF-16 and Windows-1252 included.
- 02
Pick the output and cleanup
Seven subtitle formats, Word or PDF. Optionally, we fix overlaps and strip tags and sound descriptions like [Music].
- 03
Check the report and download
See each subtitle's duration, characters per line and CPS, then copy the result or download the file.
Which subtitle formats does the converter read and write?
Every subtitle format stores the same thing: some text, the time it appears and the time it leaves. What changes is the packaging, and each program wants its own. Video editors want SRT, web players want VTT, YouTube Studio hands you SBV, Aegisub works in ASS, and streaming platforms ask for TTML or DFXP.
The table shows what goes in, what comes out and where each format is usually used. When the target does not support something the source has, like a colored line or a caption placed at the top, each conversion page spells out what is lost and what is kept.
| Format | Reads | Writes | Used in |
|---|---|---|---|
| SRT | Yes | Yes | Premiere, DaVinci, Final Cut, CapCut, TVs |
| VTT | Yes | Yes | Web players, Vimeo, online courses |
| SBV | Yes | Yes | YouTube Studio downloads |
| ASS / SSA | Yes | ASS | Aegisub, VLC, mpv, styled subtitles |
| TTML / DFXP | Yes | TTML | Streaming and broadcast |
| CSV | Yes | Yes | Excel, Google Sheets, review |
| Segment JSON | Yes | No | Speech-to-text tool output |
| TXT | Yes | Yes | Documents, blogs, video descriptions |
| Word (.docx) | No | Yes | Subtitle review and sign-off |
| No | Yes | Printing and final versions |
The report: reading speed and characters per line
Converting only changes the packaging. The report tells you whether the subtitles can actually be read. For every block we measure the duration, the characters on each line and the characters per second (CPS), and flag anything past the references most used in TV and streaming. On top you get the subtitle count, duration, words and the average and maximum CPS.
Filter to flagged subtitles to jump straight to what needs work, and download the report as CSV for whoever reviews it. To change the limits, say 20 CPS for English or 37 characters per line, use the reading speed checker.
- Overlaps the next: still on screen when the next one comes in.
- Over 17 CPS: too fast to read comfortably.
- Line over 42 characters, or more than 2 lines in a block.
- Under 0.8 s or over 7 s on screen.
How to merge or split subtitle files
In Merge two files, paste the second file and choose how. One after the other is for a video that was captioned in two parts: the second file starts right after the first file's last subtitle, or at the time you type, like 00:45:10,000. Interleave by time puts both on the same clock, handy for combining dialogue and on-screen text done by different people.
In Split, cut the file at a point in time to match a video cut in two, with part 2 starting at 00:00:00. Or split every N subtitles to hand parts to different translators. A subtitle that crosses the cut stays in part 1 and ends at the cut.
In all three modes, the optional cleanup fixes overlaps and strips tags and sound descriptions, like [Music], (laughs) and lyrics marked with ♪. Those belong in captions for deaf and hard of hearing viewers and get in the way when you only want the spoken words.
part-1.srt (ends at 00:45:09,800)
412
00:45:07,100 --> 00:45:09,800
Let's take a short break.
part-2.srt, in the merged file
413
00:45:10,000 --> 00:45:12,400
Welcome back.How to turn a text file into an SRT with estimated timings
Paste text with no timings, like a script, and choose SRT or VTT. Each line or sentence becomes a block of up to 2 lines, 42 characters per line at most, and each block lasts as long as it takes to read (15 characters per second, which you can change). If the text already has a stamp at the start of each line, like [00:01:02], we use those times.
Estimated timings are a starting point, not the real speech. For the subtitles to match the audio, adjust them in your editor or generate the transcript from the video, with the real time of every word.
More than a subtitle converter. Subtitles straight from your video.
See also
Frequently asked questions
How do I merge two SRT files into one?
Choose Merge two files, paste or drop both and keep One after the other selected. The second file starts right after the first file's last subtitle, or at the time you type, and the numbering is redone. If both files cover the same video, use Interleave by time instead.
How do I split a subtitle file in two?
Choose Split, type the cut point, like 00:30:00, and download both parts. With the option on, part 2 starts at 00:00:00, which is what you need for a video cut at the same point. For parts of equal size, split every N subtitles instead.
How do I remove [Music] and (laughs) from subtitles?
Check Remove sound descriptions before converting. We remove anything in square brackets or parentheses, lines with ♪ and capitalized speaker names at the start of a line, like PASTOR:. Blocks left empty are dropped, and the status line tells you how many.
What does CPS mean in the report?
CPS is characters per second: how many letters, spaces included, a viewer has to read for each second the subtitle is on screen. Above 17 is usually too fast to read comfortably, although many English guides allow 20. To fix it, lengthen the subtitle, split the text or trim the sentence.
Why do my subtitles show broken accents?
Because the file was saved in another encoding, like Windows-1252 or UTF-16, and is being opened as UTF-8. You see "café" instead of "café". We detect the encoding when reading the file and always hand back UTF-8, which YouTube, editors and players read without errors.
Can I convert SRT to MP4?
No, because SRT is text and MP4 is video. For subtitles to show up inside the picture, they have to be burned into the video by an editor such as Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve or CapCut. In FilmScribe, video clips already come out as MP4 with captions burned in.
Does this tool create subtitles from a video?
No. It converts subtitles that already exist and creates estimated timings from text. To generate an SRT from the audio, with the real time of every line, the video has to be transcribed. Our guide How to create an SRT file covers the whole process.
Generate subtitles for your video automatically. As SRT, TXT or PDF.
Upload a video or paste a YouTube link. We transcribe it word by word and you download the SRT, the text as TXT or PDF, and captioned clips.
See the result on your own recording before adding a card.