Quick answer

How do I make SRT subtitles for free?

Upload the video or audio to a tool that exports SRT, check the lines against the video, and download the .srt file. TryScriptorium makes SRT and VTT from a file with no account (one file up to 15 minutes and 25 MB, 3 tries a day, no account) and adds no watermark, because it outputs a text file, not a video. Video editors such as VEED and Kapwing watermark free video exports.

Updated 2026-10-25

The comparison

Tool	SRT file for free?	Watermark	Free limit it states
TryScriptorium	Yes, SRT and VTT	None: it makes a text file	One file up to 15 minutes and 25 MB, 3 tries a day, no account
Riverside free tool	Yes, TXT and SRT, no sign-up	None stated	No usage cap stated; MP3, WAV, MP4, MOV; one speaker for multi-speaker audio
Kapwing	Its page says subtitles download separately as SRT, VTT or TXT	Free video exports are watermarked	Exports up to 4 minutes; auto-subtitling up to 10 minutes; whether sign-in is needed is not clear on its pages
VEED	SRT, VTT and TXT need an upgrade	Free video export is watermarked	Try without signing up; sign up to download
Maestra	Sign up to export	Not stated	A 1-minute file trial
Subtitle Edit	It edits subtitle files; its page does not describe making them from speech	None: it is software you install	Free, open source (MIT), offline; its repository lists Windows, macOS and Linux

Read on 2026-10-25 from each tool's own page (sources below).

Steps with TryScriptorium

Upload the video or audio. Drop the file on audio or video to SRT. One file up to 15 minutes and 25 MB, 3 tries a day, no account.
Set the spoken language. Choose it, or leave automatic detection on. The subtitles are in the language that is spoken; they are not translated.
Check the lines. Read the text with the video playing. Fix names and numbers; keep each line to one or two short rows.
Download SRT. Choose SRT from the download list. Choose VTT instead if the file is for a web video player.
Load it. In VLC use Subtitle > Add Subtitle File; in an editor or on YouTube, use the subtitle upload option. If Arabic letters look broken, open the file as UTF-8.

Check before you publish

Timing: lines follow the speech segments, not frame-exact timing. Move a line in your editor if it appears early or late.
Line length: two short lines at most reads comfortably on screen.
Encoding: save as UTF-8, especially for Arabic, Hindi and other non-Latin scripts.
Names and numbers: automatic text gets these wrong most often.

Related free tools that run in your browser: SRT to VTT, subtitle time shifter, SRT to text. Longer background: SRT vs VTT.

Sources

Every row about another product was read on that product's own page on 2026-10-25. Prices and limits change; confirm on their site before you rely on them. We make TryScriptorium, so read our claims with that in mind.

Questions

Can I make an SRT file for free without a watermark?

Yes. A text subtitle file has no watermark. TryScriptorium and Riverside's free tool both produce SRT; free video editors watermark the exported video, not the SRT.

What is the difference between SRT and VTT?

Both are text with timestamps. SRT is the more widely accepted file in video editors; VTT is the format web players use. TryScriptorium exports both from the same transcript.

Does it translate the subtitles?

No. The subtitles are in the language spoken in the video. Translation is a separate step.

Does it burn the subtitles into the video?

No. It produces the SRT file; you add it in a player or editor.

Is the transcript always right?

No. It is an automatic draft, and no accuracy percentage is promised. Noise, overlapping voices, accents and technical terms cause mistakes, so read it against the audio before you rely on names, numbers or quotes.

Is TryScriptorium free?

Yes, to try: one file up to 15 minutes and 25 MB, 3 tries a day, no account. A free account keeps transcripts in a library and has its own monthly allowance; see the pricing page.

Try it with your own file

Upload a recording and read the transcript.

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