How to Make SRT Subtitles from a Video
Getting an SRT subtitle file out of a video you already have: transcribe, fix, export, then load it into your editor or player.
The Scriptorium team ·
Transcribe the video, correct the text, and export the transcript as SRT. audio to SRT does the first and last of those; you do the middle. The result is a plain-text file that most video editors and players can read.
The steps
- Upload the video or audio file to audio to SRT.
- Set the spoken language, then wait for the transcript.
- Play the video and fix wrong words in the editor. Names are the usual culprits.
- Choose SRT in the export menu and download the file.
- Add the .srt file in your video editor or player, and check the first and last few lines against the picture.
What is inside an SRT file
Each subtitle is a numbered block: a start time, an arrow, an end time, then one or two lines of text. It is just text, so you can open it in any editor to fix a typo, though fixing it in the transcript editor is easier because you can play the audio.
What this does not do
- It does not burn the subtitles into the picture. You add the file in an editor or player.
- It does not translate. The subtitles are in the language that was spoken.
- It does not guarantee timing is perfect on fast speech, overlapping voices or music under the speech. Watch those parts.
Line length and readability
Subtitle lines are read quickly, so shorter is better. Very long cues are worth splitting by hand in a subtitle editor if the transcript came back with a long sentence in one block. That is a style choice, not a technical requirement.