Skip to main content

SRT Format Export

Export captions in SubRip (SRT) format - the most widely supported caption format.

What is SRT?

SubRip (.srt) is a simple, text-based caption format:

  • Most compatible: Works everywhere
  • Simple format: Easy to edit manually
  • Small file size: Text only
  • Universal support: All video players

SRT Format Example

1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,500
Welcome to our tutorial video

2
00:00:02,750 --> 00:00:05,000
Today we'll learn about captions

3
00:00:05,250 --> 00:00:08,000
Let's get started!

Format Structure

Each caption contains:

  1. Number: Sequential caption ID
  2. Timecode: Start --> End (HH:MM:SS,mmm)
  3. Text: Caption content (1-2 lines)
  4. Blank line: Separator

Exporting to SRT

From Caption Editor

  1. Click Export button
  2. Select SRT format
  3. Choose options:
    • Encoding (UTF-8 recommended)
    • Line endings (Windows/Mac/Unix)
  4. Click Download

Export Options

Character Encoding:

  • UTF-8 (recommended, supports all languages)
  • UTF-8 BOM (Windows compatibility)
  • ANSI (legacy, limited characters)

Line Endings:

  • Windows (CRLF) - Most compatible
  • Mac (CR) - macOS only
  • Unix (LF) - Linux/modern systems

SRT Limitations

What SRT Supports

✅ Basic text ✅ Timing ✅ Multi-line (2 lines) ✅ Position tags (limited)

What SRT Doesn't Support

❌ Text styling (bold, italic, color) ❌ Fonts ❌ Advanced positioning ❌ Metadata

For advanced features, use VTT or TTML.

SRT Position Tags

Limited positioning with tags:

{\an8}Top center caption

{\an2}Bottom center caption (default)

{\an1}Bottom left
{\an3}Bottom right

Common Uses

Video Platforms

  • YouTube
  • Vimeo
  • Facebook
  • Twitter/X
  • TikTok

Video Players

  • VLC
  • Windows Media Player
  • QuickTime
  • MPC-HC
  • mpv

Video Editors

  • Adobe Premiere
  • Final Cut Pro
  • DaVinci Resolve
  • iMovie

Best Practices

Encoding

Always use UTF-8 for:

  • International characters
  • Special symbols
  • Emoji support

Timing Precision

SRT uses milliseconds:

  • 00:00:01,500 = 1.5 seconds
  • Always three decimal places
  • No spaces around comma

File Naming

Match video filename:

my-video.mp4
my-video.srt

Or include language:

my-video.en.srt
my-video.es.srt

Editing SRT Files

SRT is plain text - editable in any text editor:

Manual Editing

1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,500
Welcome to our tutorial

# Edit text:
Welcome to our comprehensive tutorial

Find & Replace

Use text editor to:

  • Fix spelling errors
  • Update terminology
  • Adjust timing globally

Common Issues

Problem: Broken formatting

# Wrong (missing blank line)
1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,500
Text here
2
00:00:02,500 --> 00:00:05,000
More text

# Correct
1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,500
Text here

2
00:00:02,500 --> 00:00:05,000
More text

SRT Validation

Check Your SRT File

Before using, verify:

  • Sequential numbering (1, 2, 3...)
  • Valid timecodes
  • Blank lines between captions
  • UTF-8 encoding

Online Validators

  • Subtitle Edit
  • SubtitleTools.com
  • Captionhub

Next Steps


SRT is the safest choice for maximum compatibility!