Ijharul Islam
To make an SRT file, open a plain-text editor, write each subtitle as a numbered block with a start and end time in the format 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,500 followed by the text, separate the blocks with a blank line, and save the file as UTF-8 with the .srt extension. You can do it by hand, convert a script into one, or generate one automatically from the video's audio.
Writing one by hand is fine for a 30-second clip. For anything longer, a tool saves hours. This guide shows the format, all three methods and the checks to run before you upload.
The short answer
An SRT file is a plain-text file of numbered cues. Each cue has a number, a timing line like 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,500, one or two lines of text, and a blank line after it. Write it in Notepad or TextEdit (plain text mode), save it as UTF-8 with a .srt extension, or generate it automatically by transcribing the video.
Key takeaways
- The timing format is hours:minutes:seconds,milliseconds, with a comma before the milliseconds.
- Number cues from 1 in order and put one blank line between cues.
- Save as plain UTF-8 text with the .srt extension, not as .txt or .rtf.
- Automatic transcription is the fastest way for anything longer than a minute; just proofread it.
Disclosure: we make QuickVeed and show how to do this in it, along with other ways. Details about other products come from their public pages, checked in October 2026 and linked at the end.
The SRT format, explained
Here is a complete, valid SRT file with three cues:
100:00:00,500 --> 00:00:02,800Hi, I'm Sam from the support team.200:00:03,000 --> 00:00:06,400In this video I'll show you how toreset your password in under a minute.300:00:06,600 --> 00:00:08,900Let's start on the login page.
| Part | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Cue number | Whole numbers from 1, in order, on their own line | 2 |
| Timing line | Start --> end, as HH:MM:SS,mmm, with a space either side of the arrow | 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:06,400 |
| Text | One or two lines; keep each line to about 42 characters | reset your password in under a minute. |
| Separator | One blank line after each cue | (empty line) |
| Encoding | UTF-8, so accents and non-Latin scripts display correctly | Café, ¿Qué tal?, مرحبا |
Times must always include hours, even for short clips, and a comma, not a period, before the three-digit milliseconds. Each cue's end time should be before or equal to the next cue's start. Most players accept simple tags such as <i> for italics, but YouTube's help page says it supports only basic SRT without styling markup, so plain text is safest.
How to make an SRT file by hand
- Open a plain-text editor: Notepad on Windows, or TextEdit on a Mac switched to plain text (Format, then Make Plain Text). Word processors add hidden formatting, so don't use Word or Google Docs directly.
- Play the video in a player that shows times to the millisecond or at least the second, and pause at the start of each line.
- Write the cue number, the timing line and the text, then a blank line. Repeat for each line of speech.
- Keep each cue on screen long enough to read: at least about a second, and no more than about 7 seconds. Split long sentences across cues at natural pauses.
- Save the file with a name like
video.en.srt. In the save dialog choose UTF-8 encoding and make sure the editor doesn't add .txt to the end. - Load it in a player with the video to check the timing.
Expect to spend several minutes per minute of video doing this by hand, more if the speech is fast. It's worth it only for very short clips or when you have no tools at all.
How to make an SRT file from a script or transcript
If you already have the words, for example the script you read from, you only need timing. Our free text to SRT converter splits your text into caption-sized cues at sentences and clauses and times each cue from a speaking speed (150 words a minute by default). It runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
The catch: those times are estimates, not synced to the real audio. They work well for a narrated video read at an even pace, and less well for conversation with pauses. After converting, load the file with the video and nudge any cues that drift. Our free subtitle time shifter can move all cues at once if the whole file starts early or late.
YouTube also offers auto-sync: you paste a transcript in YouTube Studio and it times the text to your video. YouTube advises against it for videos over an hour or with poor audio. You can then download the result.
How to make an SRT file automatically from a video
The fastest way to make an SRT for any real-length video is to transcribe the audio with speech recognition. The tool listens to the video, writes the words and sets every cue's start and end from the speech, so the file is in sync from the start. You then proofread and export.
In QuickVeed
- Open Captions & subtitles and upload your video (up to 3 hours) or pick one from your library.
- Press Transcribe. It takes about a minute per 10 minutes of video.
- On the Edit tab, read through and fix names, numbers and any misheard words. Click a time to jump the video to that line. Press Save changes.
- On the Download tab, download the SRT (or VTT or TXT). Optionally translate it first into any of 32 languages and download an SRT per language.
Transcription uses OpenAI's whisper-1 model and costs 1.5 credits a minute, rounded up: 2 credits for 1 minute, 15 for 10 minutes, 90 for an hour. New accounts get a 14-day trial with 75 credits, no card needed.
Other options: many video editors (Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut) have auto captions that can export SRT, and YouTube creates automatic captions you can review in Studio. Whichever you use, always proofread before publishing.
How to split text into good SRT cues
Valid timing isn't enough; the cues also have to be easy to read. These rules, used in some form by most professional subtitlers, make a file look professional:
- One or two lines per cue. Never three. If a sentence needs more, split it across cues.
- About 42 characters per line at most for landscape video, fewer for vertical video where the screen is narrow.
- Break at natural points. Split after punctuation or before words like and, but, because, to or with. Don't split a name, an article from its noun, or a verb from its helper ("will / go").
- Keep the bottom line longer when you split a cue into two lines; it's easier to read than a long top line over a short bottom one.
- Start each cue as the speech starts and end it shortly after the speech ends, but never overlap the next cue.
- Leave a tiny gap between cues (a couple of frames) so the eye notices that the text changed.
- Match the speech, lightly cleaned. You can drop ums, false starts and repeated words, but keep the meaning and the speaker's way of talking.
- Respect reading speed. If a cue has more text than people can read in its time on screen, shorten the text or join it with a neighbouring pause. Our guide to subtitle reading speed gives the numbers.
A short example: the sentence "In this video I'll show you how to reset your password in under a minute" is 72 characters, too long for one line. Split it after "how to" into two lines of 34 and 38 characters, as in cue 2 above, and give it at least three or four seconds on screen.
If two people talk in the same cue, many style guides put each speaker on their own line starting with a hyphen. For captions aimed at deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers, add important sounds in square brackets, such as [door slams] or [music].
Check your SRT file before you upload it
- Open it in a plain-text editor: the first line should be 1, timing lines should use commas, and there should be one blank line between cues.
- Count the cues: the last cue number should equal the number of cues.
- Play it with the video and spot-check the start, middle and end.
- Run it through a subtitle reading speed checker to catch cues that are too fast, too long or overlapping.
- Need VTT for a website? Convert it with the SRT to VTT converter. Not sure which you need? Read SRT vs VTT.
Frequently asked questions
What is an SRT file?
An SRT (SubRip) file is a plain-text subtitle file. It lists numbered cues, each with a start and end time and the text to show, and almost every video player, editor and platform can read it.
Can I make an SRT file in Notepad?
Yes. Type the cues in the SRT format, then save with the encoding set to UTF-8 and a file name ending in .srt. Choose All files as the type so Notepad doesn't add .txt.
How do I make an SRT file on a Mac?
Use TextEdit in plain-text mode (Format, then Make Plain Text), type the cues and save with a .srt extension and UTF-8 encoding. Or generate one automatically with a transcription tool.
How do I add an SRT file to a video?
Upload it as a subtitle track (for example in YouTube Studio under Subtitles), load it alongside the video in your player, or burn it into the video with a tool like HandBrake or FFmpeg.
Why isn't my SRT file working?
Common causes are a period instead of a comma in timestamps, missing blank lines between cues, the file saved as .txt or .rtf, or a non-UTF-8 encoding that garbles accented letters.
Try it with your own video
Upload a video and download a ready-to-use SRT file. Upload a video, pick a caption style, and judge the subtitles for yourself. QuickVeed plans start at $18/month, and new accounts get a 14-day trial with 75 credits, no card needed. Sign up or see pricing.
Sources
Competitor details in this post were checked against these public pages in October 2026. Products and prices change, so confirm with each vendor before you decide.
