How to Open an SRT File (Read It or Watch With It)

An SRT file (.srt) is a plain-text subtitle file: numbered lines of dialogue with start and end times. To read or edit it, open it in any text editor, such as Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on a Mac. To watch the subtitles with a video, load the SRT in a video player such as VLC, or give it the same name as the video and put both in one folder. Double-clicking an SRT on its own doesn't play anything, because there's no video in it.

More on this topic: Subtitles and captions, every guide in one place.

Here's how to open one on each device, what to do when the text is garbled, and how to use an SRT on YouTube or a website.

The short answer

To read or edit an SRT: open it in Notepad (Windows), TextEdit in plain-text mode (Mac) or any code editor. To watch it with a video: in VLC, choose Subtitle > Add Subtitle File, or name the SRT exactly like the video (movie.mp4 and movie.srt) in the same folder so players load it automatically. To publish it: upload it in YouTube Studio's Subtitles section, or convert it to VTT for a website player. Save it as UTF-8 if characters look garbled.

Key takeaways

• SRT = plain text: number, start --> end time, text, blank line.
• Text editors open it to read; video players open it to show subtitles over a video.
• Same file name as the video, in the same folder, is the easiest way to make a player load it.
• Garbled accents or symbols mean the wrong text encoding: save as UTF-8.
• Websites use VTT; YouTube takes SRT directly.

What is an SRT file?

An SRT file is a SubRip subtitle file: a plain-text list of numbered cues, each with a start and end time and the text to show. It's the most widely supported subtitle format, accepted by YouTube, most video players, editors and social platforms. A cue looks like this:

Times use a comma before the milliseconds (00:00:03,500). The file holds no video or audio, only text and timing. For how SRT compares with the web format, see SRT vs VTT.

How do you open an SRT file to read or edit it?

You open an SRT file to read or edit it in a plain-text editor:

Don't edit SRTs in Word or Pages: they add hidden formatting and can save a different file type. Keep the structure exactly (number, timing line, text, blank line) or players may skip cues. To edit timings safely, use a subtitle editor; how to edit an SRT file covers both text and timing. Want just the words without timings? The free SRT to text converter turns an SRT into a clean transcript.

How do you watch a video with an SRT file?

You watch a video with an SRT file by loading it into a video player alongside the video. Two ways work in most players:

1. Automatic: rename the SRT to match the video exactly, except for the extension (holiday.mp4 and holiday.srt), and put both in the same folder. VLC and many other players and TVs load it automatically.
2. Manual: open the video, then add the subtitle file. In VLC: Subtitle > Add Subtitle File, or drag the SRT onto the playing video.

If the subtitles don't appear in VLC, VLC subtitles not showing has the fixes. To make subtitles part of the picture so they show everywhere, burn them in: how to add subtitles to an MP4 permanently.

How do you use an SRT file on YouTube or a website?

On YouTube, upload the SRT in YouTube Studio: open the video, go to Subtitles, choose the language, then Add > Upload file > With timing. YouTube lists SRT among its supported subtitle formats. How to add subtitles to a YouTube video walks through it.

On your own website, the HTML <video> element uses WebVTT (.vtt), not SRT. Convert with the free SRT to VTT converter, then add it as a <track>. For social platforms that don't accept subtitle files, burn the captions into the video instead.

Why does my SRT file show strange characters?

Strange characters (é, ’, boxes or question marks) mean the file is being read with the wrong text encoding. Most players expect UTF-8; older SRTs, especially in languages with accents or non-Latin scripts, are sometimes saved in a legacy encoding such as Windows-1252 or Windows-1256.

How do you create or edit an SRT file if you don't have one?

You create an SRT file by typing it in the format above in a text editor and saving it with the .srt extension, by pasting a script into a converter that adds timings, or by generating it from the video's audio. Which to pick depends on what you have:

When you save a new file in Notepad, set Save as type to All files and the name to something.srt, or Windows may add .txt to the end. On a Mac, use TextEdit's plain-text mode. Check that lines aren't too long to read in time with the free subtitle reading speed checker.

What if the subtitles are out of sync or in the wrong format?

If the subtitles appear early or late by the same amount throughout, shift every time with the free subtitle time shifter; if they drift further apart as the video plays, stretch them between two sync points with the same tool. How to fix out-of-sync subtitles explains how to tell which. If your file is .ass or .ssa rather than .srt, convert it with the free ASS to SRT converter.

Don't have subtitles yet? QuickVeed's auto subtitles transcribe the video and export SRT, VTT or plain text in 32 languages, from 2 credits for a 1-minute video.

Frequently asked questions

What program opens SRT files?

Any text editor (Notepad, TextEdit, VS Code) to read it, and video players such as VLC to show it with a video.

How do I open an SRT file with a video?

Name it exactly like the video and keep both in one folder, or add it in the player (VLC: Subtitle > Add Subtitle File).

Can I open an SRT file on iPhone?

You can preview the text in Files. To watch it with a video, use a player app such as VLC.

Why does double-clicking an SRT do nothing?

There's no video in it. Open it in a text editor, or load it in a video player with the matching video.

How do I convert SRT to VTT?

Change the header and time format, or use a free SRT to VTT converter.

Can I edit an SRT in Word?

It's not a good idea; Word can add formatting and save a different file type. Use a plain-text editor.

Try it with your own video

Make accurate SRT files from your videos and translate them into 32 languages. Upload a video, check the transcript line by line, and export SRT or VTT. QuickVeed plans start at $18/month, and new accounts get a 14-day trial with 250 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.

• VideoLAN wiki: subtitles in VLC (formats, encoding, loading a file)
• YouTube Help: supported subtitle and closed caption files