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Free SRT file generator from video

An SRT file is the most widely accepted subtitle format there is. YouTube, Vimeo, LinkedIn, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve and VLC all read it. AutoSub creates one from your video automatically, then lets you correct it before you download.

Open AutoSub free30 free minutes when you sign up. Works best in Chrome or Edge.

What an SRT file looks like

SRT is plain text, so you can open it in any editor. Each subtitle (a "cue") has a number, a time range and the text:

1
00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:03,900
Welcome back to the channel.

2
00:00:04,100 --> 00:00:07,450
Today we're looking at three ways
to speed up your editing.

Writing that by hand for a ten-minute video means hundreds of cues and a lot of pausing and rewinding. Automatic transcription produces the whole file in roughly the time it takes to upload the audio, and your job becomes proofreading.

How to generate an SRT

1. Open AutoSub. Go to autosub.isroot.in in Chrome or Edge. There is nothing to download, though you can install it as an app from the address bar if you'll use it often.
2. Pick the spoken language. Choose the language people speak in the recording, or leave it on auto-detect. Picking it explicitly helps with short clips and heavy accents.
3. Drop in your file. Drag your video or audio file onto the page (or click to browse). AutoSub decodes it in the browser and uploads only compressed, speech-only audio for transcription. Sign in when asked; new accounts get 30 free minutes.
4. Review and edit. The subtitles open in the editor. Click any line to jump the video to that moment, fix words, adjust start and end times, split or merge cues, and use find & replace for names the model misheard. Undo and redo cover every change.
5. Export SRT. Choose SRT from the export options and the file downloads straight away. Export VTT, ASS or TXT from the same transcript if you need other formats.

What makes a good SRT file

A transcript is not automatically a good subtitle file. A few things separate subtitles that are pleasant to watch from ones that are tiring:

• Reasonable cue length. Viewers need time to read. Very long cues should be split; very short flashes can be merged with a neighbour. The editor has split and merge buttons for exactly this.
• Accurate timing. Text should appear when the person starts speaking and disappear soon after they stop. You can edit start and end times directly on each cue.
• Correct spelling of names and terms. Use find & replace to fix a misheard product name across the whole file in one go.
• Two lines maximum. Most players display one or two lines comfortably. More than that covers the picture.

Other formats from the same transcript

If the platform you post to doesn't support subtitle files at all, you can also burn the subtitles into an MP4 from the same editor.

Why AutoSub instead of other SRT generators

• You keep the video. Many generators require uploading the full video. AutoSub decodes it in your browser and only sends compressed speech audio, which is deleted within 24 hours.
• A proper editor. You get timing controls, split/merge, insert/delete, undo/redo and click-to-seek instead of a single text box.
• Batch files. Queue several files instead of repeating the process one by one.
• Fair pricing. Around 1¢ a minute on Pro, or a $7 pack of 300 minutes that never expires if you only subtitle occasionally.

Frequently asked questions

What is an SRT file?

SRT (SubRip Text) is a plain-text subtitle format. Each cue has a number, a start and end time in hours:minutes:seconds,milliseconds, and one or two lines of text. Almost every video platform and editor can read it.

Can I generate an SRT from an audio file, not just video?

Yes. You can drop audio files such as podcast episodes or voice recordings as well as video. The SRT timings will line up with the original audio.

How do I use the SRT with my video?

On YouTube or Vimeo, upload it in the video's subtitles or captions settings. In a desktop player such as VLC, give the SRT the same file name as the video and put it in the same folder. Video editors such as Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve can import SRT as a captions track.

Should I export SRT or VTT?

Use SRT for most uploads and editing software. Use VTT (WebVTT) for web pages that use the HTML video element with a track tag. Both come from the same transcript, so you can export both.

How much does it cost?

New accounts get 30 free minutes of transcription. After that, Pro is $9.99 a month for 1,000 minutes, Pro Annual is $79.99 a year, or a 300-minute pack is $7 one-time and never expires. Exporting subtitle files doesn't use minutes.