Video to SRT converter
Upload an MP4, a MOV or a screen recording and download an SRT caption file timed to the video. Add it on YouTube, in your editor or in VLC. A free account covers 60 minutes.
Upload a video file
Click to upload or drag and drop
MP4, MOV, WEBM, MKV and more · Free: 60 min / 100MB per file · Pro: 5 hours / 2GB per file
How to create an SRT file from MP4
- Upload the MP4 above. MOV, WEBM and MKV work the same way. Nothing to extract first.
- Wait for the transcript. Minutes are counted from the length of the video, not its resolution.
- Open the Download menu and choose SRT subtitles, or VTT for a web player.
- Add the file to your video on the platform or in your editor.
SRT greyed out? The transcript has no valid timing data. Locked previews cannot export subtitles either.
SRT or VTT: same captions, two formats
Both downloads hold the same numbered cues. SRT puts a comma before the milliseconds. VTT adds a WEBVTT line at the top and uses a period. Pick SRT for YouTube and video editors, VTT for an HTML video player. This sample runs through the same export code as your download. The wording is a made-up tutorial intro; the layout and timecodes are exactly what you get.
SRT file
1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:03,960 In this video I'll show you how to set up your first project. 2 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:08,100 Open the dashboard and click New project in the top right corner. 3 00:00:08,100 --> 00:00:11,640 Give it a name, pick a template, and you're ready to go.
VTT file
WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:03.960 In this video I'll show you how to set up your first project. 2 00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:08.100 Open the dashboard and click New project in the top right corner. 3 00:00:08.100 --> 00:00:11.640 Give it a name, pick a template, and you're ready to go.
One cue per transcript segment. Times count from the first frame of the file you upload, so transcribe the final cut. Try it with your video.
Will my video fit the upload limit?
The 100MB free limit counts the whole file, and the picture is most of it. A short phone video can be too big while an hour of its audio fits.
| Recording | Size per minute | Fits in 100MB |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p phone video | about 120 MB | under 1 minute |
| 720p video | about 38 MB | about 2 to 3 minutes |
| Screen recording | about 15 MB | about 6 minutes |
| Its audio only (M4A or MP3, 128 kbps) | about 1 MB | the full 60 minutes |
Rough estimates in decimal MB. Bitrates vary by device and settings, so check your actual file.
Too big? Upload the audio track
Captions only need the sound. Export the full audio of the video as M4A or MP3 and upload that with audio to SRT. Do not trim it: the cues only match the picture if the audio starts where the video does. Or use Pro, at $9.99/month, for files up to 2GB.
Screen recordings to SRT
Demos, lessons and walkthroughs are smaller per minute than camera footage. A Mac recording saves as MOV and a browser recorder often as WEBM. Upload either as it is.
Add the SRT file to your video
- YouTube. In YouTube Studio, add the SRT as a subtitle file for the video. Viewers can turn captions on or off.
- Vimeo and LinkedIn. Both take SRT caption files for videos you upload there.
- Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro. Import the SRT as a captions track. Restyle, split or burn it into the picture there.
- A web page. HTML video players use the VTT download.
Upload steps and caption rules change. Check the help pages of the platform or editor you use.
Before you publish, watch the video with captions on. Check names, numbers and technical terms.
Free minutes and Pro
- Free: 60 transcription minutes for the lifetime of your account, files up to 60 minutes and 100MB.
- Pro, at $9.99/month: 10 transcription hours a month, files up to 5 hours and 2GB.
See pricing or how free minutes work.
What it won't do
- Style captions or set their position.
- Add speaker names to the cues.
- Translate. The captions are in the language spoken.
- Read on-screen text, or open a video link.
Need a transcript to read instead? See video to text or MP4 to text. Already have captions and want the words? Convert SRT to text.
Video to SRT questions
Is SRT a video format?
Is SRT a video format?
No. An SRT file is a plain text caption file that sits next to your video. It holds numbered cues, each with a start --> end time and the words shown on screen. YouTube, Vimeo, LinkedIn, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro and VLC all accept it.
Will the timestamps match my video?
Will the timestamps match my video?
Yes, if you upload the final cut. Cue times count from the first frame of the file you upload. Trim or add an intro afterwards and every cue shifts by that length.
How do I add an SRT file to YouTube?
How do I add an SRT file to YouTube?
Open the video in YouTube Studio, go to its subtitles and upload the SRT as a subtitle file with timing. YouTube changes its menus from time to time, so check its help page if the steps look different.
How to extract SRT from a video?
How to extract SRT from a video?
It depends on what the video holds. If the speech has no subtitles yet, upload the video here and download the SRT that Transcriv writes from the audio. If the file already carries a subtitle track, Transcriv does not read it: it transcribes the speech again. Captions burned into the picture are not read either.
How can I convert a video to SRT for free?
How can I convert a video to SRT for free?
Use the 60 free transcription minutes that come with a free account. They are for the lifetime of the account and do not reset. Each file can be up to 60 minutes and 100MB, so a long video may need its audio uploaded instead.
Can I generate subtitles from a video automatically?
Can I generate subtitles from a video automatically?
Yes. Upload the video and the speech is transcribed, then each transcript segment becomes one timed cue. Download SRT or VTT when the transcript has valid timing, and read it through before you publish.
How do I make an SRT file?
How do I make an SRT file?
By hand, type each cue in a text editor: a number, a start --> end timecode, the words, then a blank line. Save it with the .srt extension. Faster: upload the video here and the cues and times are written for you.
How do I open an SRT file with an MP4?
How do I open an SRT file with an MP4?
In VLC, give the SRT the same name as the MP4 and keep both in one folder, and it usually loads on its own. Or open the video and use Subtitle, then Add Subtitle File. The SRT stays a separate file; it is not merged into the MP4.
Can I convert a YouTube video to SRT?
Can I convert a YouTube video to SRT?
Not from a link. Transcriv only works with files you upload. If you own the video or have permission, save it as a file, then upload it.
Can I get word-by-word subtitles?
Can I get word-by-word subtitles?
No. Each cue is one transcript segment, not one word. There are no settings for cue length or line breaks. Split cues in your video editor if your format needs short captions.
Can Transcriv add the subtitles to my video permanently?
Can Transcriv add the subtitles to my video permanently?
No. You get a separate SRT or VTT file, not a new video. Burning captions into the picture is done in your video editor.
Can I convert several videos at once?
Can I convert several videos at once?
No. Upload one video at a time. Each one gets its own transcript and its own SRT.
Why is the SRT download unavailable?
Why is the SRT download unavailable?
SRT and VTT need valid timing for every segment. If the transcript has none, the subtitle options are greyed out, while the text downloads still work. Locked previews cannot export SRT or VTT.
Turn your video into an SRT file
60 free transcription minutes for the lifetime of your account.