SRT File (SubRip Subtitle)
An SRT file is a simple text format for time-coded subtitles, widely supported across video editors, players, and streaming platforms.
An SRT file (SubRip Subtitle, .srt extension) is a simple text-based format for time-coded subtitles or captions. It's the most widely supported subtitle format in 2026 — supported by YouTube, Vimeo, VLC, every major video editor (Premiere, Final Cut, DaVinci, CapCut, Veed, Kapwing), and most streaming platforms. An SRT file consists of a series of entries, each containing: a sequential number, a start-end timestamp pair (in HH:MM:SS,mmm format), one or more lines of subtitle text, and a blank line separator. Example: `1` `00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,000` `Welcome to the video.` `2` `00:00:04,500 --> 00:00:08,000` `Today we will discuss three topics.` SRT files support plain text and a limited set of HTML tags (italic, bold, colour in some players). The format lacks advanced features like positioning, multi-line formatting, or per-word styling — for those, use WebVTT (.vtt) or TTML (.ttml). For simple subtitle distribution and maximum cross-platform compatibility, SRT is the default choice. Every major video tool can import, export, and edit SRT files.
How it works
SRT timestamps use a specific format: two-digit hour, two-digit minute, two-digit second, three-digit millisecond, separated by comma (not period, which some regional settings use). The arrow "-->" separates start and end times. Common issues: mixing up comma vs period for milliseconds (breaks parsing), incorrect UTF-8 encoding (breaks Indian-language subtitles — save as UTF-8 without BOM), overlapping timestamps (some players show both, some choose one), and line-break handling (each new line within an entry creates a visual line break in the displayed subtitle). SRT files are usually auto-generated by transcription tools (YouTube auto-captions can be downloaded as SRT, as can output from OpenAI Whisper, Rev, and similar). For Indian-language SRT files, UTF-8 encoding is essential — ASCII-encoded SRT files cannot contain Devanagari, Tamil, or other Indian scripts.
Examples
Typical SRT entry
Entry with sequence number, timestamp range, and multi-line text — the YouTube-compatible format most creators export.
Hindi SRT
Same format, just with Devanagari text in the subtitle lines — must be UTF-8 encoded. All major video editors accept Hindi SRT when saved with correct encoding.
Multi-language delivery
A creator publishes one video with 5 separate SRT files (English, Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Malayalam) so viewers can pick their language via YouTube's caption selector.
Why this matters for Indian-language TTS
SRT is how most creators move Indian-language subtitles between tools. UTF-8 encoding is critical for Indian scripts — legacy tools that default to ANSI encoding silently corrupt Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam text. VoisLabs' audio-to-video pipeline produces burned-in subtitles (part of the video), but SRT export is on the roadmap for compatibility with external video editing workflows.
Related terms
Captions
Captions are time-synchronised text displayed on video to represent spoken dialogue, sound effects, …
Closed Captions
Closed captions are subtitles stored in a separate track that viewers can toggle on or off, supporti…
Burned-in Subtitles
Burned-in subtitles are permanently rendered into the video image — always visible, can't be toggled…
Karaoke Subtitles
Karaoke subtitles highlight each word or syllable as it is spoken, similar to how song lyrics appear…
Learn more
Frequently Asked Questions
Does YouTube accept SRT files in Indian languages?
What's the difference between SRT and VTT?
How do I export an SRT file from VoisLabs?
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Start freeLast verified: 2026-04-21