Free video to SRT converter
How to use it
- Choose an MP4 or MOV video (or MP3, M4A, WAV audio), up to 3 minutes and 25 MB.
- Wait while the speech is transcribed and timed word by word.
- Preview the cues, then download the SRT or VTT file and add it to your editor or video platform.
How the captions are built
Each word comes back from the speech model with its own start and end time. The tool groups words into cues using common caption conventions:
- Up to 42 characters per line and 2 lines per cue, with the break placed so the two lines are close in length.
- A new cue after the end of a sentence, and after a pause of more than about a second.
- Each cue stays on screen for at least about a second when the speech allows it, and no longer than 7 seconds.
- Cues never overlap, so players do not stack two captions on top of each other.
Where to use SRT and VTT files
YouTube lets you upload a caption file to a video in YouTube Studio, which gives viewers captions they can turn on and off. Most video editors can import an SRT as a caption track that you can then style and burn in. VTT is the format web video players use.
If you are not sure which one you need, download SRT. It is the most widely supported.
This tool or the subtitle generator?
Use this one for standard caption files: full lines, the way TV and YouTube captions look. Use the subtitle generator for punchy 2 to 3 word cues made for vertical shorts, where big words in the middle of the screen are easier to read at a glance.
Questions
Will the captions be burned into my video?
No. SRT and VTT are separate text files. Import them in your editor to burn them in, or upload them to a platform that supports caption files. ViralAri's editor can burn in styled, word-by-word captions when you export a checked draft.
Can I edit the file?
Yes. SRT and VTT are plain text. Open them in any text editor, fix a word, and keep the numbers and timestamps as they are.
Is my video stored?
No. It is sent to the speech model for this one request and is not written to disk, storage or a database.
Why 42 characters per line?
It is a common limit in caption style guides because lines that long still fit on most screens and can be read in the time a caption is shown. Shorter lines are fine; longer ones get hard to read.
Want captions styled and burned in? Check your draft free.
ViralAri adds styled, word-by-word captions on export, placed clear of each app's buttons, and lets you fix any word before you export.
More free tools
- Free, daily limitSubtitle generatorSRT and VTT files, short cues or full sentences.
- Free, daily limitVideo to transcriptA timestamped transcript of a clip up to 3 minutes.
- Free, instantSafe zone checkerOverlay each app's UI on your frame.