Turn a script, transcript, or any plain text into a subtitle file. Paste text or open a .txt file, and the converter splits it into readable subtitles, times them at a natural reading speed, and writes an .srt you can load into YouTube, Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, VLC, and other players. If your text already has timestamps, it uses them.
Your text
SRT file
How to convert TXT to SRT
- Paste your script or transcript into the text box, or open a .txt file.
- Choose how to split the text. By sentence works for most scripts. Use One per line or By blank line if you’ve already broken the text into subtitles yourself.
- Pick a timing method, and set when the first subtitle should appear.
- Press play on the preview to watch the subtitles at real speed, then download the .srt file.
How the timing works
A plain text file has no timing, so the converter estimates it. Reading speed gives each subtitle enough time to be read comfortably, based on characters per second. The default of 17 matches the guideline many streaming services use for adult viewers. Short subtitles still stay on screen for a minimum time, and long ones are capped so they don’t linger.
Fixed length gives every subtitle the same duration. Fit to video spreads the subtitles across your video’s running time, giving longer lines more time than shorter ones. Either way, the subtitles are a starting point. For dialogue that has to match speech closely, load the file into your editor and nudge individual lines where needed.
Using a transcript that already has timestamps
If lines in your text start with a time, the converter uses those times instead of estimating. It recognizes the formats most transcripts use, including the ones YouTube, Zoom, and Otter export:
0:04 Welcome back to the channel. [00:01:12] Let's get started with the basics. 00:02:45.300 - Speaker 2: That's a great question. 1:05 - 1:09 A line with its own end time
Each subtitle stays on screen until the next timestamp, up to the longest-subtitle limit. Long passages under one timestamp are split into several subtitles within that time. You can also paste an existing .srt or .vtt file to clean it up, reflow the lines, or convert VTT to SRT.
What an SRT file looks like
An SRT file is plain text. Each subtitle has a number, a start and end time, and one or two lines of text, followed by a blank line:
1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,650 Cold brew takes about twelve hours, 2 00:00:02,730 --> 00:00:05,120 but almost all of that is waiting.
Times use hours, minutes, seconds, and milliseconds, with a comma before the milliseconds. The .vtt download is the same content in WebVTT format, which HTML5 video players and some platforms prefer.
Frequently asked questions
How many characters should a subtitle line have?
42 characters per line and two lines per subtitle is the most common standard, and it’s the default here. Go lower, around 32 to 37, for vertical video or small screens.
Where do I upload the SRT file?
On YouTube, open the video in YouTube Studio, choose Subtitles, then Add and Upload file, and pick With timing. In Premiere Pro, import the .srt and drag it onto the timeline. DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, Vimeo, and Facebook also accept .srt files, and VLC loads one automatically when it has the same name as the video.
Why are some subtitles marked as needing a look?
A subtitle is flagged when it’s shorter than the minimum time, faster to read than your characters-per-second setting, or has a line longer than your character limit. That usually happens with timestamped transcripts or Fit to video timing, where the time available is fixed.
Will accented characters and other languages work?
Yes. The file is saved as UTF-8, which supports every language. If an older player shows garbled characters, turn on the byte order mark option and download again.
Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything is processed in your browser, and nothing is sent to a server.