What is an SRT file?

Defining an SRT file

An SRT file is a digital subtitle file that allows you to display text in the form of subtitles on a video.

The file format SRT (SubRip Text) is a very common subtitling format, recognized by many video players, editing software, and streaming sites.

SRT files contain subtitle text with timstamps showing when subtitles appear and disappear on the video.

Characteristics of an SRT file

File extension

The SRT file extension is “.srt”. This makes it easy to identify that it is a file in SubRip format.

Encoding

SRT files generally use UTF-8 character encoding to support all accents and alphabets.

Contents of the file

Here are the items in an SRT subtitle file:

• Subtitle number : each subtitle is numbered from 1 to N
• Timstamps : start and end time of displaying the subtitle
• Text : literal text of the subtitle as it should appear
• Blank lines : to separate each subtitle

SRT file example

Here is an example of a few lines from a subtitle file in SRT format:

Copy code

1
00:00:10,500 --> 00:00:13,000
This SRT file contains the text
video subtitles.

2
00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:18,000
Each subtitle is numbered and
delimited by timstamps.

3
00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:25,000
Blank lines allow you to
separate the different subtitles.

Advantages of the SRT format

SRT files have several advantages:

• Simple, compact and lightweight text format
• Native support by numerous video players and sites
• Easy editing with a simple text editor
• Allows you to create subtitles in any language
• Compatible with all video types and codecs
• Free, open source, and cross-platform

So SRT files are very flexible and universal. They adapt to numerous subtitling uses.

Main uses

In particular, SRT subtitle files are used to:

Subtitle online videos

On YouTube, Vimeo, or Dailymotion, you can upload an SRT file to add subtitles to your uploaded videos.

We made a video on the subject:

Translating movies and series

Translators often use SRT files from the original version to create translated subtitles.

Accessibility of video content

SRT files are essential for making video content accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Language learning

With video in one language and SRT subtitles in another, it's easier to learn a language.

Subtitle download

Many sites offer subtitles in SRT to download for movies, series and anime.

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How to create your own SRT file

With Capte, you will be able to easily create your SRT file.
It only takes a few minutes and it's completely free with our 14 day trial!

Over here to try !

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Conclusion

Thanks to its flexibility and widespread adoption, the SRT file format is becoming the standard for digital subtitles.

Simple text files, SRTs allow you to easily subtitle all kinds of videos and are compatible with most players and software.

To add subtitles to your video content, think of SRT files!

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