How to Use Translated Subtitle Files (SRT & VTT)

You Translated Your Subtitles, Now What?

So you used SubWiz to translate your subtitles into a new language. You downloaded a file ending in .srt or .vtt. Now you need to actually watch the video with those new subtitles, or get them onto the platform where your audience will see them.

This guide covers the most common platforms and how to use subtitle files on each one.

What Is an SRT File and How Do You Use It?

An SRT file, short for SubRip Subtitle, is a plain text file that contains subtitle text along with timing information. Each entry has a sequence number, a start and end timestamp, and the subtitle text itself. It is the most widely supported subtitle format in the world.

Here is what the inside of an SRT file looks like:

1
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,000
Hello world!

2
00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,000
This is a subtitle file.

You can open an SRT file in any text editor, including Notepad, TextEdit, or VS Code. You can edit the text directly if you spot a typo or want to adjust a line. The timestamps use hours, minutes, seconds, and milliseconds separated by commas.

To use an SRT file with a video, you either load it in a video player, upload it to a platform like YouTube, or import it into a video editor. The specifics depend on where you are watching or publishing.

What Is a VTT File and How Is It Different?

A VTT file, short for Web Video Text Tracks, is the HTML5 standard for subtitles. It looks similar to SRT but has a few differences. The header starts with WEBVTT, timestamps use periods instead of commas for milliseconds, and the format supports styling and positioning.

WEBVTT

00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:04.000 align:middle line:84%
Hello <b>world</b>!

VTT is the better choice for web-based video players. SRT is the better choice for maximum compatibility across desktop players and social media platforms. For most people, SRT is the safe default. If you are not sure which to use, start with SRT.

How Do I Watch a Video with Custom Subtitles on My Computer?

The easiest way to watch a movie with custom subtitles on a computer is using VLC Media Player. VLC is free, runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and supports virtually every video and subtitle format.

1. Open your video file in VLC.
2. In the top menu bar, click Subtitles, then Add Subtitle File.
3. Select your translated .srt or .vtt file from your computer.
4. The subtitles should appear immediately on the video.

There is a shortcut. If you name your subtitle file the exact same name as your video file and keep them in the same folder, VLC will load the subtitle automatically when you open the video. For example, if your video is movie.mp4, name your subtitle movie.srt and put both files in the same folder. Open the video in VLC and the subtitles are already there.

Other desktop players work similarly. IINA on Mac, MPV, and MPC-HC on Windows all support loading external subtitle files from their menus or through filename matching.

How Do I Add Translated Subtitles to YouTube?

Adding translated subtitles to YouTube is one of the best ways to grow your audience. A video with subtitles in five languages reaches far more viewers than one with English-only captions.

1. Go to YouTube Studio and sign in.
2. Select your video from the content list.
3. Click Subtitles in the left sidebar.
4. Click Add Language and choose your target language from the list.
5. Under the Subtitles section for that language, click Add, then Upload file.
6. Choose "With timing" when prompted. This means the file has timestamps and YouTube will sync it to your video automatically.
7. Select your .srt file from SubWiz and upload it.
8. Review the subtitles in the editor. YouTube will display them with the timing. You can make edits if needed.
9. Click Publish to make the subtitles live.

YouTube supports both SRT and VTT files for upload. SRT is more commonly used and works without issues. After publishing, viewers can select the subtitle language from the settings gear on the video player.

A practical tip: add subtitles in batches. Translate your most popular videos first and add two or three languages each. YouTube ranks videos with multiple subtitle languages higher in international search results.

How Do I Add Subtitles to Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok?

Social media platforms handle subtitles differently from YouTube. Most of them require you to burn subtitles into the video, meaning the text becomes part of the video image and cannot be turned off.

For Facebook:

1. Go to your video post and click Edit.
2. Upload an SRT file under the Subtitles section.
3. Facebook also auto-generates captions, but uploading your own gives better accuracy, especially in other languages.

For Instagram and TikTok: These platforms do not support external subtitle files. You need to burn the subtitles into the video before uploading. Use a tool like HandBrake (free) or your video editor to hardcode the text into the video.

For LinkedIn: LinkedIn supports SRT files for uploaded videos. When you upload a video to a post, click the caption icon and upload your SRT file.

How Do I Burn Subtitles Into a Video Permanently?

Burning in subtitles means the text is rendered directly onto the video frames. It cannot be toggled off. This is what you need for platforms that do not support external subtitle files, like Instagram and TikTok.

Using HandBrake (free, available on all platforms):

1. Open HandBrake and drag your video file in.
2. Go to the Subtitles tab.
3. Click Import Subtitle and select your .srt file.
4. Check the Burn In box.
5. Start the encoding. HandBrake will render the video with the subtitles permanently on screen.

Using Premiere Pro:

1. Import the .srt file into your project.
2. Drag it onto the timeline to create a caption track.
3. The subtitles will display on the program monitor.
4. When you export, the subtitles are part of the video if the caption track is visible during export.

Using ffmpeg (command line, free):

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf subtitles=subtitles.srt output.mp4

This burns the subtitles into the output video. It works on any system with ffmpeg installed.

How Do I Use Subtitle Files with Media Servers like Plex and Jellyfin?

If you run a home media server, you can add translated subtitle files alongside your video files. The server will detect them automatically and offer them in the subtitle picker during playback.

For Plex, name the subtitle file to match the video with a language code:

• Video: Avatar (2009).mp4
• Subtitle: Avatar (2009).es.srt

For Jellyfin, the same naming convention works:

• Video: BigBuckBunny.mp4
• Subtitle: BigBuckBunny.en.srt

Place the subtitle file in the same folder as the video and scan your library. The subtitle will show up in the playback controls under the subtitle or CC menu.

Should I Use SRT or VTT?

The choice depends on where you are using the file.

• SRT (SubRip): The most compatible format. Works with VLC, YouTube, Facebook, Plex, Jellyfin, Kodi, Premiere Pro, and almost everything else. Use this if you are not sure.
• VTT (WebVTT): Best for HTML5 web players, Vimeo, and custom web video players. Supports styling like bold and italics, text positioning, and cue settings.

For most people and most use cases, SRT is the right choice. Switch to VTT only if you are building a web-based video player or if your platform specifically requires it.

What If My Subtitles Are Out of Sync?

If the subtitles show up but the timing is off, the subtitle file was likely created for a different version of the video. Different releases can have different intro lengths, bonus content, or slightly different frame rates.

Quick fixes:

• In VLC, press the H key to delay subtitles by 50ms or the J key to advance them. This is a live adjustment during playback.
• In a text editor, you can shift all timestamps in the SRT file at once. Add or subtract the same amount from every timestamp.
• In SubWiz, the translation preserves your original timing, so if the original file was in sync, the translated file will be too.

Related Articles

• SRT vs VTT format comparison
• how to translate SRT files

Summary

Once you have a translated subtitle file, using it is straightforward. Load it in VLC for desktop viewing, upload it to YouTube for audience growth, or burn it in with HandBrake or ffmpeg for social media. SRT is the safe default format. If timing is off, use VLC's live adjustment keys or edit the timestamps in a text editor.

Need more translations? Start a new job on SubWiz today.