Subtitle Converter

What it does

Reads SubRip (.srt) or WebVTT (.vtt) subtitles and writes them out in the other format, keeping every timing to the millisecond — or turns them into a plain-text transcript: subtitle numbers and timing lines removed, the short broken lines of each subtitle joined into sentences, and an optional [mm:ss] marker every so often so you can still find your place.

What you'll need

• An .srt or .vtt subtitle file — exported from your video editor or transcription service — or its text pasted in.

Steps

1. Drop the file on the box, tap it to choose one, or paste the subtitles into the text area. The format is detected for you.
2. Pick what you want out: WebVTT, SRT, or a plain-text transcript (with or without timestamps).
3. Copy the result or download it as a file.

Reading the result

For a format conversion, the timings are copied exactly; only the separators change (SRT writes 00:00:01,000, WebVTT 00:00:01.000) and SRT's cue numbers are added or removed. Bold, italic and underline tags are kept because both formats support them; other styling tags are dropped and their text kept. For a transcript, a new paragraph starts after a pause of two seconds or more, when a WebVTT voice tag changes speaker, and wherever a timestamp marker goes.

Tips

• A transcript makes good raw material for show notes and blog posts — it's searchable text, where subtitles are not.
• Auto-generated captions often repeat the previous line at the start of the next subtitle; the transcript drops those repeats.
• If a block is reported as skipped, its timing line is malformed — fix that one line in the original and convert again.

What are SRT and VTT files?

Both are plain-text subtitle files: each subtitle is a start time, an end time and one or two lines of text. SubRip (.srt) is the older, simpler format — every subtitle is numbered and the milliseconds are written after a comma. WebVTT (.vtt) is the web's standard: it starts with a WEBVTT line, uses a full stop before the milliseconds, and can carry extras like speaker (voice) tags, positioning and comments.

Most video platforms and editors accept one or both. When a tool only takes one, converting is a matter of rewriting those timing lines and the header — which is what this converter does, without touching the timings themselves.

Why creators use it

Subtitle files end up in the wrong format all the time — a transcription service exports SRT, a web player wants VTT, an editor wants the other one back. And the transcript is the other half: the words of an episode as readable text, for show notes, a blog post, quotes or accessibility, without retyping anything.

Common mistakes

• Renaming .srt to .vtt. changing the extension doesn't change the content — a VTT file needs the WEBVTT header and full stops before the milliseconds, or players reject it.
• Editing timings by hand. one slip (00:01:5,000 instead of 00:01:05,000) and that subtitle disappears; the converter reports any block it couldn't read instead of guessing.
• Publishing a raw caption dump as show notes. subtitles are broken into 2-line chunks for the screen. Convert to a transcript first, so it reads as sentences.

FAQ

Are the timings changed when I convert?

No. Every start and end time is carried over to the millisecond; only the way it's written changes (a comma in SRT, a full stop in WebVTT).

What happens to styling and speaker names?

Bold, italic and underline are kept. Other tags (font colours, WebVTT classes and voice tags) are removed and their text kept. In a transcript, a WebVTT voice tag becomes the speaker's name at the start of their paragraph.

Can I keep timestamps in the transcript?

Yes — tick 'Keep a [mm:ss] timestamp' and choose how often. A marker goes at the start of a paragraph, at most once in each interval you pick.

Is my file uploaded?

No. It's read and converted by your browser; nothing is sent to a server or stored.