Free tool
Subtitle converter
Drop any caption file into this subtitle converter to turn it into SRT, VTT, SBV, ASS or plain text in your browser: it reads SSA scripts and meeting transcripts too, and keeps every caption’s times.
- Free
- No sign-up
- Nothing is uploaded
Nothing is uploaded: your browser reads the file.
No subtitle file to start from? NoteOwl transcribes audio and video on your Mac, unlimited, and saves each transcript as an SRT file with the speakers labelled.
How it works
How do you convert a subtitle file?
Drop the file on the converter, or paste its text. It works out the format by itself, so you only choose what you want: SRT, VTT, SBV, ASS or text. The converted file appears at once, ready to copy or download.
- 1
Add any subtitle file
An .srt, .vtt, .sbv, .ass or .ssa file, or a transcript. The converter reads its format from the contents, not the name.
- 2
Pick the new format
SRT for editors and players, VTT for the web, SBV for YouTube tools, ASS for styling, Text for reading.
- 3
Download it
The new file keeps the old one’s name with the new ending. Nothing leaves your browser.
Which subtitle formats can you convert?
Five: SRT, WebVTT, SBV, ASS (with the older SSA) and plain text. They hold the same captions but write the times differently and differ in how much styling they carry, from none at all to fonts, colours and positions.
- SRT (.srt)
- A time looks like00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:06,770
- Usually from or forVideo editors, players, YouTube, NoteOwl
- Styling it holdsItalics, bold, underline
- WebVTT (.vtt)
- A time looks like00:00:04.160 --> 00:00:06.770
- Usually from or forWeb video players, Zoom and Teams transcripts
- Styling it holdsPositions, colours with CSS, voice tags
- SBV (.sbv)
- A time looks like0:00:04.160,0:00:06.770
- Usually from or forYouTube and tools made for it
- Styling it holdsNone
- ASS / SSA (.ass, .ssa)
- A time looks like0:00:04.16 inside a Dialogue line
- Usually from or forAegisub, anime subtitles, burned-in captions
- Styling it holdsFonts, colours, outlines, positions, effects
- Plain text (.txt)
- A time looks likeNo times
- Usually from or forReading, quoting, notes, translation
- Styling it holdsNone
| Format | A time looks like | Usually from or for | Styling it holds |
|---|---|---|---|
| SRT (.srt) | 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:06,770 | Video editors, players, YouTube, NoteOwl | Italics, bold, underline |
| WebVTT (.vtt) | 00:00:04.160 --> 00:00:06.770 | Web video players, Zoom and Teams transcripts | Positions, colours with CSS, voice tags |
| SBV (.sbv) | 0:00:04.160,0:00:06.770 | YouTube and tools made for it | None |
| ASS / SSA (.ass, .ssa) | 0:00:04.16 inside a Dialogue line | Aegisub, anime subtitles, burned-in captions | Fonts, colours, outlines, positions, effects |
| Plain text (.txt) | No times | Reading, quoting, notes, translation | None |
Which subtitle format do you need?
The one your destination reads. YouTube recommends SRT or SBV, a web page’s video player needs VTT, video editors and TVs take SRT, and ASS is for subtitles with their own look. For reading the words, choose plain text.
- Uploading captions to YouTube
- FormatSRT or SBV, its two recommended basic formats (VTT also works)
- A video on your own website
- FormatVTT: the HTML <track> element reads WebVTT
- A video editor, a TV or a desktop player
- FormatSRT, the most widely read
- Styled or burned-in subtitles
- FormatASS: fonts, outlines and positions
- Reading, searching or quoting
- FormatPlain text, as a .txt or Word file
| Going to | Format |
|---|---|
| Uploading captions to YouTube | SRT or SBV, its two recommended basic formats (VTT also works) |
| A video on your own website | VTT: the HTML <track> element reads WebVTT |
| A video editor, a TV or a desktop player | SRT, the most widely read |
| Styled or burned-in subtitles | ASS: fonts, outlines and positions |
| Reading, searching or quoting | Plain text, as a .txt or Word file |
Is there a converter for your exact pair of formats?
Yes. Each page below is this converter set up for one conversion, with an example and what to watch out for. Every one of them can still save any of the other formats.
From SBV
From ASS or SSA
From plain text
From SCC
From STL
What survives when you convert subtitles?
The captions themselves: every word, line break and time, and italics, bold and underline wherever the new format shows them. Placement and other styling are left behind, such as a VTT caption’s position or an ASS script’s fonts.
- Start and end times
- After convertingKept exactly (to the hundredth of a second in ASS)
- Words and line breaks
- After convertingKept
- Italics, bold, underline
- After convertingKept in SRT, VTT and ASS; removed in SBV and text
- Speaker names
- After convertingKept as “Name:” or removed, your choice
- Positions, fonts, colours
- After convertingLeft behind; an ASS file gets the font, size and position you choose
- Comments, notes, drawings
- After convertingRemoved
| Part of the file | After converting |
|---|---|
| Start and end times | Kept exactly (to the hundredth of a second in ASS) |
| Words and line breaks | Kept |
| Italics, bold, underline | Kept in SRT, VTT and ASS; removed in SBV and text |
| Speaker names | Kept as “Name:” or removed, your choice |
| Positions, fonts, colours | Left behind; an ASS file gets the font, size and position you choose |
| Comments, notes, drawings | Removed |
What if the subtitles are out of sync or need fixing?
Converting carries the times over exactly, so fix timing and typos with the tools made for it, before or after you convert.
Subtitle shifter
Move every caption earlier or later, or re-sync a drifting file from two points.
Subtitle editor
Change any caption’s text or times, add and delete captions, and fix overlaps.
YouTube transcript to text
Paste a transcript from YouTube and get clean paragraphs, or an SRT file.
How do you make a subtitle file from a recording?
Transcribe it. NoteOwl imports an audio or video file on your Mac, transcribes it with on-device AI models, labels the speakers and saves the transcript as an SRT file, which this converter turns into any other format. Nothing is uploaded.
FAQ
Questions about converting subtitles
Is this subtitle converter free?
Yes. NoteOwl’s subtitle converter is free with no sign-up and no limit on how many files you convert. It runs in your browser, so there is nothing to install.
Are my subtitle files uploaded?
No. Your browser reads each file and converts it on your device, and the download is made there too. No subtitle file or transcript is sent to NoteOwl or anyone else.
How does it know what format my file is?
From the contents. A WEBVTT first line means VTT, [Script Info] and Dialogue lines mean ASS or SSA, arrow timing lines mean SRT and comma-separated timing lines mean SBV. A wrongly named file still converts correctly.
Which subtitle format is best?
It depends where the subtitles are going. SRT is read almost everywhere, which is why an SRT converter is the most asked-for kind, VTT is the format web pages need, SBV suits YouTube workflows and ASS is for styled subtitles. Plain text is for reading the words.
Can it convert subtitles with odd characters or accents?
Yes. It reads UTF-8 and UTF-16 files and older Windows-encoded SRT files, so accented letters and other alphabets come through, and every file it writes is UTF-8.
Can it fix subtitles that are out of sync?
Not while converting: the times are carried over exactly. To move them, use NoteOwl’s subtitle shifter, which moves every caption earlier or later or re-syncs from two points.
Can NoteOwl create subtitles from a video?
Yes. NoteOwl transcribes audio and video files on your Mac with on-device AI models, labels the speakers and saves the transcript as an SRT subtitle file, which this converter can turn into any other format.
Keep exploring
More subtitle tools
- SRT to VTT converterConvert SRT to VTT, VTT to SRT, or either to clean text with each speaker’s lines merged, in your browser; Zoom and Teams transcripts work
- Subtitle shifterMove every caption in an SRT, VTT, SBV or ASS file earlier or later, or re-sync it from two points; only the times change
- Online subtitle editorEdit an SRT or VTT file in your browser: change text and times, add and delete captions, catch overlaps and over-fast captions, download
- Subtitle mergerMerge two subtitle files in your browser: two languages stacked into bilingual captions, or two parts joined one after the other; SRT, VTT, SBV, ASS
Related
- Subtitle generatorTurn a recording into an SRT subtitle file with timecodes and speaker names, on your Mac
- What is an SRT fileWhat an SRT file is, what SRT stands for, the format of each cue with an example, and how to make one from a recording
- Audio to text converterTranscribe audio to text free: drop in an MP3, M4A, WAV or other recording and get an AI transcript with times, as text, SRT, VTT or Word; nothing is stored
- Export your notesExport meetings, dictations and notes as Markdown or PDF, imported transcripts as text or SRT, or everything as plain files; nothing is locked in
Subtitles from your recordings, made on your Mac
Free to download. Runs entirely on your Mac.
macOS 26 or later · Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) · 16 GB memory minimum, 24 GB recommended
About NoteOwl
NoteOwl is private AI meeting notes and memory for the Mac. It captures meetings without a bot joining the call, labels every speaker, writes summaries and action items, and builds a memory of every conversation that you can chat with — fully offline, because the speech recognition and the AI run on the Mac itself. Dictation into any app is free; Pro is a one-time purchase.
NoteOwl pricing: what’s free and what Pro adds
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