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How to download YouTube subtitles as SRT or VTT

Save a YouTube video's subtitles as an SRT or VTT file with timings, ready for VLC or any video editor.

Updated

Subtitle files let you watch a downloaded video with captions in VLC, translate a video, or add captions to your own edit. YouTube doesn't give you a simple button for this, but you can get an SRT or VTT file from any public video in a minute.

Download subtitles as SRT

  1. Copy the YouTube link.
  2. Go to the YouTube transcript page and paste it.
  3. Choose SRT (or VTT) from the format list.
  4. Press Download. You'll get a .srt file with a timestamp on every line.

If the video has captions, those are what you get. If it doesn't, our speech-to-text writes subtitles from the audio. Automatic ones can mishear words, so watch through once with them on before you share.

Using the SRT with the video

Download the video too (switch to Video and pick MP4), then:

  • VLC: give the .srt the same file name as the video and put both in one folder. VLC loads it automatically. You can also drag the .srt onto the playing video.
  • Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut: import the .srt as a captions track.
  • CapCut and most phone editors: look for an import captions or subtitles option.

SRT or VTT?

SRT is the older and more widely supported format, so it's the safe default for desktop players and editors. VTT is the web standard, used by HTML5 video players and many online course platforms. They hold the same information, and many tools accept both. Our format comparison shows what each file looks like inside.

Editing the subtitles

SRT and VTT are plain text, so you can fix a misheard word in any text editor, like Notepad or TextEdit. Keep the numbers and timestamp lines as they are and change only the words. Free tools such as Subtitle Edit or Aegisub let you adjust timings if something's out of sync.

Translating

Translation tools often accept SRT files directly and keep the timings. That makes an SRT a handy starting point if you want subtitles in another language.

Just need the text for reading? Choose TXT instead and see how to get a YouTube transcript.

Quick answers

Can I pick which caption language I get?

We use the video's own captions where they exist. If you need a specific language and the video doesn't have it, translate the SRT afterwards.

Can I add the SRT to my own YouTube upload?

Yes. In YouTube Studio, open Subtitles, choose the video and upload the file.