Free SRT file generator.

SRT files, explained

How an SRT file works

SRT stands for SubRip Subtitle. It's the most compatible subtitle format in the world: a simple text file where each subtitle has a number, a start and end time, and one or two lines of text. (More detail, plus a sample file to download, in our guide What is an SRT file?)

1
00:00:00,500 --> 00:00:03,200
This is the first subtitle.

2
00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,000
And this is the second one.

The SRT format rules

• Each subtitle starts with a sequence number: 1, 2, 3…
• Times use the format hours:minutes:seconds,milliseconds — with a comma, not a dot.
• An arrow --> separates the start and end time.
• A blank line ends each subtitle.

Writing all of this by hand takes hours. An SRT file generator does it automatically: Corbeia listens to the speech, writes the text, and gets every timestamp right.

What makes a good SRT file

Subtitles are read while the picture moves, so how the text is split matters as much as the words. Subtitle editors usually aim for:

• Short lines — one or two lines on screen, so viewers can read them at a glance.
• Breaks at natural pauses — a subtitle should end where the speaker pauses or a sentence ends, not in the middle of a phrase.
• Time to read — each subtitle should stay on screen long enough to read, and disappear when the speaker stops.
• Exact timing — text that appears early or late is distracting, even when the words are right.

Corbeia's SRT file generator follows these rules automatically. It uses the time of every single word, starts a new subtitle at each pause and sentence end, and keeps every subtitle short — under about 68 characters — so the result is ready to use without manual splitting.

How to edit an SRT file

Fixing a name or a word takes seconds, because an SRT file is plain text:

• Open it in Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac, in plain-text mode) and edit the subtitle text. Leave the numbers and times as they are.
• For timing changes, use a free subtitle editor such as Subtitle Edit or Aegisub.
• Save it with UTF-8 encoding so accents and non-Latin scripts display correctly. Corbeia's files are UTF-8 already.

Why creators use SRT files

• Reach — most social video is watched with the sound off, and captions keep people watching.
• SEO — YouTube and search engines can read your captions, but not your audio.
• Accessibility — captions make your videos usable for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.
• Translation — one SRT can be translated into dozens of languages.