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Subtitle file guide

How to translate an SRT or VTT subtitle file

If your captions are already timed, use those cues as the starting point. Translate the words, keep the timing, and check the result in the player where people will watch.

By StreamTranslate · Updated

Import the subtitle file into a subtitle editor that supports your format, create a separate track for the target language, translate the cue text, then export and test the translated track against the same video cut.

Keep a source copy and identify the format

Save a copy of your original file. In SRT, a cue commonly starts with a number and a timestamp range using commas before the milliseconds. A WebVTT file starts with WEBVTT and uses periods in its cue timestamps. WebVTT can also contain cue settings and speaker tags. Keep that structure intact when editing the words.

If the only captions you have are visible in the video picture, find the original subtitle file or create a fresh track from the audio. Text already baked into the picture is not an editable subtitle track.

Translate the cue text and retain the timings

Use a subtitle editor that imports your file format and can export a separate language track. Import the source, select a target language, and edit or translate the text in each cue. Read across neighboring cues when a sentence continues over several blocks. That helps keep names and references consistent.

For example, this cue can be translated from English to Spanish by changing just the third line:

12
00:00:27,500 --> 00:00:30,200
Gracias por acompañarnos.

If the translation is too long to read in that window, shorten the wording while preserving the meaning. Review timing separately if you split or merge cues.

Export and test in the destination player

  1. Export a separate file for each language, such as interview.es.srt. Use the format your editor or publishing platform accepts.
  2. Load it against the exact cut the timestamps were made for. Check the first cue, a middle section and the last cue. A new intro can shift the whole track.
  3. Check accented characters, names and numbers. For right-to-left languages, verify punctuation and display order in the destination player.
  4. Assign the target language when uploading the track and toggle captions from the viewer side to confirm the right track loads.

Start from the video if you need a new track

StreamTranslate’s Video/VOD Translator starts with a video upload and can export SRT and VTT when you choose the subtitle-file option before processing. If your existing subtitle file is the starting point, use a subtitle-file editor instead so you can reuse its timings and edits.

If the new track starts in sync and gradually drifts, check whether the subtitle file belongs to a version exported at a different speed. If every cue is late by the same amount, check for an added intro or a shifted start time. Compare the original and translated files before adjusting the timings. A mismatch in the source file will carry over to every translated copy.

Keep the source file alongside the finished translations. If a name or technical term changes during review, you can find the matching cues in each language and update them without retiming the video.

Quick answers

Can I convert VTT to SRT by renaming the file?

Use an export or conversion tool. The file formats have different headers and timestamp syntax, and some WebVTT cue settings may be lost in conversion.

Does a translated subtitle file change the video’s audio?

A subtitle file provides timed text. The video keeps its existing audio unless you separately replace or add an audio track.

Continue with your setup

Create subtitles from a recordingStart with the video when you have no timed file.Translate a Streamlabs recordingFind and prepare the original video file.Browse caption guidesFind the next task for your stream, device or audience.

Sources and further reading

Reviewed November 5, 2026. Follow the linked provider instructions for current availability and setup requirements.