What is an SRT File? How to Create & Use SRT Files
An SRT file (or .srt) is a SubRip file. It is one of the most common types of raw closed caption or subtitle file formats. Keep reading to learn more about SRT files, how to get your own, and how to add them to your videos.
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Video content continues to grow more and more popular – in fact, it was reported in Q2 of 2023 that video had a reach of 92.3% across Internet users worldwide.
As the demand for and relevance of video content continues to grow, as does the addition of closed captions, open captions (or burned-in captions), and subtitles. These things exist to support video content wherever it may be hosted. SRT files are what make it possible to add closed captions or subtitles to video content after it is produced.
Typically a raw file, like an SRT or another type of supported “closed caption file”, is ordered after a video has been produced as part of the post-production process. The raw caption file can then be uploaded to the platform where the video will be hosted as a separate sidecar file, in addition to the actual video itself.
Using subtitles and captions in this way makes your online content more accessible, allowing a wider audience to interact and engage with your videos.
How to Create an SRT File with Rev
While you can create SRT files from scratch, using something like Rev’s AI-powered captioning or human-generated captioning services guarantees quick and accurate SRT subtitles for your videos.
Rev’s services are built to be flexible and able to work with a variety of video production platforms and file formats. Follow this step-by-step guide to learn how to create an SRT file with Rev.
1. Upload Your Videos
To start your caption order, you first need to upload your video files. You can upload a video directly from your computer, add a URL to a video that’s already online, or link Rev directly to your YouTube or Vimeo account. We accept all common digital video formats, including MOV, AVI, MP4, VOB, and Ogg files.
2. Select your File Format
If you’re looking to create an SRT file, select “SubRip (.srt)” from the “Output File Formats” dropdown list. You can select as many file formats as you need, including Transcript (.txt.), WebVTT (.vtt), and more. Check out our support page for a full list of file formats supported by Rev’s captioning, subtitling, and transcription services.
To learn more about creating WebVTT (.vtt) files check out our blog.
3. Checkout and Enjoy your SRT Subtitles
Once you’ve chosen your required file format(s), click “Checkout” to finish your order. Rev’s turnaround times for caption and subtitle files are typically as follows:
- Global Subtitles: 48 hours
- AI Captions: under an hour
- Human Captions: 24 hours
Once we’ve generated your subtitle and caption files, we’ll email them over to you, ready for use.
How to Add SRT Files to Your Video
Now that you’ve got your final video caption file, you need to know how to make use of your SRT files. Luckily, it’s a pretty easy process.
All you need to do is upload your video file, plus the .srt file, to your platform of choice. Most platforms will allow you to review how the captions or subtitles look on your video before you publish – this is a good point to check that they show up at the right time in the video.
Be sure to take the extra time to confirm that your captions are accurate and valuable to maximize audience engagement. If you need to make changes to your captions, check out our blog on Rev’s free caption editor to learn how to edit an SRT file with Rev.
Whether you need to know how to import SRT files in Premiere Pro or how to upload SRT files to Youtube, Rev has several in-depth guides on adding caption files to a range of video platforms including:
We also have a guide on how to add SRT files to video files using Handbrake, a great free video software tool.
Additionally, if you have a caption file in SRT format and need to convert it to another format, you can easily do that using Rev’s free Caption Converter.
Have additional questions about file formats, subtitles, closed captions, or anything else related to getting our video content captioned? Try searching the Resource Hub or reaching out directly to support@rev.com if you still can’t find what you’re looking for. We’re always here to help!