How to Download YouTube Subtitles as SRT (and TXT)

Subtitle files let you reuse a video’s captions anywhere — in a video editor, a media player, or a translation tool. This guide shows how to download YouTube subtitles as an SRT file (or plain TXT), explains what the different subtitle formats mean, and covers the most common problems.

What is an SRT file?

SRT (SubRip Subtitle) is the most widely supported subtitle format. It is a plain text file where each caption has a number, a start and end time, and the text:

1
00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:04,000
Welcome back to the channel.

2
00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:07,500
Today we're making rava idli.

Because it is just text, you can open an SRT in Notepad, edit it, and load it into almost any video editor or player.

SRT vs. VTT vs. SBV vs. TXT

If you are not sure, choose SRT. Almost every tool that accepts subtitles accepts SRT.

Method 1: Download subtitles from any video (free tool)

1. Copy the YouTube video link.
2. Paste it into our YouTube Video Transcript Generator and press Get Transcript.
3. If the video has more than one caption language, choose the one you want from the language menu.
4. Open the Download menu and choose Subtitles (.srt) for a subtitle file, Web captions (.vtt) for web players, or Text (.txt) for plain text.

The SRT file is named after the video, so it is easy to find in your Downloads folder.

Method 2: Download subtitles from your own video in YouTube Studio

1. Open YouTube Studio → Subtitles.
2. Select the video.
3. Next to a language track, open the three-dot menu and choose Download.
4. Pick .srt, .vtt or .sbv.

This is the best route for your own content, because you can also edit the captions in Studio before downloading.

How to use an SRT file

In a video editor

Most editors — including Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut and Final Cut Pro — can import an SRT as a caption track. Look for an option like Import captions or Subtitles → Import. You can then restyle the captions and burn them into the video.

In a media player

Players such as VLC load an SRT automatically if it has the same file name as the video and sits in the same folder. You can also add it manually from the subtitle menu.

For translation

Translators often work from SRT files because the timing is preserved. Translate the text lines only and leave the numbers and timecodes untouched. See getting transcripts in other languages.

Common problems and fixes

• Captions are out of sync. If your edited video was trimmed, shift all subtitles in your editor or player by the trimmed amount.
• Strange characters (é, ’). The file is being read with the wrong encoding. Open it in a text editor and save it as UTF-8.
• Overlapping lines. Auto-generated captions sometimes overlap slightly. Most players handle this, but you can tidy it in a subtitle editor such as Subtitle Edit or Aegisub.
• No download option. The video has no captions. Read why a transcript might not be available.

Respect the creator’s rights

Subtitles are part of the creator’s work. Downloading them for personal viewing, study or accessibility is common, but re-uploading someone else’s video or captions requires their permission.

Frequently Asked Questions