Subtitle files
Generate an SRT file from your video
Sometimes you want a subtitle file, not burned-in captions — because YouTube indexes uploaded subtitles, because your editor needs them separately, or because the same video ships to several places. Viten transcribes the video and hands you the file.
How it works
- 1
Choose your video
Import a clip and let language detection work it out, or set the language yourself.
- 2
Transcribe
Speech is transcribed with per-word timing across 99 languages.
- 3
Export the file
Get a standard SRT you can upload to YouTube or open in any editor that reads subtitle files.
Caption lines or one word at a time
Choose whether each subtitle entry is a readable line or a single word. Line-per-entry suits YouTube and accessibility; word-per-entry suits editors where you are driving your own caption animation.
Uploaded subtitles are indexable
A subtitle file attached to a YouTube video is machine-readable in a way burned-in pixels are not — which matters for search, for translation, and for viewers using assistive technology.
Standard format, no lock-in
SRT is plain text understood by every major platform and editor. Nothing about the file ties it back to Viten.
Or skip the file entirely
If the video is only going to one place, burning styled captions straight into the picture is fewer steps — the choice is per project.
Questions
What is an SRT file?
A plain-text subtitle file listing each caption with a start and end timecode. Video players and platforms read it to show subtitles over a video, without the text being part of the picture.
Should I use an SRT file or burn captions in?
Burn them in for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, where most viewing is sound-off and there is no subtitle upload. Use an SRT for YouTube, for accessibility, and whenever the video goes through another editor.
Is SRT export free?
Generating subtitle files is a Pro feature. Auto-captions with burned-in export in 720p are available on the free tier.
Can I edit the text before exporting?
Yes. Fix names or wording in the transcript first, and the exported file reflects your edits with the timing intact.
Try it on your next video
Free to start, and no watermark on any export.