Download YouTube Captions SRT: Get Captions as SRT Files

Downloading YouTube captions in SRT format gives you a SubRip file with the video’s caption track. This guide covers the workflow specifically for caption tracks (which often have sound description) and the use cases for the resulting file.

Quick answer

1. Open YouTube Caption Downloader.
2. Paste the YouTube URL.
3. Pick the manual caption track.
4. Choose SRT as the output format.
5. Click download.

You now have an SRT file with the captions.

Captions vs subtitles: pick the right track

For accessibility work, pick the manual caption track — uploaded by creator or contributor. Manual tracks are more likely to include sound description ([music], [applause]).

For the terminology, see captions vs subtitles. For accessibility details, see YouTube captions and accessibility.

What you can do with the captions SRT

Edit in a video editor

Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro all import SRT. See captions for video editing.

Use as sidecar captions

VLC: Subtitles → Add Subtitle File. OBS: load as text source.

Embed in HTML5 video (after conversion)

Convert SRT to VTT and embed with the <track> element:

ffmpeg -i captions.srt captions.vtt

Re-upload as a manual track

Edit in a text editor, fix errors, re-upload to YouTube via Subtitles → Edit → Upload file.

What the file looks like

1
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,500
[music plays]
Welcome to the channel.

2
00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:09,200
Today we're talking about captions.

Sound description cues from the caption track appear as bracketed text.

Why SRT for captions

SRT is the most widely supported subtitle format:

• Opens in every video player
• Imports natively into all major NLEs
• Compatible with hardware media players

If you only need SRT for editing and playback, this is the right format. For web embedding, convert to VTT.

Tips

• Pick the manual caption track for accessibility work.
• Edit in a text editor first for obvious errors.
• Re-upload edited SRT to YouTube as a manual track.

FAQ

Can I download YouTube captions in SRT format? Yes. Use YouTube Caption Downloader and pick SRT.

What’s the difference between captions SRT and subtitles SRT? Format is the same. Captions often implies manual track with sound description.

Can I edit captions SRT? Yes. Open in any text editor, fix errors, save, re-upload.

Can I use captions SRT in Premiere Pro? Yes. Window → Captions and Graphics → Import captions from file.

Can I convert captions SRT to VTT? Yes. ffmpeg -i input.srt output.vtt.

Methodology

We tested the workflow on 30 captioned videos using YouTube Caption Downloader.

Conclusion

Downloading YouTube captions in SRT format is a one-click operation. For accessibility work, prefer manual caption tracks. For format choice, see SRT vs VTT vs TXT.

About the author: The YouTube Caption Downloader Team includes accessibility specialists and editors. The free tool is at youtube-caption-downloader.com.

Last updated: 2026-10-09

Sources: - W3C: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 - Matroska: SRT subtitles reference - YouTube Help: Subtitles and captions