YouTube Subtitles to SRT: How to Convert and Save

The shortest path from YouTube subtitles to an SRT file is a direct download with the SRT format selected. No conversion needed — the downloader pulls the subtitle track and saves it as SRT directly. This guide covers the workflow and what to do with the resulting file.

What “YouTube subtitles to SRT” means

YouTube stores subtitles internally in a few formats. When you download them as SRT, the downloader converts them to SubRip format on the fly. The result is a clean SRT file you can use in any editor or player.

Quick answer

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

You now have an SRT file.

Why SRT

SRT (SubRip) is the most widely supported subtitle format. It opens in:

• VLC, OBS, and most video players
• Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro
• Hardware media players and set-top boxes

For the format comparison with VTT and TXT, see SRT vs VTT vs TXT.

What you can do with the SRT

Edit in a non-linear editor

Premiere Pro 2022+, DaVinci Resolve 18+, and Final Cut Pro 10.6+ all import SRT natively. See captions for video editing for the per-editor workflow.

Edit in a text editor

Open the SRT in VS Code, Sublime, Notepad, or any text editor. Each cue is numbered and timestamped. Fix errors, save, re-upload to YouTube as a manual track.

Use as sidecar captions

In VLC: Subtitles → Add Subtitle File. In OBS: load the SRT as a text source. The video plays with subtitles rendered on top.

Convert to VTT or TXT

SRT converts cleanly to VTT (change commas to dots, add WEBVTT header) and to TXT (strip timestamps and indices).

SRT format details

A typical SRT file looks like:

1
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,500
Welcome to the channel.

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

Three things to know:

• Comma in milliseconds. SRT uses , (00:00:01,000). VTT uses .. Wrong separator → parser ignores the cue.
• Cue indices optional. Indices are present in most SRTs but not required.
• Plain text. SRT is UTF-8 text. Edit in any text editor.

For the full format breakdown, see SRT vs VTT vs TXT.

Manual vs auto-generated tracks

For SRT extraction, pick:

• Manual track — uploaded by the creator. Highest accuracy.
• Auto-generated track — produced by speech recognition. Variable accuracy.

For the accuracy deep-dive, see auto-generated captions explained.

Tips

• Use SRT for editing. All major NLEs accept it natively.
• Edit in a text editor first for obvious errors, then import to your NLE for timing refinement.
• Save the SRT as your “master” caption file. It’s the source of truth for all downstream uses.

FAQ

Can I get YouTube subtitles as SRT? Yes. Use YouTube Caption Downloader and pick SRT.

Do I need to convert YouTube subtitles to SRT? No. The downloader produces SRT directly.

What’s the best way to convert YouTube subtitles to SRT? Download with SRT selected. No conversion needed.

What video editors accept SRT? Premiere Pro (2022+), DaVinci Resolve (18+), Final Cut Pro (10.6+), and virtually every other NLE.

Can I edit SRT in a text editor? Yes. SRT is plain UTF-8 text.

Methodology

We tested the YouTube → SRT workflow on 30 videos using YouTube Caption Downloader, then imported the SRT into Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Final Cut Pro.

Conclusion

Downloading YouTube subtitles as SRT is a one-click operation. The result is a file you can edit, embed, or import into any NLE. For the format comparison with VTT and TXT, see SRT vs VTT vs TXT.

About the author: The YouTube Caption Downloader Team includes editors who work with SRT, VTT, and broadcast subtitle formats daily. The free tool is at youtube-caption-downloader.com.

Last updated: 2026-10-09

Sources: - Matroska: SRT subtitles reference - YouTube Help: Subtitles and captions