These days, most of us watch foreign series and movies on digital broadcasting platforms or different websites. Subtitles of such videos are embedded. However, when you download a foreign language video from another source, you need an external subtitle file. These subtitle files are often offered to users in SRT format with .srt extension.
SRT files are the most widely used format for subtitles. You can download such subtitle files ready-made from a source, open them and edit them, or even create your own. Although it may seem a bit complicated, actually creating an SRT subtitle file is an extremely easy process. Let’s examine the questions like what is an SRT file, how to create it, how to open it, in all details.
What is SRT file?
The SRT file with the .srt extension is the most commonly used file format for external subtitle files required for foreign language videos. So this file is not a subtitle embedded in the video. However, a subtitle in an SRT file can be embedded in the video using third-party programs.
How to open SRT file?
- Method #1: Open SRT file in text format
- Method #2: Opening SRT file in VLC Media Player
Method #1: Open SRT file in text format:
- Step #1: Right click on the SRT file you want to open.
- Step #2: Click Open With.
- Step #3: Select the Notepad app.
- You can also choose a different text editor application.
- Step #4: The SRT file will open in text format.
- Step #5: You can edit if you wish.
To view the contents of your SRT file in text format, simply follow the steps above. When you open the SRT file with Notepad or a similar text editor application, you can make changes on the file as you wish. Be sure to back up the file before making such changes.
Method #2: Opening SRT file in VLC Media Player:
- Step #1: Download VLC Media Player from here and complete the installation.
- Step #2: Open the video in which the subtitle in the SRT file is compatible, via VLC.
- Step #3: Open the Subtitle menu.
- Step #4: Click Add Subtitle File.
- Step #5: Select the SRT file you want to open.
- Step #6: The subtitle in the SRT file will start playing along with the video.
To open the SRT file via VLC Media Player, just follow the steps above. Since SRT files already contain the necessary subtitles for the video, opening them with VLC takes the user directly to the result. You cannot make any edits on the SRT file you open with VLC Media Player, you only view the content.
How to create SRT file in Windows?
- Step #1: Open the Notepad application.
- Step #2: Type 1 as the first subtitle sequence number and go to the bottom line.
- Step #3: hour:minute:second,millisecond – -> type the start and end time in hours:minutes:seconds, milliseconds.
- Step #4: Go to the bottom line.
- Step #5: Write the first subtitle.
- It is recommended that the subtitles be a maximum of 2 lines and 32 characters.
- Step #6: Press Enter twice to switch to the other subtitle directory.
- Step #7: Repeat these steps until the subtitle is complete.
- Step #8: Open the File menu.
- Step #9: Click on Save As.
- Step #10: Select SRT with .srt extension as the recording format.
- Step #11: Select the folder where the file will be saved.
To create an SRT file via the Notepad application on your Windows computer, simply follow the steps above. If you are creating this type of file for the first time, it may be difficult. However, over time you will get much faster and you will be able to easily prepare even the most difficult files.
How to create SRT file on macOS?
- Step #1: Open TextEdit.
- Step #2: Type 1 as the first subtitle sequence number and go to the bottom line.
- Step #3: hour:minute:second,millisecond – -> type the start and end time in hours:minutes:seconds, milliseconds.
- Step #4: Go to the bottom line.
- Step #5: Write the first subtitle.
- It is recommended that the subtitles be a maximum of 2 lines and 32 characters.
- Step #6: Press Enter twice to switch to the other subtitle directory.
- Step #7: Repeat these steps until the subtitle is complete.
- Step #8: Open the File menu.
- Step #9: Click on Save As.
- Step #10: Select SRT with .srt extension as the recording format.
- Step #11: Select the folder where the file will be saved.
To create an SRT file via the TextEdit application on your MacOS operating system, simply follow the steps above. If you are creating this type of file for the first time, it may be difficult. However, over time you will get much faster and you will be able to easily prepare even the most difficult files.
We answered the questions such as what is the SRT file with the .srt extension, which is the most common format used for subtitle files, how to open it, how to create it, and we talked about alternative methods you can apply. Creating an SRT file is a laborious process, but you can be sure that you will get used to it over time.