How to add SRT subtitles to a YouTube video
In YouTube Studio, open Subtitles, choose the video, add or select its language, then pick Upload file, choose "With timing" and select your .srt file. YouTube places each caption at the timestamps in the file. If you don't have an SRT yet, make one from the video first.
Before you start
- A video already uploaded to your YouTube channel (it can be private or unlisted)
- An .srt file for that video, in the language spoken in the video
Step 1: Make the SRT file
If you don't have subtitles yet, drop the same video file into the SRT subtitle generator. Check the free preview of the first 3 minutes, then unlock the file (from $1.49, by length) and download the .srt. Open it in a text editor and fix names or technical terms if needed; keep the numbers and timestamp lines as they are.
Step 2: Upload the SRT in YouTube Studio
- Sign in to YouTube Studio and choose Subtitles in the left menu.
- Click the video you want to caption.
- If the video language isn't set, confirm it. Otherwise click Add language or pick an existing language.
- Under Subtitles, click Add, then choose Upload file.
- Select With timing, click Continue and choose your .srt file.
- Play through the preview, fix any line in the editor, then click Publish.
Step 3: Check the captions
Open the video, turn on CC and skim a few places. If every caption is early or late by the same amount, the SRT was made from a different cut of the video; generate it again from the final export.
Common problems
- File rejected: the file must be plain-text .srt. Save it as UTF-8 and keep the blank line between captions.
- Wrong language: DropTranscribe writes captions in the spoken language, so add them under the video's own language. If you made an English translation, upload that SRT under English.
Make an SRT from your video See pricing
Questions
How do I add SRT subtitles to a YouTube video?
In YouTube Studio, open Subtitles, choose the video, add or select its language, then pick Upload file, choose "With timing" and select your .srt file. YouTube places each caption at the timestamps in the file. If you don't have an SRT yet, generate one from the video's audio first; DropTranscribe exports an SRT for each unlocked file, ready to upload. Check the captions in the preview before you publish.
What is an SRT file and how is it different from TXT?
An SRT (SubRip) file is a plain-text subtitle file. Each caption has a sequence number, a start and end time in the form 00:01:02,500 --> 00:01:05,000, and the words spoken in that span. Video players and editors use those timings to show captions in sync. A TXT transcript is just the text, convenient for notes, quotes or blog posts. DropTranscribe gives TXT, SRT, VTT and DOCX downloads for every unlocked file.
Last updated 2026-10-16.