How to add subtitles to a video

The steps

1. 01

   Get a subtitle file in the right format

   Start with a .srt for desktop and TV players or a .vtt for web video. If you need another language, translate the file first while keeping the timecodes intact, then add it to the video.

2. 02

   Decide soft or hardcoded

   Choose soft subtitles (a separate sidecar file the viewer can toggle) for flexibility, or hardcoded burn-in (the text rendered permanently into the video frames) when the player cannot read external subtitles, such as some social platforms.

3. 03

   Name the sidecar to match the video

   For soft subtitles, give the .srt or .vtt the same base filename as the video — movie.mp4 with movie.srt in the same folder — so players like VLC load it automatically. Add a language suffix such as movie.en.srt for multiple tracks.

4. 04

   Load or upload the subtitles

   In a desktop player, drop the matching sidecar in the folder or use the subtitle menu. For web video, reference the .vtt with an HTML5 <track> element. On YouTube, upload the .srt through the subtitles editor for the video.

Soft vs hardcoded subtitles

The two methods differ in flexibility and where they work. Soft subtitles ride alongside the video; hardcoded subtitles are part of the picture.

Desktop and TV players

VLC, MPC-HC, Kodi, and most smart TVs read soft subtitles. The simplest method is the matching filename: put movie.srt next to movie.mp4 and the player loads it on its own. To add one by hand in VLC, open the video and use Subtitle > Add Subtitle File. These players read SRT, WebVTT, and ASS, so the SRT you translated drops in directly. For several languages, name them movie.en.srt and movie.es.srt.

Web video and YouTube

For video on a web page, reference a WebVTT file with the HTML5 <track> element inside <video>:

<video controls>
  <source src="movie.mp4" type="video/mp4">
  <track src="movie.en.vtt" kind="subtitles"
         srclang="en" label="English" default>
</video>

Browsers read .vtt but not SRT, so convert SRT to VTT first. On YouTube, open Studio, pick the video, go to Subtitles, select the language, and upload the .srt; YouTube reads its timecodes and shows a toggleable caption track.

Adding subtitles in another language

To caption a video in a second language, translate the subtitle file before you add it, keeping every timecode unchanged so the new track stays synced. The SubLingo translator changes only the text (see how to translate an SRT file), then you add the result as another soft track named with a language suffix, or burn it in. Common picks include English to Spanish and English to French.

Key facts

• Use .srt for desktop/TV, .vtt for web.
• Soft = toggleable sidecar; hardcoded = burned permanently into frames.
• Sidecar must share the video's base name (movie.mp4 + movie.srt).
• Web video loads WebVTT via the HTML5 <track> element.
• YouTube takes an uploaded .srt in the Subtitles editor.
• Translate the file first, keeping timecodes intact, then add it.

Definitions

Soft subtitles

A separate sidecar file the player overlays; the viewer can toggle or switch languages.

Hardcoded

Subtitles burned permanently into the video frames; always visible, not switchable.

Sidecar file

A .srt or .vtt stored next to the video, named to match it.

&lt;track&gt; element

HTML5 tag inside <video> that loads a WebVTT caption track.

Burn-in

Re-encoding the video so the subtitle pixels become part of every frame.

Language suffix

A code in the filename (.en, .es) marking each track's language.

Related guides

• How to convert SRT to VTT
• SRT vs VTT
• Translate English subtitles to French

FAQ