Shift subtitles earlier or later in an SRT file

1. 1Add your .srt, .vtt or .sbv file. ReelCaption reads it in your browser and lists every subtitle.
2. 2Choose what is out of sync: the whole file, everything from one subtitle on, or a file that drifts.
3. 3Type the shift in seconds or use the buttons, then check the old and new times in the preview.
4. 4Select Shift the subtitles and download the file, in the same format as the one you added.

When every subtitle is early or late by the same amount, shift the whole file. This happens when the subtitles were timed to a version of the video with a longer or shorter intro, or when you trimmed the start of your clip after making the subtitle file.

Type a plus number to show the subtitles later and a minus number to show them earlier. The buttons move the file by 0.1 seconds or one second at a time, so you can nudge it until the preview looks right.

If the subtitles are right at first and go out of sync at one point, the video has a cut or an extra scene there. Choose From one subtitle on, pick the first subtitle that is wrong, and only that one and the ones after it move.

Watch for one line. Play the video, pause when someone starts a sentence and note the time on the player. Find that sentence in the subtitle list and compare its start time.

The difference is your offset. If the line is spoken at 0:14.5 and the subtitle starts at 0:12.0, the subtitles are 2.5 seconds early, so shift by 2.5. If the subtitle comes first, use a minus number.

Then check a line near the end. If it is off by the same amount, a single shift fixes the file. If it is off by more, the file drifts, and the next section explains what to do.

Subtitles that start close and get further out of sync were usually timed to the same video at a different frame rate. Many films are released at 23.976 frames per second, while European TV and many European releases run at 25.

A 23.976 video converted to 25 is sped up, so it plays about 4% faster and an hour of it ends at about 57:32.5. A subtitle file timed to the slower version falls further behind each minute. By the end, the line at 1:00:00 in the file is spoken nearly 2.5 minutes earlier.

One shift cannot fix that, because every line is off by a different amount. Choose It drifts, pick a subtitle near the start and one near the end, and type when each is really spoken. ReelCaption draws a straight line through those 2 points and moves every time along it, so the gaps between subtitles shrink or stretch to match the video.

A video cannot show a subtitle before it starts, so a shift that moves subtitles past 0:00 changes them in 2 ways. A subtitle that would end at or before 0:00 is removed. A subtitle that would start before 0:00 but end after it now starts at 0:00 and keeps its end time.

The result tells you how many subtitles were removed and how many now start at 0:00. Nothing else is removed, merged or reordered.

Older subtitle files are often saved in a Windows encoding rather than UTF-8: Windows-1250 for Polish, Czech and Hungarian, or Windows-1252 for western European languages. A player that expects UTF-8 shows question marks or boxes in place of letters such as ą, ł, ř and ž.

ReelCaption checks the bytes in the file. If it is not UTF-8, it works out which Windows encoding fits the letters, tells you which one it found and reads the file that way. The shifted file is always saved as UTF-8, so it shows correctly in any player and in the studio.

This subtitle shifter changes the start and end time of each subtitle and nothing else. The text, line breaks, italic tags and the order of the subtitles stay as written, and subtitles that overlap still overlap. A VTT file keeps its header, notes, styles and cue settings.

You get the same format back: SRT stays SRT, VTT stays VTT and YouTube SBV stays SBV. The file is read and shifted in your browser, and ReelCaption does not upload it.

The studio uses the times in your subtitle file as they are. Our page on burning subtitles into a video answers "Why are my subtitles out of sync?" by sending you to a subtitle editor to fix the whole file. This tool is that fix: shift the file here, then add the shifted file to the studio with your video.

Burn subtitles into a video with the fixed file

How do I shift all subtitles in an SRT file by a few seconds?

Add the file, keep The whole file selected and type the shift in seconds, such as 2.5 or -1.2. Check the preview, then download the shifted file.

Can I make subtitles appear earlier?

Yes. Type a minus number, such as -2, or use the minus buttons. A subtitle that would end at or before 0:00 is removed, and the result tells you how many were.

Why do my subtitles get more out of sync as the video plays?

Usually because the file was timed to the same video at another frame rate, such as 23.976 against 25 frames per second. Choose It drifts and type the right start time for 2 subtitles far apart.

Which subtitle files does it work with?

SRT, VTT and YouTube SBV files up to 2 MB. You get the same format back, saved as UTF-8.

Is my subtitle file uploaded?

No. ReelCaption reads and shifts the file in your browser, and it stays on your device.

Will it change my subtitle text?

No. Only the times change. The text, line breaks, tags and order stay as they were, and subtitles that overlap still overlap.