TXT to SRT: text to timed subtitles

How the timings are generated

Each non-empty line of your text becomes one cue. Its duration is based on reading speed: the number of characters divided by your characters-per-second (CPS) setting, kept between 1.5 and 7 seconds so short lines stay readable and long lines do not linger. A small gap separates each cue.

This gives you a correctly formatted, evenly paced SRT in seconds. It will not match the speech in your video exactly, because the text file has no information about when words are spoken, but it is a solid starting point for syncing.

How to convert TXT to SRT

1. Prepare the text. Put each subtitle on its own line, ideally under about 42 characters, two lines at most. Blank lines are ignored.
2. Set reading speed. In the Convert panel, 15 CPS is a relaxed pace; 17 suits adult audiences watching fast dialogue.
3. Load the file. The cues and timings appear immediately. Changing CPS or gap re-generates them.
4. Align to the video. Use Shift for a constant offset, two-point resync to stretch, and the Preview tab to check, then download.

Settings explained

Characters per second

Lower values give each cue more time on screen.

Gap between cues (ms)

A short gap (80–120 ms) helps viewers notice that the subtitle changed.

Choosing a reading speed

Slower speeds such as 12–13 CPS suit children’s content and viewers reading in a second language; 15–17 CPS suits most adult audiences.

Making it match speech

Find where the first line is spoken and where the last line is spoken, then use two-point resync with those two times. The whole file is stretched to fit, which often lands most lines within a second of the speech. Adjust stubborn sections by shifting from a given cue number onward.

Troubleshooting

Everything is one giant subtitle

Your text has no line breaks. Split it into short lines first.

The file is detected as SRT, not text

If the text already contains --> timestamps, it is treated as SRT.

Frequently asked questions