Subtitle Tools

Subtitle Edit

Subtitle Edit is a subtitle editor that creates, fixes, converts, and translates captions, working across hundreds of file formats. It adds a waveform and spectrogram timeline, speech recognition, and OCR for subtitles locked inside video files.

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✓ Software download·Open Source·Updated September 16, 2026
DeveloperNikolaj Olsson
LicenseOpen Source
File size55 MB
Languageen-US
Downloads266

Subtitle Edit: Timelines, Conversion, and Caption Repair

Subtitle Edit is a caption editor that handles the whole job, from typing a line to preparing a broadcast-ready file. The main window pairs a line list with an audio timeline that can display a waveform, a spectrogram, or both, so timing is a matter of dragging or nudging while the video plays in an attached pane. From there the same project can be converted between formats, run through wizards that correct common mistakes, spell checked, or translated through an online service. Batch conversion and command line support mean a folder of files can be processed without opening each one.

Format support is unusually broad: Subtitle Edit reads and writes hundreds of caption and subtitle formats, including plain text formats, styled script formats, and binary disc formats used in film and broadcast work. It also reaches inside containers, pulling out subtitle tracks embedded in common video files and recognising hardcoded text through OCR so burned-in captions can be recovered rather than retyped. Speech recognition turns an audio track into an initial set of lines, and translation is available through several engines, including services and locally hosted language models. Aegisub remains the tool of choice for elaborate typesetting and karaoke work, while Subtitle Edit is stronger for conversion, repair, and transcription.

Benefits of Using Subtitle Edit

The practical value of Subtitle Edit is that a single window covers the jobs that otherwise need three or four programs. Timing an existing file is fast once the waveform and spectrogram are on screen, and a subtitle that drifts out of sync can be repaired with a point-sync tool that stretches the whole file to match two reference lines. The repair wizards are the other half of the story: they catch overlapping entries, missing gaps, badly split lines, inconsistent casing, and hearing-impaired tags left in the wrong place, which is exactly the tedious work that eats an afternoon. Conversion between formats removes the barrier when a deliverable arrives in an unfamiliar shape, from plain text captions to binary disc formats and image-based subtitles. Speech recognition gives you a rough transcript to correct instead of a blank timeline, and OCR recovers text that was baked into the picture.

Subtitle Edit features

Key capabilities and highlights.

Feature 1

Waveform and spectrogram timeline

The audio timeline can show a waveform, a spectrogram, or both stacked together, and lines are timed by dragging their edges while the video plays. Spectrogram view makes quiet dialogue and overlapping speech visible, which helps when a waveform alone leaves you guessing.

Feature 2

Sync repair tools

Subtitle Edit can shift every line earlier or later by a fixed amount, and a point-sync mode stretches a file to match two reference lines when a recording has been edited. Both fix drift without retiming the whole project by hand.

Feature 3

Repair wizards and common error fixes

A fix common errors routine walks through typical problems and offers corrections in batches: overlapping lines, text shown for too short a time, missing spaces, unbalanced formatting, and duplicates. Running it before delivery catches the mistakes that viewers notice immediately.

Feature 4

Hundreds of format conversions

Subtitle Edit reads and writes a very long list of caption and subtitle formats, from plain text and styled script types to binary disc and broadcast formats, including image-based subtitle sets. That range means an incoming deliverable can usually be opened and re-exported in whatever shape the next stage requires.

Feature 5

Speech to text transcription

Whisper-based speech recognition can turn an audio track into a first draft of timed lines, either for one file or a batch of them. The result still needs review, but correcting a rough transcript is much quicker than starting from an empty timeline.

Feature 6

OCR for hardcoded and disc subtitles

Text that was burned into the picture can be extracted by Subtitle Edit through optical character recognition, and the same pipeline reads VobSub, Blu-ray, DVB, teletext, and other binary subtitle data. That rescues captions from sources where no text track exists at all.

Feature 7

Search, replace, and casing tools

Multiple search and replace runs a list of corrections across a file in one pass, with regular expression support for patterns that vary slightly between lines. Casing can be switched using a names dictionary, which keeps proper nouns consistent through a long project.

Feature 8

Batch conversion and translation

Whole folders can be converted between formats through a batch interface or straight from the command line, which suits recurring delivery workflows. Auto translation pushes lines through an online service or a locally hosted language model, producing a draft that a translator can then refine line by line.

Old versions

Browse historical releases and previous builds.

5.1.0.0July 29, 2026
5.0.0.0June 22, 2026
4.0.16.0June 2, 2026
4.0.15.0February 6, 2026
4.0.14.0October 28, 2025

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Subtitle Edit.

What is Subtitle Edit used for?

Creating captions from scratch, fixing files that are out of sync, converting between formats, transcribing audio, and translating existing subtitles. It covers the routine maintenance work that comes with delivering captions, which is why it is often the tool people reach for after a file arrives from somewhere else.

Can Subtitle Edit transcribe audio automatically?

Yes, using Whisper-based speech recognition. It produces timed lines from a soundtrack, and the accuracy depends on the audio quality, the language, and the model you choose. Treat the output as a draft to correct rather than a finished subtitle file.

How do I fix subtitles that drift out of sync?

Use point synchronization. Pick two lines that are correct, one near the start and one near the end, and the file is stretched so both match again. A simple offset covers constant delays, and a sync-against-another-subtitle option helps when a reference file already exists.

Which subtitle formats does Subtitle Edit support?

Hundreds of them. Common text formats, styled script formats, web caption types, broadcast and cinema exchange formats, and binary disc formats are all readable and writable, and image-based subtitle sets can be imported and exported as well. Conversions are handled by the same project window.

Can it pull subtitles out of a video file?

Yes. Subtitle Edit opens subtitle tracks stored inside common container formats, including text, closed caption, and bitmap tracks. Where no text track exists but words are visible on screen, the OCR path can recognise hardcoded captions and turn them back into editable lines.

Is there a spell checker in Subtitle Edit?

Yes. Spell checking works through dictionary files that you install, with many languages available, so a project can be reviewed for typos before delivery. The common errors wizard works alongside it by catching structural problems that a dictionary would never flag, such as overlapping timings or orphaned formatting tags.

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Subtitle Edit is a subtitle editor that creates, fixes, converts, and translates captions, working across hundreds of file formats. It adds a waveform and spectrogram timeline, speech recognition, and OCR for subtitles locked inside video files.