Convert YouTube videos to SRT
Paste a YouTube URL and create a real subtitle project. Subvideo can generate fresh SRT subtitles from the spoken audio, while existing YouTube captions remain available as a faster secondary route.
Start with a YouTube URL
Choose what you actually need: create fresh subtitles from the video audio, or load an existing caption track.
Existing caption track found
YouTube to SRT is not the same as a subtitle downloader
The two tools solve different jobs. This page is for creating a subtitle result from a YouTube video; the downloader is for exporting captions that already exist on YouTube.
YouTube → SRT Converter
Use this when you need a new SRT project, especially when captions are missing, incomplete or not good enough. The video is imported and transcribed with the Subvideo workflow.
YouTube Subtitle Downloader
Use the downloader when a creator-uploaded or YouTube-generated caption track already exists and you simply want to export that track as SRT.
How the YouTube → SRT workflow works
The converter starts from the video itself, not from the assumption that a usable subtitle track already exists.
1. Paste the YouTube URL
Links from standard YouTube pages, youtu.be, Shorts, embeds and live URLs are recognized.
2. Create or reuse subtitles
Create a fresh AI transcription from the spoken audio. If an existing caption track is enough, you can use that faster route instead.
3. Review text and timing
Open the result in Subvideo and check names, punctuation, cue boundaries, reading length and speaker changes.
4. Export the SRT
Download standard SubRip subtitles with numbered cues and timestamps, ready for editors, players and publishing platforms.
What if the YouTube video has no captions?
That is exactly where the converter differs from the downloader. A missing YouTube caption track does not have to end the workflow: Subvideo can create a new transcription project from the video audio.
Existing creator captions
Often the best shortcut when the channel owner uploaded a carefully edited subtitle track.
YouTube auto-captions
Convenient, but they can contain recognition errors, weak punctuation and awkward segmentation.
Fresh Subvideo transcription
Useful when no suitable captions exist or when you want a new subtitle project generated from the spoken audio.
Existing captions vs fresh AI transcription
Existing captions are fast to reuse, but their quality varies. Fresh transcription is the better path when captions are absent, badly punctuated, incomplete or out of sync.
What the SRT output contains
SRT stores subtitles independently from YouTube: each cue has a number, start time, end time and text. That makes the result portable and editable outside the YouTube player.
Useful YouTube → SRT workflows
Your own channel
Create downloadable subtitles for videos that never had a clean caption track.
Courses and training
Reuse YouTube-hosted lessons on an LMS with a portable SRT file.
Interviews and podcasts
Create timed subtitles and optionally separate speakers before republishing.
Localization
Create a strong original-language subtitle track first, then translate it for other regions.
Editing
Bring SRT into Premiere, Final Cut, Resolve or another editor instead of relying on the YouTube player.
Content repurposing
Use the subtitle text as a basis for transcripts, articles, show notes and social clips.
YouTube to SRT questions
Can this create SRT if the video has no YouTube captions?
Yes. The AI conversion path creates a new transcription project from the video instead of depending on an existing caption track.
What is the difference from the YouTube Subtitle Downloader?
The downloader exports captions that already exist. This converter can start a new AI transcription when suitable captions are missing.
Which YouTube URLs are supported on the page?
The URL parser accepts common watch, youtu.be, Shorts, embed and live URL forms.
Does the AI conversion translate the subtitles automatically?
No. The premium landing page starts in the original spoken language with automatic language detection. Translation is a separate next step.
Which recognition quality is used?
The page starts the standard middle-quality workflow, matching the default premium landing-page setup.
Can I still download existing YouTube captions?
Yes. Use the secondary caption option on this page or the dedicated YouTube Subtitle Downloader.
Can I edit the SRT afterwards?
Yes. The AI route creates a normal Subvideo project so text and timing can be reviewed before export.
Should I process any public YouTube video?
Only process content you own, manage, are licensed to use, or otherwise have permission to process.
Turn the YouTube video into a real SRT project
Use existing captions when they are good enough. When they are not, create a fresh timed subtitle track from the video audio.
Start YouTube to SRT