1. Upload the full video
Pick the whole file. A long video does not need trimming or splitting first. If the file is over 10 GB, upload its audio track instead; the subtitles come from the speech.
VideoText workflow guide
Generate Subtitles for Long Videos
Create SRT or VTT subtitles for a 2-, 3- or 4-hour video from a single upload. Timing runs continuously from the first cue to the last, so there are no offsets to fix and no part files to merge. Free covers videos up to 30 minutes; Pro covers files up to 4 hours each.
Fix Long Video Subtitles timing and reading-speed issuesGenerate subtitles with readable line timingExport Long Video Subtitles captions without timestamp drift
Why long videos are where subtitle tools break
- A 4-hour video produces thousands of subtitle cues. Editors that load every cue into one timeline slow down well before that, and tools with a 30- to 120-minute cap force you to cut the video and offset each part file by hand. Here the video is processed as one file, so the timestamps in cue 3,000 are as correct as the ones in cue 1.
- Pro accepts files up to 4 hours (240 minutes) each and uploads up to 10 GB, within 30 hours of speech a month. Free handles videos up to 30 minutes. The length of your file is read in the browser before it uploads, so you know whether it fits first.
- Subtitles are generated from the speech itself, with line breaks and cue lengths sized for reading. You can review and correct cues before exporting, and any timing or formatting problem can be checked in Fix Subtitles.
From a long video to a finished subtitle file
2. Review the cues
Check names, technical terms and any section with overlapping speakers. Corrections are made on the cues themselves, so timing is kept.
3. Export SRT or VTT
SRT works for YouTube, Vimeo and most editors; VTT works for web players. Both keep continuous timing for the whole video.
4. Translate if you need other languages
Take the finished SRT into Translate Subtitles to produce the same cues in another language, with the original timing kept.
The subtitle files you get
SRT file for the whole video
One numbered file from the first cue to the last, ready to upload to YouTube Studio or import into Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve or Final Cut.
VTT file for web players
The same cues in WebVTT for HTML5 players and course platforms.
Transcript from the same job
The text behind the subtitles is available as a transcript, so the same upload gives you captions and searchable notes.
One subtitle file compared with stitched parts
| Feature | VideoText | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Subtitle files | One SRT or VTT for the full video | One per part, merged by hand |
| Timing | Continuous from start to end | Each part restarts at 00:00:00 and needs offsetting |
| Longest file | Up to 4 hours per file on Pro | Commonly 30 to 120 minutes |
| After export | Check timing and line length in Fix Subtitles | Manual checks in a text editor |
Long videos that need subtitles
YouTube long-form and livestream recordings
Upload your own SRT when automatic captions are missing or poor on a long video.
Courses and lectures
Caption full-length lessons for accessibility without cutting them into shorter clips.
Films and documentaries
Produce a subtitle file for the full running time, then translate it for other audiences.
Public meetings
Caption multi-hour council or board meeting recordings as a single file.
Subtitle edge cases that cause QA failure
CPS violation — splitting required
Eight words spoken in 1.2 seconds: "we need to fix this before the deadline" at 24 CPS. The line must be split into two display segments within the same timing window to hit the readable 14–17 CPS range.
Subtitle timing overlap
Block ending at 00:01:23,500 overlapping a block starting at 00:01:23,200 causes display flicker and rendering failure in most SRT players. A subtitle validator catches this before upload.
Mobile frame crop
A two-line subtitle with 44+ characters per line at default font sizes clips at the bottom of mobile video frames. The safe area for mobile subtitles is a single line, 38 characters maximum, positioned at 85% vertical height.
Burned caption rendering after encode
Font stroke weight, drop shadow depth, and subtitle vertical position all shift slightly after H.264 encoding. Captions that look correct in preview may become harder to read in the encoded file — requires a post-encode QA pass before publishing.
Platform-specific subtitle requirements
YouTube SRT requirements
UTF-8 encoding required. Maximum 1,500 subtitle blocks per file. Timestamp format: 00:00:00,000 (comma separator, not period). Files over 1,500 blocks need splitting before upload. YouTube auto-syncs uploaded SRT to audio — small timing offsets are corrected automatically.
TikTok caption behavior
TikTok generates its own auto-captions and displays them over uploaded SRT files in most cases. Burned captions are the reliable method for ensuring accurate captions appear on TikTok content. SRT upload works but TikTok may override it.
Instagram Reels caption handling
Instagram does not display soft subtitle tracks during autoplay in Feed or Reels. Burned captions are the only reliable method for ensuring captions appear for silent autoplay viewers. Instagram's built-in auto-caption feature can also be used after upload, but accuracy varies.
VTT vs SRT encoding difference
VTT uses period timestamp separators (00:00:00.000) while SRT uses commas (00:00:00,000). Swapping the separator character breaks parsing in most players. VTT files must begin with the WEBVTT header line — SRT files must not.
Subtitle workflow questions answered
How long can a video be for subtitle generation?
On Pro, up to 4 hours (240 minutes) per file, with uploads up to 10 GB and 30 hours of speech a month. Free handles videos up to 30 minutes.
Will the timing drift on a long video?
The video is processed as one file, so cues are timed against the original recording from start to finish. There are no part files to offset. If a file you already have has drifted, Fix Subtitles can check and correct its timing.
Which subtitle formats can I download?
SRT and VTT. SRT is the usual choice for YouTube and video editors; VTT is the standard for web players.
Can I burn the subtitles into a long video?
Burn Subtitles handles videos up to 2 hours on Pro. For longer videos, upload the SRT or VTT file to your player or platform instead of burning it in.
Can I translate the subtitles?
Yes. Export the SRT, then open it in Translate Subtitles to get the same cues in another language with the original timing kept.