---
title: "SBV to SRT"
description: "Convert a YouTube Studio .sbv caption export into the .srt that editors and players accept, or convert back the other way. Paste or drop a file; nothing is uploaded."
url: https://findutils.com/convert/sbv-to-srt/
category: convert
---

# SBV to SRT

Convert a YouTube Studio .sbv caption export into the .srt that editors and players accept, or convert back the other way. Paste or drop a file; nothing is uploaded.

**Use this tool:** [SBV to SRT](https://findutils.com/convert/sbv-to-srt/)

## Programmatic access

- REST id `sbv-to-srt`: POST https://api.findutils.com/api/tools/sbv-to-srt/execute (reference: https://findutils.com/api/sbv-to-srt/)
- MCP tool `sbv_to_srt` on https://mcp.findutils.com (reference: https://findutils.com/mcp/sbv-to-srt/)

## Why convert SBV to SRT?

YouTube Studio still offers .sbv as a caption download, and almost nothing else reads it. The format is SubViewer: each cue is a timing line like 0:00:01.000,0:00:04.000 followed by its text, with no cue numbers and no header. SubRip wants 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,000 with a number above it. The two are close enough to look interchangeable and different enough that renaming the file does not work — a player given a renamed .sbv usually shows nothing at all rather than reporting an error, which is why this trips people up.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is an SBV file?

SubViewer, the caption format YouTube Studio exports. Each cue is a timing line like 0:00:01.000,0:00:04.000 followed by the text, separated by a blank line. There are no cue numbers and no file header.

### Can I just rename the file to .srt?

No. The timing lines use different separators and SubRip requires cue numbers the SBV file does not have. Most players respond to a renamed file by showing no subtitles at all, with no error, which makes the problem hard to spot.

### Where do I download an SBV file from YouTube?

In YouTube Studio, open Subtitles, choose the video and language, then the three-dot menu next to the caption track and Download, picking SBV.

### Is my caption file uploaded?

No. It is read in your browser with the File API and converted in the tab. Nothing is sent to a server, and you can confirm that in your browser's network tab.

### Does the conversion change my caption text?

No. Only the timing lines and the cue numbering change. The words, their line breaks and their order are copied exactly.

### Can it convert back to SBV?

Yes. Switch the direction to SRT to SBV. The cue numbers are dropped and the timings rewritten in SubViewer's format.

### What if a line will not convert?

The error names the line number and shows the text it could not read, so you can find it in the input panel. A single malformed timing line is the usual cause.

### I need WebVTT, not SRT. Can this help?

Convert to SRT here, then use the SRT to VTT tool, which converts in both directions between SubRip and WebVTT.

### Are there limits on file size?

Up to about 10 MB of text, which is far larger than any real caption file — a feature-length subtitle track is usually well under 100 KB.

## Related Tools

- [SRT to VTT](https://findutils.com/convert/srt-to-vtt/)
- [ASS to SRT](https://findutils.com/convert/ass-to-srt/)
- [Subtitle Merger](https://findutils.com/media/subtitle-merger/)
- [Subtitle FPS Converter](https://findutils.com/media/subtitle-fps-converter/)
- [Subtitle Shifter](https://findutils.com/media/subtitle-shifter/)
- [Subtitle Extractor](https://findutils.com/media/subtitle-extractor/)