--- title: "Subtitle Extractor" description: "Read the subtitle tracks out of an MKV or WebM file and save them as SRT or VTT. Runs in your browser, up to 500 MB, and the video is never uploaded." url: https://findutils.com/media/subtitle-extractor/ category: media --- # Subtitle Extractor Read the subtitle tracks out of an MKV or WebM file and save them as SRT or VTT. Runs in your browser, up to 500 MB, and the video is never uploaded. **Use this tool:** [Subtitle Extractor](https://findutils.com/media/subtitle-extractor/) ## Programmatic access - Browser-only: this tool works on a file, the DOM, or a browser API and has no REST or MCP id. ## Why use our Subtitle Extractor? Our subtitle extractor reads the subtitle tracks stored inside a video file and saves them as a standalone caption file. It parses MKV and WebM containers with its own Matroska reader, lists every subtitle track it finds so you can pick the language you want, and exports the selected track as SRT or WebVTT. SRT, WebVTT and ASS/SSA text tracks can all be read. MP4 and MOV subtitle tracks are not supported: re-mux those files to MKV first, or pull the track with a desktop tool such as MKVToolNix or FFmpeg. Files up to 500 MB are accepted, and the video itself stays on your device. ## Tips for Best Results - Make sure your video has embedded soft subtitles, not hardcoded (burned-in) text overlays, which cannot be extracted by any tool. - MKV is the container this tool reads, and it is also the one that usually carries the most subtitle tracks. If you have a choice of source file, take the MKV. - After extraction, open the SRT file in a plain text editor to verify timestamps and fix any encoding issues with special characters. - For videos downloaded from streaming platforms, subtitles are often delivered as separate sidecar files rather than embedded tracks. Check the download folder for .srt or .vtt files first. - If the tool reports no subtitles for an MP4 or a MOV file, that is expected: re-mux it to MKV with MKVToolNix or FFmpeg, then load the MKV here. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What types of subtitles can be extracted? This tool extracts text subtitle tracks stored inside MKV and WebM containers, including SRT, WebVTT and ASS/SSA tracks. Burned-in subtitles, which are rendered into the video frames during encoding, cannot be extracted by any tool. Image-based tracks such as PGS and VobSub are pictures rather than text and are not read here. ### What output formats can I save? You can save the selected track as SRT (SubRip) or as WebVTT. SRT is the format almost every desktop and TV player accepts; WebVTT is what the HTML video element and most web players expect. The cue text and the timings are the same in both. ### Can I extract subtitles in multiple languages? Yes. Every subtitle track found in the container is listed, so a file carrying English, Spanish and a forced track shows all three. Pick one from the dropdown, check the preview and save it, then choose another track and save that one too. ### Is my video uploaded anywhere? No, not the video. The file is parsed in your browser and the tool code sends no part of it to a server. The page itself loads analytics and ad scripts, as most websites do, so a network monitor shows requests from those. They are separate from the tool code. ### Why does it say 'No subtitles found'? Three things cause it. The file is an MP4 or a MOV, whose subtitle tracks this tool does not read; the container genuinely has no subtitle track; or the subtitles are burned into the picture, which no tool can recover as text. For an MP4 or a MOV, re-mux it to MKV with MKVToolNix or FFmpeg and load the MKV here. ### What is the difference between soft subtitles and hardcoded subtitles? Soft subtitles are stored as a separate data track inside the video container and can be turned on or off by the viewer. Hardcoded subtitles are permanently rendered into the video frames during encoding and cannot be separated from the image. ### Is there a file size limit for videos? Yes. The page accepts files up to 500 MB and refuses anything larger before parsing starts. The video is read in your browser, so within that cap the practical limit is your device's available memory rather than a server quota. ### Can I extract subtitles from YouTube or streaming videos? No. This tool reads local files on your device, not URLs. For YouTube, use its own transcript feature. For anything else, download the video together with its subtitle tracks, and load the MKV here if the tracks are inside the container. ### Can I save the subtitles as VTT or ASS? VTT yes, ASS no. Any extracted track can be saved as SRT or as WebVTT. ASS and SSA tracks can be read out of the container, but their styling is dropped when the cues are written as SRT or VTT. If the styling has to survive, pull the script out with MKVToolNix instead. ### Can I use this tool on my phone or tablet? Yes, the tool works in any modern mobile browser. However, processing large video files on mobile devices may be slower due to limited memory and processing power compared to a desktop computer. ## Related Tools - [SRT to TXT](https://findutils.com/convert/srt-to-txt/) - [Subtitle Cleaner](https://findutils.com/media/subtitle-cleaner/) - [Subtitle Shifter](https://findutils.com/media/subtitle-shifter/) - [ASS to SRT](https://findutils.com/convert/ass-to-srt/) - [SRT to VTT](https://findutils.com/convert/srt-to-vtt/) - [Video Trimmer](https://findutils.com/media/video-trimmer/) - [Video Format Converter](https://findutils.com/media/video-format-converter/) - [Extract Audio from Video](https://findutils.com/media/video-to-audio/) - [Video Metadata Extractor](https://findutils.com/media/video-metadata-extractor/) - [Caption Generator](https://findutils.com/generate/caption-generator/)