How to burn subtitles into video
Permanently hardcode SRT captions into any video in 4 steps. Free, online, no software required.
Step 1: Upload your video
Drag and drop or click to upload your video file. SRTBurn supports MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, and WebM formats up to 100MB on the free tier.
Step 2: Upload your SRT file
Add your subtitle file in SRT format. This is the standard subtitle format used by most transcription tools, including YouTube Studio, Descript, Whisper, and CapCut.
Step 3: Choose a subtitle style
Pick from preset styles optimized for different platforms. Adjust font size, color, and position to match your brand or content style.
Step 4: Download your video
Processing takes about 30 seconds. Once complete, download your video with permanently burned-in subtitles. Ready to upload to TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube.
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean to burn subtitles into a video?
Burning subtitles (also called hardcoding or hard-subbing) permanently renders the caption text onto every frame of the video. Unlike soft subtitles (which are a separate track viewers can toggle), burned subtitles are always visible and cannot be turned off. This is ideal for social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, which don't support separate subtitle tracks.
What is an SRT file?
An SRT (SubRip Subtitle) file is a plain-text file that contains subtitle text along with timestamps. Each entry has a sequence number, a start and end time, and the caption text. Most transcription and captioning tools (YouTube Studio, Descript, Whisper, CapCut, Rev, Otter.ai) can export SRT files.
What video formats does SRTBurn support?
SRTBurn supports MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, and WebM input files. The output is always MP4 with H.264 encoding, which is compatible with all major platforms including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter/X, and Facebook.
Is SRTBurn free?
Yes. You can burn subtitles into videos up to 100MB for free with no signup required. Your files are automatically deleted after 60 minutes. Pro users get unlimited processing, larger file sizes, and no watermark.
How long does processing take?
Most videos are processed in about 30 seconds. Longer or higher-resolution videos may take slightly longer. Processing happens on our servers, so your computer's speed doesn't matter.
Do I need to install any software?
No. SRTBurn runs entirely in your browser. There is nothing to download or install. It works on any device with a web browser, including phones, tablets, and computers.
Can I burn subtitles into a video for TikTok?
Yes. SRTBurn outputs H.264 MP4 files that are fully compatible with TikTok. Many creators use SRTBurn specifically to add captions to their TikTok videos, since TikTok's built-in auto-captions are often inaccurate.
What's the difference between SRTBurn and SubEmbed?
SRTBurn permanently hardcodes subtitles into the video (they're always visible). SubEmbed adds a toggleable subtitle track that viewers can turn on or off. Use SRTBurn for social media (TikTok, Reels, Shorts). Use SubEmbed for films, courses, or accessibility where viewers should control caption visibility.
How do I create an SRT file?
You can create SRT files using: YouTube Studio (auto-generate, then download), Descript (transcribe and export as SRT), OpenAI Whisper (free AI transcription), CapCut (export captions as SRT), Rev or Otter.ai (paid transcription services), or any text editor (SRT is a simple text format).