The automatic way: matching file names
VLC looks for subtitle files next to the video when you open it. If the video is lecture.mp4 and the subtitles are lecture.srt in the same folder, they load on their own. A language code before the extension, such as lecture.es.srt, usually works too. The article on subtitle file naming covers the conventions in more detail, including forced and SDH tags for media servers.
Adding a subtitle file by hand
On desktop:
- Open the video in VLC.
- Open the Subtitle menu and choose Add Subtitle File.
- Pick the .srt or .vtt file. It starts showing immediately.
You can also drag the subtitle file onto the playing video window. On the mobile apps, the subtitle option is in the player's track or subtitle menu, which lets you browse for a file on the device.
Switching between tracks
If a video has more than one subtitle track (an embedded track plus a file you added, or two languages), choose one from Subtitle > Sub Track, or press V to cycle through them. The same menu turns subtitles off. Videos with several audio tracks, such as an original and a dubbed language, switch audio from Audio > Audio Track; videos with two audio tracks explains how those files are built.
Fixing subtitles that are early or late
VLC can shift all subtitles while you watch. On Windows and Linux, the default keys are G and H: one moves subtitles earlier and the other later, in small steps, with the current delay shown on screen. Mac keyboard shortcuts can differ, so check the hotkeys list in VLC's preferences. For an exact value, open the track synchronisation window from the Tools menu (Window on a Mac) and type the delay in seconds.
This fixes a constant offset: every line early or late by the same amount. It doesn't fix drift, where lines are fine at the start and increasingly wrong later. Drift means the subtitle file was made for a different cut or frame rate; syncing subtitles with video covers the real fixes. VLC's delay setting is also temporary: it applies to that viewing, not to the file.
A student opens a lecture whose subtitles appear about two seconds before the professor speaks. She presses the delay key until the counter shows 2,000 ms and the lines match. To keep the fix, she shifts every timestamp in the file by two seconds in a subtitle editor and saves it.
When subtitles don't show or look wrong
- Nothing appears: check that a subtitle track is selected and that the file is a real SRT or VTT, not an empty or renamed file. SRT file not working runs through the usual causes.
- Strange characters such as é instead of é: the file's text encoding doesn't match what VLC expects. Save the file as UTF-8 in a text editor, or set the default subtitle encoding in VLC's subtitle preferences. Subtitles showing strange characters explains why.
- Text too small or too large: change the font size in the subtitle and on-screen display preferences.
- Lines running off the screen: the cue itself is long. VLC wraps what it can, but splitting long lines in the file reads better.
Making subtitle files for VLC with mydubly
If you have a video but no subtitles, the subtitle generator makes SRT and VTT files from the file's speech, in the spoken language or translated into one of 21 languages. Upload the video (it stays on your device; only the audio is sent), download the SRT, rename it to match the video, and VLC picks it up. For a language you don't speak, translated subtitles explains the options.
Limits to know
- VLC's delay and display settings belong to the player. Someone else watching the same files sees the original timing.
- Automatic subtitles come one line per cue, sometimes long, and without speaker names.
- Subtitle styling in an SRT is minimal; VLC mostly decides how it looks. Burned-in subtitles are the only way to fix the look for every player.
Two subtitle languages at once
VLC normally shows one subtitle track at a time. Language learners and mixed-language families sometimes want two, for example the original language on top and English below. The reliable way is a single file that already contains both lines in each cue; dual-language subtitles explains how to build one and when it helps. For a dubbed video with a second audio track, switching audio in VLC while keeping subtitles in the original language is another way to follow along.
Subtitles on TVs and other players
If you copy the video and subtitle file to a USB stick for a smart TV, keep the same base name and folder, and prefer SRT, which TVs support more widely than VTT. Some TVs ignore subtitle files completely; in that case, burn the subtitles into a copy of the video with a tool like HandBrake, covered in adding an SRT to an MP4 with HandBrake. What an SRT file is explains the format if you need to check a file by eye.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make VLC load subtitles automatically?
Give the subtitle file the same name as the video and keep both in the same folder, for example talk.mp4 and talk.srt.
How do I fix a subtitle delay in VLC?
Use the subtitle delay keys (G and H by default on Windows and Linux) or type an exact delay in the track synchronisation window.
Does VLC save the subtitle delay?
No. The delay applies while you watch. Shift the timestamps in the file with a subtitle editor to make it permanent.
Why does VLC show strange characters in subtitles?
The file's text encoding doesn't match. Save it as UTF-8 or change VLC's default subtitle encoding.
Can VLC play VTT files?
Yes. VLC reads both SRT and WebVTT subtitle files.
How do I switch subtitle languages in VLC?
Choose a track from Subtitle > Sub Track, or press V to cycle through the available tracks.