Smartcat reads your subtitle file cue by cue, translates the text into any of 280+ languages, and rebuilds the file with the same cue numbers, the same timecodes, and line breaks that still fit the screen. No subtitle file yet? Upload the video instead and Smartcat will generate the subtitles first.
A subtitle translator translates the caption text inside a subtitle file while leaving its timing structure untouched. Smartcat parses an .srt or .vtt file into individual timed cues, translates each cue's text into any of 280+ languages using your glossary and translation memory, then rebuilds the file with identical cue numbering and timecodes.
280+
Languages
One source file, as many target languages as you need, in a single project
4
Subtitle Formats
.srt, .vtt, .ass and .sbv in, with conversion between them on export
15 Days
Free to Try
15,000 Smartwords with full access to translation capabilities, no credit card
An SRT file (SubRip Subtitle) is a plain text file that stores subtitles as a repeating block:
It is the most widely supported subtitle format there is, which is why almost every platform accepts it — and why it is the format most likely to be handed to you. Here is what happens when you translate one.
Smartcat’s AI translation is a fantastic tool. Our ability to source content from a central repository and benefit from adaptive algorithms which incorporate translation memories and glossaries across all project teams mean the business as a whole gains from each team’s translations.
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An .srt file is not text — it is text on a clock. Four things go wrong. Timecodes get translated as if they were content. Cue numbering resets or drifts when cues are merged. Deliberate line breaks get flattened into one line that runs off the frame.
And the translation runs longer than the source, so a cue that was comfortable to read in 2.1 seconds becomes impossible to read in the same 2.1 seconds. Smartcat handles the first three structurally; for the fourth, a cue that needs more reading time than the source allows is flagged in the editor, so a person decides whether to shorten the line or extend the timing.
Want the manual method first? See how to translate an SRT file.
Timing is parsed as structure, not as content, so 00:01:24,300 --> 00:01:27,850 is still 00:01:24,300 --> 00:01:27,850 in all 280+ languages. Cue numbering is preserved sequentially, so anything downstream that references cues by index still works.
When a translation runs longer than the source — normal going from English into German, Finnish or Russian — line breaks are placed for the new text rather than copied from the old, so a two-line cue stays two readable lines instead of one line that runs off the frame. Every cue stays editable in the subtitle editor, alongside your own reviewers or vetted linguists from the Marketplace.
Download a sidecar .srt or .vtt file to upload alongside your video, or export the video with subtitles burned into the picture for platforms that ignore caption files. Dubbing and voice-over from the same transcript are handled in video translation.
Whole seasons, not one file at a time
Upload a folder of episode files and each becomes a document in the same project, sharing one glossary and one translation memory. Forty files across six languages is one job, not two hundred and forty uploads.
Character and product names stay identical across every episode
Add names, product terms and recurring phrases to a glossary once and they are enforced across every file in the project — so the character called "Vera" in episode one is not "Wera" in episode nine.
.srt, .vtt and more, in the same place
Translate .srt, .vtt, .ass and .sbv files, or convert between them on export. For WebVTT specifically, see VTT translation.
Drop in the file, pick your languages, download a subtitle file that plays exactly like the one you uploaded. Free for 15 days with 15,000 Smartwords and full access to translation capabilities, no credit card.
For 15 days, yes — 15,000 Smartwords, full access to translation capabilities, every language, no credit card. After that it is a paid plan starting at $1,200/year, with translation metered in Smartwords based on word count.
The free single-file subtitle tools are genuinely free and genuinely fine for one file. What you pay for here is:
If you have one .srt and no series behind it, use a free tool. Full detail on the pricing page.
For one file in one language, right now, a free tool is faster to set up — use it. Smartcat is built for the other case: many files and many languages as one project, with batch upload.
Yes. The output is a valid subtitle file in the same format you uploaded, with the same cue numbering and the same timecodes, so any player or platform that accepted the original accepts the translation. Translation does not change timing, so a file that was already in sync stays in sync.
SRT is plain and universally accepted, with no styling. VTT is the web-native format and supports positioning and basic styling, which is what browsers and HTML5 players want. ASS carries full styling, fonts and positioning, used mostly in fansubbing and anime. Deliver what the platform asks for; if it does not say, send SRT.
Yes, and this is the main reason teams stop using free tools. Add names, product terms and recurring phrases to a glossary, and every file in the project is checked against it — a QA rule flags any cue where the approved term was not used. Add a name in episode nine and it applies across the project, so you fix it once rather than nine times.
Yes, you can edit subtitles directly in Smartcat’s Editor. Any changes your team makes get stored into your translation memories, so your AI agents get smarter and become more aligned with your brand with every project.
Yes, Smartcat's Content Translator Coworker works with SRT, VTT, and common video formats like MP4, AVI, and MOV— so you don’t have to juggle tools or convert files just to start translating multimedia content.
Both, from the same workspace. The Content Translator Coworker produces the draft; if you want a person on it, you hire a vetted subtitler from Smartcat's Marketplace and they work in your project, at a per-word rate you can see before you commit. There is no separate services contract.
Yes, Smartcat's Content Translator Coworker can generate AI voiceovers and dubbing that sound natural and consistent across languages without waiting on studio time or external vendors. AI voice-over is available in 35 locales, a smaller set than the 280+ languages available for subtitles. It’s a fast way to produce multilingual training, marketing, or product videos at scale.
Most do. Maximum characters per line, maximum lines per cue and minimum cue duration all vary by platform, and a file that plays perfectly can still be rejected by a delivery spec. Check the spec before you translate, and keep the cue structure of the source file — it is usually already built to a spec that passed.
Smartcat is SOC 2 Type II compliant. Files are encrypted in transit and at rest, workspaces are isolated so no other account can reach your media, and access is per user with role-based rights. This matters more than usual here — unreleased episodes and pre-launch training content are exactly what people paste into free browser tools without reading the terms.
Two things.
For scripted comedy or drama, use the AI draft as a base and put a human subtitler on top.
Yes, on the Anticipate and Autonomous plans. The API accepts subtitle files, returns translated files, and syncs translation memories and glossaries, so subtitle localization can run inside your own publishing pipeline rather than through the web interface. There is no API access during the free trial.
Subtitles are the cheapest way to make a video usable in a market you have not staffed yet: no re-record, no studio time, and the file stays switchable so you can add a language later without touching the video.
Question not answered here? Book a demo — a 1:1 consultation with a media localization specialist, no commitment, no form queue.