What is a subtitle downloader?
Subtitles are timed lines of text that appear on screen in step with the speech in a video. A subtitle downloader saves those lines, together with their timings, as a separate file. You can then load the file in a media player next to a downloaded video, import it into a video editor, or use it as the starting point for a translation.
Clip Converter shows every subtitle language a video has and marks automatic tracks clearly, so you know whether you are getting captions a person wrote or captions produced by speech recognition. You can preview the lines on the page before saving the file.
How to use the Subtitle Downloader
- Paste the video link. Copy the video URL, paste it on the Clip Converter homepage and press Get Clip.
- Choose a language. Open the Subtitles tab and pick a language from the menu — automatic tracks are marked “auto”.
- Preview and download. Check the preview, then press Download subtitle to save the file, ready for your player or editor.
Key features
- Complete language list. We list every caption track the video has, rather than a shortened selection.
- Standard VTT format. WebVTT files open in VLC, most video editors and every HTML5 player, and convert easily to SRT.
- Need plain text instead?. Switch to the Transcript tab to read the same captions as clean text, copy them or save a TXT file.
- Creator captions first. When a language has both creator-written and automatic captions, you get the more accurate creator version.
Subtitles, closed captions and transcripts
The three terms are often mixed up. Subtitles assume you can hear the audio and only need the dialogue in text, often in another language. Closed captions are written for viewers who cannot hear the audio and may also describe sounds such as music or laughter. On YouTube both are delivered the same way, as a caption track.
A transcript is the same text with the timings removed, arranged for reading rather than for display on top of a video. If you want to read or quote what was said, use the Transcript tab. If you want text that appears in sync with the picture, you need a subtitle file.
About the VTT format
Files are saved as WebVTT (.vtt), the subtitle standard of the web. It is supported by every HTML5 video player, by VLC and most other desktop players, and by editors such as Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve and CapCut.
Some older software only accepts SRT. The two formats are nearly identical, and any free subtitle editor converts VTT to SRT in a couple of clicks without losing timings.
Using a subtitle file with a video
The simplest method is to put the subtitle file in the same folder as the video and give both the same name — for example lecture.mp4 and lecture.vtt. VLC and most players will load the subtitles automatically. In a video editor, import the file as captions and it will be placed on the timeline with the correct timings.
Subtitle details
- File format
- WebVTT (.vtt) with full timing information
- Languages
- All manual, auto-generated and auto-translated tracks available for the video
- Need plain text?
- Use the Transcript tab for clean text without timestamps
- Need SRT?
- VTT converts to SRT in any free subtitle editor in seconds
Frequently asked questions
Why are no subtitles listed for my video?
The video has no caption track. This happens when the creator turned captions off and the platform has not generated automatic ones.
What does “Auto-generated” mean?
The captions were created by speech recognition rather than written by the creator. They are usually good for clear speech and weaker for music, noise or strong accents.
How do I use the file with a downloaded video?
Put the subtitle file in the same folder as the video with the same file name. Players such as VLC load it automatically.
Is it free? Do I need an account?
Yes, it is free, and there is no account, email or app to install. Paste a link and the tool works in your browser on any device.
Do you keep a copy of my files?
No. Files are held on our server only while they are being prepared and are deleted automatically about twenty minutes later. We do not keep a record of what you download.