SubtitleMedic

Join SRT Files

Your film is one file but its subtitles come in two parts? Add part 1 and part 2 (.srt, .vtt, .ass, .sbv or .sub), enter how long the first video runs, and download one subtitle file for the whole film.

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How to join two subtitle files

  1. Add part 1 and part 2

    Drop the subtitles of the first video into the first box and those of the second video into the second, or drop both at once: the first file becomes part 1. Use the swap button if they end up the wrong way round.

  2. Tell the tool where part 2 starts

    Leave “After part 1” selected and type the running time of the first video, such as 52:10 or 1:02:03. If you don’t know it, use the button that fills in the end of part 1’s last line. If part 2’s times already go on from part 1, choose “Keep its times”.

  3. Check the joined file and download it

    The preview lists every line of the joined file with its new time, and marks where part 2 begins. Download it and it is named after part 1 with joined added, in part 1’s format.

Why subtitles come in two parts

Films used to be shared on two CDs, each holding about 700 MB, so a long film was cut into two video files, often named CD1 and CD2. Subtitles were made to match: one file per video, and each file starts counting from 0:00, because that is where its own video starts. Many of those subtitle files are still the only ones available for older films.

Today the same film usually comes as one video file. Load the CD1 subtitles and they fit the first half; the second half has nothing. Load the CD2 subtitles and their lines appear in the first half, an hour too early. Joining fixes that: part 2 is moved later by exactly the length of the first video, so its first line lands where the second video used to begin.

The same happens with TV recordings split at an ad break, lectures recorded in two sessions, and long videos a camera split into several files.

Getting the offset right

Use the length of the video, not of the subtitles. The last line of part 1 usually ends a few seconds, sometimes a minute, before the first video ends: credits, music or silence follow. Moving part 2 by the end of that last line makes every line of part 2 early by that difference. The button that uses the last line is a good start when you have nothing else; check a line in part 2 against the film afterwards.

Small error left over? If every line of part 2 is still a second or two early or late, download the joined file and fix that half with Shift Subtitle Timing, which can move only the lines from a given line on.

Different frame rates. If part 2 starts in sync but drifts further off towards the end, the files were made for another frame rate than your video. Convert them with Change Subtitle Frame Rate before or after joining.

Tips

Name the file after the video. Players load subtitles by themselves when the names match: movie.mkv and movie.srt. Rename the joined file once you are happy with it.

Going the other way? To cut one subtitle file into CD1 and CD2 for a film split in two, use Split SRT File.

Two languages, not two parts? To show a translation under the original lines, use Merge Two Subtitles instead. New to subtitle files? What is an SRT file? explains how the times are written.

Frequently asked questions

How do I combine two SRT files into one?

Drop the first part under “Part 1” and the second under “Part 2”, then type how long the first video runs, for example 52:10. Every line of part 2 moves later by that much, and the two parts are saved as one file. Check the preview, then download it.

Where do I find the length of the part 1 video?

Open the first video file in your player and look at its total running time, or check the file’s properties in your file manager. If you don’t have it, the button under the field uses the end of part 1’s last line, which is usually a few seconds short of the real length.

Part 2 already continues from part 1. What should I pick?

Choose “Keep its times”. Some releases time the second file as if it were the rest of the film, so its first line is at 52:14 rather than 0:01. The two parts are then joined without moving anything.

Can I join an .srt file with a .vtt or .ass file?

Yes. The joined file is saved in the format of part 1, and part 2 is converted to it. The Download area says how many formatting items, such as positions or styles, could not be kept in that format.

Is this the same as Merge Two Subtitles?

No. Joining puts part 2 after part 1, for one film split over two files. Merge Two Subtitles shows two languages of the same film at the same time.

Are my subtitle files uploaded anywhere?

No. Both files are read and joined by JavaScript in this browser tab. They never leave your device, and the tool keeps working if you go offline after the page has loaded.

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