SubtitleMedic

Split SRT File

Your video comes in two parts but the subtitles are one file? Load it (.srt, .vtt, .ass, .sbv or .sub), enter where the video is cut, and download part 1 and part 2, each starting at the right time.

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How to split a subtitle file

  1. Open your subtitle file

    Drop one .srt, .vtt, .ass, .sbv or .sub file into the box above, or click to browse. It’s read by your browser and never uploaded.

  2. Enter where to cut

    Type the time where the first video ends, such as 52:10 or 1:02:03,500. Lines that start before it go into part 1, the rest into part 2. To cut the file in half instead, press the button under the field.

  3. Download part 1, then part 2

    With “Part 1” selected, check the preview and download. Then switch to “Part 2” and download again. Part 2 starts at 0:00 unless you turn that off.

When you need to split subtitles

The film is split into two videos. Older releases often come as CD1 and CD2, two video files of about an hour each. A subtitle file for the whole film fits the first video, but on the second it shows the first half of the dialogue again. Split it where the first video ends and restart part 2 at 0:00, and each video gets subtitles that fit.

You cut a long recording. A lecture, a stream or a wedding video trimmed into two files needs its subtitles cut at the same point. The same rule applies: the cut is the length of the first file.

You want to work on part of a film. Translating or checking a long file is easier in halves. Split without restarting part 2, so it keeps the times of the whole film, and put the halves back together later with Join SRT Files using “Keep its times”.

A platform limits file size or length. Some upload forms refuse very long caption files. Splitting at the same point as the video keeps the two parts in step.

How the cut works

The tool looks at when each line is on screen. A line shown before the cut goes into part 1, a line shown after it into part 2. Nothing is lost: every line of the file is in at least one part.

A line that is still on screen when the first video ends goes into both. In part 1 it ends at the cut, so the first video doesn't carry it past its last frame; in part 2 it starts at the cut and stays for the rest of its time, so the second video opens with it, as the film would.

When part 2 starts at 0:00, the time you typed is taken off every one of its lines. A line at 52:14 in the full film becomes 0:04 in part 2, which is where it is said in the second video.

Tips

Cut where the video is cut, not at a round number. If you cut at 52:00 but the first video runs until 52:10, the lines of those last ten seconds go to part 2 and appear ten seconds early there. Use the real length, down to the second.

Lines a little off after splitting? Every line of a part early or late by the same amount means the cut time was a bit off. Fix that part with Shift Subtitle Timing, or split again with a corrected time.

Keep the original. The parts are saved as new files, such as movie.part1.srt and movie.part2.srt, so the full file stays as it was. Rename each part after its video so players load it by themselves. More on naming in What is an SRT file?

Frequently asked questions

How do I split an SRT file into two parts?

Open the file, type the time where your video is cut, such as 52:10, and download part 1. Then switch to “Part 2” and download again. Each part is named after the original with part1 or part2 added.

What happens to a line that runs across the cut?

It goes into both parts. In part 1 it ends exactly at the cut, and in part 2 it starts at the cut and stays until its usual end, so none of it is lost at the break between the two videos. The summary says how many lines that applies to.

Should part 2 start at 0:00?

Yes, if the second part is its own video file, because that video starts at 0:00 too. Turn “Start part 2 at 0:00” off only when you need the second half with the times of the whole film, for example to edit it separately and join it back later.

Can I split the file in half without knowing a time?

Yes. The button under the time field fills in the start of the line in the middle of the file, so the cut falls between two lines. Check the preview to see where it lands.

Does splitting change the text or the format?

No. Each part keeps the format of the file, its formatting and its header. Only the times of part 2 change when it starts at 0:00.

Are my subtitle files uploaded anywhere?

No. The file is read and split by JavaScript in this browser tab. It never leaves your device, and the tool keeps working if you go offline after the page has loaded.

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