How to Add Subtitles in VLC Media Play

VLC is a free, open-source, and easy-to-use cross-platform multimedia player that supports numerous audio and video file formats. You can use the program on different devices, including smartphones, TVs, and PCs.

With the VLC media player, you can not only watch your favorite movie or video clip but can also add subtitles to them. This can be useful to improve your video-watching experience, especially if you are playing a foreign film or one with poor audio quality. Moreover, subtitles can also help people with hearing impairments to follow along.

Want to learn how to add subtitles in the VLC media player? Keep reading to find out!

How To Add Subtitle Files In VLC Media Player?

You can download subtitles for the language you want from a subtitle site and enjoy them while watching the movie or video clip in VLC Media Player. However, this method won't add the SRT file permanently to your videos.

Here's how you can add subtitles in the VLC media player on your video clip:

Step1 Visit the subtitles website of your choice and download the file for the video you are watching.

Step2 Save the SRT file along with your video in the same folder.

Step3 Right-click the video, click "Open With," and choose VLC media player. Alternatively, launch the player, click "Media," and select "Open file..." to import the video.

Step4 VLC Media Player will automatically detect and add the subtitles file. If not, click the "Subtitles" option in the toolbar, select "Sub Track," and choose the relevant file within the listing.

Step5 The VLC player will now display the subtitles along with your video. However, if it is still unable to find the subtitles file, click "Subtitles" > "Add Subtitles" and manually add the file you've downloaded.

Note: If the subtitles are not playing correctly along the video, you can adjust the playback delay using the G and H keys on your keyboard. This will toggle between 50ms delays.

How To Add Subtitles To Video In VLC Media Player Permanently?

Since the above method only adds subtitles temporarily, you might be looking for a solution to permanently attach the SRT file to your clip to provide a better viewing experience to your viewers or add extra information for those who have difficulty understanding the audio.

Below we've provided step-by-step methods to add subtitles to video in the VLC media player on your Windows and Mac.

On Windows

You can permanently embed the subtitles to your video in the VLC media player on your Windows in the following way:

Step1 Launch the VLC media player on your Windows PC/laptop and click "Media." Scroll down and click the "Stream" option.

Step2 Now, click "Add" in the pop-up menu and choose the video you want to play. To add a subtitles file, check the "Use a Subtitles File" option and click "Browse." Now, add the relevant SRT file you've downloaded.

Step3 Next, click the "Stream" option and choose "Next." To set the destination for your video, select "File" and click "Add." A new window will open, click the "Browse" option and enter your footage/video name.

Make sure to set the format as .mp4 or any other video format. Choose the folder for your video and click "Save." Click the "Next" option to proceed further.

Step4 Check the box next to "Active Transcoding," click the Wrench icon, and head to the "Subtitles" tab. Check the boxes next to "Subtitles" and "Overlay Subtitles on the Video.

Finally, click the "Save" option, select "Next," and click "Stream" in the new window. Wait for the processing to complete, and your video with subtitles will be saved to the folder you've selected.

On Mac

Here's how you can permanently add subtitles to your video clip in the VLC media player on your Mac:

Step1 Launch the VLC media player on your Mac and click the "File" option from the top toolbar. Click "Advanced Open File."

Step2 Now, click "Browse" on the next page and add the video to which you want to attach the subtitles. Checkmark the "Add Subtitles File" option and click "Choose." Browse and add the SRT file. Click "OK" to confirm.

Step3 Checkmark the "Stream Outputs" option and click "Settings." Next, click "Browse" in the next window to configure the output file name and folder. Afterward, click "Save" and set the Encapsulation method as "MPEG 4."

Under the Transcoding tab, checkmark the boxes next to Video and Audio. Next, click "OK" and select "Open." You can now turn on the subtitles by navigating to "Subtitles" > "Subtitles Track."

How To Create Subtitles In VLC Media Player?

It is possible to create subtitles in the VLC media player if you're unable to find an appropriate SRT file online or want to add some extra details by editing the existing one. For this method to work, you will first need to format your file in the SRT format.

Furthermore, you have to rank the text in order with a number and add timestamps in minutes, seconds, and milliseconds to determine the duration. To avoid plain text, you can also add effects to the subtitles by using HTML.

Step1 Launch a text editor on your PC, import your video to the editor, and save it in .srt format.

Step2 Open the VLC media player and play the video. Now, edit the subtitles while matching them with the timestamps.

Step3 Next, add a new line, timestamp, and subtitle for each caption.

Step4 Repeat the process to create and add all the required subtitles.

Bonus Tips: How To Add And Edit Subtitles In The Best VLC Alternative

If you find the above method difficult to understand, we recommend using Filmora. With this software program, you can not only edit your videos to make them engaging and appealing to watch but can also add and edit subtitles to them using the ten pre-build subtitles templates.

Filmora can help you to format the subtitles to match your video and add various font styles, such as WordArt, Basic, Titles, and more. In addition, you can create text with different parameters, including color fills, gradient fills, and 12 shadow effects. You can also make your captions alive with the animation effects.

Here's how you can add and edit subtitles on your videos using Filmora:

Step1 Launch the Filmora software on your PC and click "Create New Project." Drag and drop your video or select "Click here to import media" to add your video.

Step2 Add the video to the timeline and play it. Listen to the voiceover and press the "M" key to add a marker.

Now, click the "Titles" option and head to the "Subtitles" tab from the left menu. Double-click a subtitle to download and preview it.

Step3 Drag and drop the subtitle you want to use in the timeline and adjust it along the marker point.

Next, double-click the subtitle box in the timeline and type the text from the voiceover. Add color, text template, and adjust the text space.

Step4 Head to the "Advanced" tab, delete the preset text and adjust the one you've just typed. You can also add animation effects from the "Animation" tab and click "OK."

Repeat the process to add and edit the subtitles on your video till the end. Once you are satisfied, click "Export" and save the file on your PC.

Conclusion

In this article, we've explored different methods to show you how to add subtitles in the VLC media player to make your videos more engaging and easy to understand, even for those with hearing impairment.

We've also provided step-by-step instructions to use Filmora as an alternative to add and edit the subtitles on your video real quickly.

Hopefully, you've enjoyed reading this article and can now enjoy watching a video in any language with ease.