How to fix subtitle sync problems

Subtitle sync problems usually happen when the subtitle file was made for a different version of the video, when the video has an intro or edit, or when the subtitle timing drifts across the file.

Create fresh timed subtitles

Common causes

  1. The subtitle file belongs to a different cut of the video.
  2. The video has an added intro, ad break, or removed segment.
  3. The source clip starts later than the original full video.
  4. The media has burned-in subtitles, but the external SRT is a separate file.
  5. The subtitle text is too long to read in the available time.

Best fix

The cleanest fix is to create fresh subtitles from the exact audio or video file that will be published. This produces timestamps from the same media instead of trying to force a mismatched subtitle file to fit. After that, review the start, middle, and end of the video to check for drift.

When manual editing helps

If the subtitle file is only early or late by a constant amount, a subtitle editor can shift all timings. If the sync gets worse over time, the video and subtitle file probably do not match, and regenerating subtitles is usually faster than manual repair.