How to Burn Subtitles into a Video (Open Captions)

I have created a tutorial video on how to burn subtitles into a video using my web app and a subrip file. It is on my Shotcut Tutorials YouTube channel:

The web app takes the subrip file and creates an MLT project file from it. You then open this MLT file as a clip on a track in your original project with the video in it and hey presto the subtitles appear as if by magic!

I have another web app that you can use to create the subrip file, or you could use another app, like Aegisub, or even a simple text editor. For more information see the description for the YT video here:

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I meant to link this thread to this one:

Hi,

I have followed all the steps in the video instruction. I can watch the video with subtitle in the preview window.

But if I click on export it says parts of the file are missing.
Screenshot_20221230_033455

Does not matter if I choose ok or ignore, the result is the same. Videos with big letter INVALID watermarked on them.

Please help. Feels so near yet so far.

The job’s logfile should say which file is missing. Right-click on the job and see what it says.

@Elusien

Where do I right-click?

The preview window shows the video with subtitle just like you said. The problem is when I try to export the file.

Oh this is strange, usually the job appears in the Jobs window.

Try looking in the Application Log, menu item ViewApplication Log

Ce ne serait pas par hasard le nom de votre fichier qui contient des " % "
Un bug a été corrigé récemment.

It would not be by chance the name of your file that contains “%”.
A bug has been fixed recently.

Okay I have found a solution. A little more work but serves the purpose. After it says missing some files (it gives every time I try to export a file with subtitle from your tool), I click ok. Then save the project. If I open the file again, it offers to locate the missing files


I then double click on the file path and locate the subtitle mlt which I originally downloaded using the subtitle burning tool. Shotcut creates a repaired mlt file and opens automatically. I can edit and export that, no problem.

All in all I can finally burn srt into videos using Shotcut. Thank you very much @Elusien for the tool.

I think I am using the latest version.
Screenshot_20221231_033127

La dernière version est la 22.12.21
La version précédente 22.11.25 a aussi fixé un bug avec les fichiers mlt

The latest version is 22.12.21
The previous version 22.11.25 also fixed a bug with mlt files

I’m so glad you managed to get it sorted.

Shotcut sometimes has problems if files reside in the Windows’ “special” folders like “Desktop” “Downloads” etc. due to Windows’ User Access Control system. It is best not to use these folders for input/saved/exported files. Copy or move files to your project folder (or elsewhere) instead.

Okay after you mentioned that I updated Shotcut and voila! It works straight. No more missing parts message. I can burn srt into videos quickly and easily. Thank you very much.

I did not know that. I will keep the exported files in one of my external hdds. Thank you so much for your help and your srt tool. It is helping me so much. I have one request about the web app. After uploading mlt and srt files, a small preview is shown by default. I have to click on the subtitle to see the actual size preview. Could you make the actual size preview show up first by default? It would be very helpful.

I’ll look into this, or possibly keep track of which option you used last and use that option as default when you next use the web-app.

I am glad to see the app is useful for you.

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I’ve checked out your tutorial on the Shotcut Tutorials channel, and I must say, the method to burn subtitles into a video seems quite straightforward. Good job on that!

I started working on larger projects, and I’ve collaborated with some experts in this that does the subtitling part for me. They whip up the subtitles real quick and send them over within hours. You can read about these subtitling services here if someone needs subtitling for large quantities.

Hi,

I have been using the srt to mlt generator and it is amazing. But I am having problems with a very few srt files. Some srt files are like 54kb and should be around 800kb as subtitle mlt after using the subtitle mlt generator. But comes out as 4kb. The subtitle that comes shows up as only a few seconds in the shotcut preview. It is weird. I am not having any problem with most srt files. Only sometimes one or two srt files are showing up like this.