Shift SRT Subtitle Timing
Subtitles showing up too early or too late? Drop your file, choose how far to move it, and download the corrected version. Nothing is uploaded.
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How to use the SRT Timing Shifter
- Drop your subtitle file onto the box (or paste its text). SRT, WebVTT, ASS/SSA, SBV, LRC and MicroDVD files are detected automatically.
- Choose Delay if the subtitles appear too early, or Advance if they appear too late, then enter the amount in seconds or milliseconds.
- Optionally tick Only shift part of the file to move just a section, for example everything after 45 minutes.
- Check the preview, then download the shifted file and put it next to your video with the same file name.
Which direction should I shift?
The easiest way to decide is to watch for one line of dialogue and compare it with the subtitle on screen:
| What you see | What it means | Use |
|---|---|---|
| The subtitle appears before the actor says it | Subtitles are too early | Delay (positive offset) |
| The subtitle appears after the actor says it | Subtitles are too late | Advance (negative offset) |
To measure the offset, note the time on your player when a line is spoken and the time when its subtitle appears. The difference is the amount to enter. If the gap is always the same from the first line to the last, a plain shift is exactly the right fix.
Shift the whole file or just part of it
Sometimes only a section is out of step — for example when the video you have contains an extra studio logo at the start, or when the file was cut from a longer broadcast with commercials. Tick Only shift part of the file and enter a start and end time. Only subtitles that start inside that range are moved; everything else stays untouched.
Times can be typed as 1:05:30, 01:05:30,500 or as plain seconds such as 3930.
If the offset gets bigger as the film goes on — perfect at the start, several seconds off at the end — a single shift cannot fix it. Use the two-point subtitle sync tool, or the frame-rate converter if the cause is a 23.976 vs 25 fps mismatch.
What is preserved and what changes
Only timestamps are rewritten. Text, line breaks, italics, speaker names and ordering stay exactly as they were. Format-specific details are kept too:
- SRT – cues are renumbered from 1 and the standard
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,000layout is used. - WebVTT – cue identifiers, positioning settings and
STYLEblocks are preserved. - ASS/SSA – styles, fonts, effects, comments and the script header are kept; timestamps are rounded to hundredths of a second because that is all the format stores.
- MicroDVD (.sub) – times are converted to frames using the frame rate stored in the file (23.976 fps if none is given).
If a negative shift pushes the start of a subtitle before 00:00:00 the start is clamped to zero; subtitles that would end before zero are removed and reported.
Typical reasons subtitles are out of sync
Subtitle files are timed against one particular cut of a video. A different release, a different frame rate, a removed intro or an inserted advertisement all change the timeline. Most mismatches fall into three categories: a constant offset (fix with this tool), a gradually growing offset (fix with two-point sync) or a frame-rate mismatch (fix with the FPS converter). Our guide How to fix out-of-sync subtitles walks through diagnosing each one in under a minute.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know how many seconds to shift?
Pick a line of dialogue early in the film. Note the time on your player when it is spoken and the time when the subtitle for it appears. The difference is your offset. Fine-tune by 0.1–0.5 seconds if needed — you can run the tool again on the result.
Will my styling and formatting survive?
Yes. Only the time codes are changed. Italics, colours, ASS styles, VTT cue settings and line breaks are preserved.
Can I use negative numbers?
Use the Advance button instead. It subtracts the amount you enter, so you never need to type a minus sign.
What if the subtitles start fine but drift later in the movie?
A constant shift cannot fix drift. Use the two-point sync tool to stretch the timeline, or the FPS converter if the video was sped up or slowed down (for example 23.976 → 25 fps).
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The file is read and rewritten by JavaScript inside your browser tab. It never leaves your computer, and it is discarded when you close or reload the page.
Can my video player shift subtitles live instead?
Most can: VLC lets you nudge the subtitle delay with the G and H keys, and many players have a subtitle-delay setting. Use this tool when you want to save a permanently corrected file, for example for a TV, phone or streaming box that has no delay control.