How to use SRT to plain text
- Paste the contents of your SRT file or choose a UTF-8 .srt file. Try the sample if you want to see the input format first.
- Select Convert to text. The tool checks each cue and removes its sequence number and timing line.
- Review the output. Dialogue lines remain in their original order, with a blank line between cues.
- Copy the text or download subtitles.txt. Your source file is read without being overwritten.
What the converter removes
An SRT file contains numbered cues. Each cue has a start and end time, followed by one or more lines of dialogue. Those timings help a video player display the right words at the right moment. They are often distracting when you want a readable transcript instead.
This converter removes only the cue number and timing line. It preserves the dialogue and separates adjacent cues with blank lines. It does not combine short cues into sentences, remove repeated speech, translate text, or correct names. A line containing a number is retained when that line is dialogue.
Supported files and limits
Use UTF-8 SubRip (.srt) text with a numeric cue number and a timing line in the form 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,500. Windows and Unix line endings are accepted. Standard SRT X1, X2, Y1 and Y2 coordinates are allowed after the timing line. WebVTT timing settings and .vtt files are not supported.
The input limit is 200,000 characters. Each end time must be later than its start time, and each cue needs dialogue. Invalid input produces an error rather than a partial transcript. If a subtitle editor exported another format or encoding, export UTF-8 SRT and try again.
Use the output for a specific task
For meeting notes, extract the dialogue and review it against the recording before quoting a speaker. For a video description or show notes, use the resulting text as a working source and add your own summary. For language practice, read the extracted lines beside the original subtitles, which retain the timing information.
Plain text loses all cue timing. Keep the original SRT if you may need to edit subtitles or align a quote with the video later. This tool cannot recover timing after it has been removed, and it cannot turn audio or video into new subtitles.
Browser processing and privacy
The converter processes the selected subtitle text in the current browser page. Its conversion code sends no subtitle text to a server and saves no history in local storage. It needs no account or payment. Downloading creates a text file on your device; copying uses your browser's clipboard permission.
These statements describe this converter's code. They do not cover browser extensions, the operating system, or a hosting provider's normal requests for the page itself.
Choose plain text or keep SRT
Choose this converter when your next task needs readable words: drafting notes, searching dialogue, or preparing a transcript for manual editing. Keep SRT when your next task needs synchronized subtitles in a player or editor. The two formats serve different purposes, so plain text is not a replacement for the timed original.
The converter preserves formatting tags such as <i> exactly as text. It also preserves speaker labels and sound descriptions, including [music]. Review these details when preparing a transcript for readers. Their presence does not mean that the converter failed.
Which format do you need?
| Your next task | Input or choice | Output or result |
|---|---|---|
| Show synchronized subtitles | Includes cue timings for a subtitle player. | No cue timings; cannot synchronize playback. |
| Read or edit dialogue as notes | Contains sequence numbers and timing lines. | Contains dialogue with blank lines between cues. |
| Find the time of a quote | The original cue retains its time range. | The time range has been removed. |
| Keep an editable timed original | Keep this source file for subtitle editing. | Use this separate output for text work. |
Questions about this tool
Is the converter free?
Yes. This converter has no account, payment step, or usage counter. Each input is limited to 200,000 characters.
Does it upload my subtitle file?
The conversion code reads and processes the file in this browser page. It sends no subtitle text to a server and does not save conversion history.
Does it change my original file?
No. The original is read only. Downloading creates a separate subtitles.txt file.
Can it transcribe audio or video?
No. It needs an existing SRT file. It does not recognize speech, translate dialogue, or generate subtitles.
Why are formatting tags or repeated words still present?
The tool preserves dialogue exactly, including tags and repeated words. It removes cue numbers and timing lines, not dialogue content.
Why did my input fail?
Check that every cue has a numeric sequence number, a valid SRT timing line, and dialogue. Use UTF-8 .srt text within the character limit. Other subtitle formats require conversion first.