Translate VTT subtitles
Drop a WebVTT (.vtt) caption file. The text is translated; timestamps and the file structure stay intact.
Don't upload confidential documents on the free tier. Why?
WebVTT is the caption format web video players use, and it is what many online course platforms and video tools export. It looks like SRT but has its own header and rules, and a small formatting slip can stop a player from loading it. DropTranslate keeps the WEBVTT header, every timestamp and every cue identifier exactly as they are, and replaces only the caption text. The translated file can go straight back into your player or course platform as an extra language track.
How it works
Drop the .vtt
We count the words in the captions and show the credit cost before you confirm.
Pick the language
Choose the target; the source is detected from the caption text.
Download the .vtt
Add it to your player as a new caption track next to the original.
What changes, what stays
Translated
- Caption text in each cue
Kept as-is
- The WEBVTT header
- Cue identifiers and timestamps
- The order of cues
Layout: Exact: timing unchanged
Captions keep their exact timing. Only the words change, and lines are kept to a readable length.
- Longer translations have the same on-screen time as the original. For very fast speech, a few cues may feel dense in languages that run longer than English.
- We translate caption files only, not the audio or video itself.
Tips
- If your platform only accepts SRT, most subtitle editors convert VTT to SRT in one step, and we support SRT too.
- Label the new track with the language name your viewers will recognise, for example Español rather than Spanish.
Not a certified translation
Machine translation, not a certified or sworn translation. If your document goes to an authority, check what it requires first.
Certified, sworn or machine translation: which one do you need?
Questions
Will the captions still load in my player?
They should. We keep the WEBVTT header, timestamps and cue structure exactly as in your original file, so a player that read the original reads the translation the same way.
What is the difference between VTT and SRT?
Both store timed captions. VTT is the web standard used by HTML5 video players and has a WEBVTT header and a few extra features; SRT is older and widely supported by desktop players and editors. We translate both.
How are credits counted?
One credit per 500 words of caption text. Timestamps don't count. You see the cost before you confirm.