Captions files require precise formatting and may fail to upload for a variety of reasons. If your SRT or VTT file fails to upload, we'll display a descriptive error message in the Upload Transcript modal.
For more information about uploading captions and transcripts, refer to our transcripts and captions overview.
Note
While we accept both SRT and VTT files, VTT files will be converted to SRT upon uploading.
SRT Formatting
SRT stands for “SubRip Text", which is a basic subtitle format. SRT files can be created and edited using most text editors.
Tip
We recommend a maximum line length of 32–40 characters to prevent your captions from being cut off or wrapped to the line below.
An SRT file is comprised of four parts:
The number for each subtitle (begins with 1).
The beginning and ending time for each subtitle, formatted as
hours:minutes:seconds,milliseconds, and separated by-->. There should be one space between the starting time and the-->, and one space between the-->and the ending time.The subtitle text. This can be on one or more lines.
A line break before the start of the next subtitle.
An SRT file should be formatting similarly to the example below:
1
00:00:00,500 --> 00:00:03,840
You can add captions in any
language to your Wistia media.
2
00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:06,337
French, Spanish,
Japanese, Arabic.
3
00:00:06,337 --> 00:00:08,420
When your viewers click
the closed captions button
4
00:00:08,420 --> 00:00:10,711
on the player, they can choose
their preferred language
5
00:00:10,711 --> 00:00:11,800
from a drop-down menu.
6
00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:15,180
Croatian, Czech, Hungarian.
Even the smallest mistake or inconsistency can interfere with your SRT file. Read on for some common errors and how to fix them.
Common Errors
Caption Start Time is After End Time
Each timestamp must be listed in chronological order. The start time of the first timestamp in a line must not exceed the end time of the second timestamp and vice versa.
Adjust your timestamps in a text editor before re-uploading to Wistia, or generate a new set of captions using the Generate Transcript option.
Invalid File Type
We accept both SRT and VTT files, though VTT files will be converted to SRT format upon upload. Other file extensions such as TXT will fail to upload.
Missing or Additional Line Breaks
Each set of line number, timestamp, and caption should be separated by a single line break. Incorrect spacing can cause uploads to fail. For example, line 15 in the file below has an extra space between the timestamp and the words below:
15
00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:46,140
But this building
doesn't completely
16
00:00:46,140 --> 00:00:47,980
represent how we work.
To correct this formatting, the first line break should be removed:
15
00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:46,140
But this building
doesn't completely
16
00:00:46,140 --> 00:00:47,980
represent how we work.
Incorrect Symbols
The start and end time of each timestamp should be separated by two hyphens and a right-facing bracket (-->). Ensure that these hyphens are not replaced by em-dashes (—).
Incorrect Character Encoding
To ensure that special characters are displayed correctly, your SRT file must be encoded in UTF-8. Captions files should not be encoded in other formats like UTF-16 or UTF-8 with BOM.
If you're comfortable using command line applications, you can use a handy tool called Subcheck to scan your SRT file for errors and make automatic corrections.
Still having trouble? Reach out to our support team for assistance!