FastTools

Cleaning & Formatting

Clean, reformat, and fix encoding issues in subtitle files

5 tools

Tools in This Collection

Subtitle Cleaning Workflow

Subtitle files from streaming services, torrent releases, and automated transcription often arrive with problems: formatting tags, hearing-impaired annotations, encoding errors, or styling that doesn't match your preferences. These five tools handle the most common subtitle cleanup tasks in your browser.

Removing Formatting Artifacts

The SRT Cleaner removes common formatting artifacts from subtitle files: HTML formatting tags (, , ), hearing-impaired annotations (text in brackets like [MUSIC] or [LAUGHS]), SDH (subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) descriptions, advertising lines sometimes embedded in downloaded subtitle files, and inconsistent line break patterns. After cleaning, cue numbers are re-sequenced from 1. The result is a clean, plain-text subtitle file ready for use or further editing.

Fixing Character Encoding

The Subtitle UTF-8 Converter fixes the most common subtitle encoding problem: a file created in Windows-1252 or Latin-1 encoding being read as UTF-8, which causes accented and non-ASCII characters to display as garbled symbols (mojibake). Common example: a French subtitle where "é" displays as "é". The converter detects the likely original encoding and re-encodes the file as proper UTF-8.

Merging Two Subtitle Tracks

The Subtitle Merger combines two SRT files into one, interleaving cues by timestamp. Common use case: merging original-language subtitles (for foreign-language sections of a film) with a primary-language subtitle track, or creating bilingual subtitles for language learning by combining two translations. Overlapping cues are displayed simultaneously.

Styling Subtitles for Accessibility

The Subtitle Color Changer adds color tags to subtitle cues — useful for distinguishing speakers in a dialogue by color, or for accessibility purposes where certain colors are easier to read against specific backgrounds. The Subtitle Position Changer adjusts where subtitles appear on screen — moving them to the top of the frame when they overlap on-screen text, or centering them for certain playback contexts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my subtitles show garbled characters like é instead of é?

This is a character encoding mismatch. The subtitle file was created in Windows-1252 or Latin-1 encoding but is being read as UTF-8. The Subtitle UTF-8 Converter detects the original encoding and converts the file to proper UTF-8, which resolves the garbled characters. This is very common with older SRT files for European-language content.

What does the SRT Cleaner remove?

The SRT Cleaner removes: HTML formatting tags (<i>, <b>, <font> and their closing variants), hearing-impaired annotations in brackets like [MUSIC] or [LAUGHS], SDH descriptions, advertising lines sometimes embedded in downloaded subtitle files, excessive line breaks, and trailing whitespace. Cue numbers are re-sequenced from 1 after cleaning.

Can I merge English and Spanish subtitle files for language learning?

Yes. The Subtitle Merger combines two SRT files by interleaving cues in timestamp order. For bilingual subtitles, load the primary language as the first file and the second language as the second file. Cues that appear at the same time are displayed simultaneously. This creates a dual-language subtitle file useful for language learning or viewing content with both original and translated subtitles.