---
title: "Subtitle Extractor - Export Video Tracks to SRT | CanDoYa"
description: "Extract embedded subtitles from MKV, MP4, MOV, or WebM video and download an editable SRT file. Private browser processing with no upload."
url: https://candoya.com/tools/subtitle-extractor/
locale: en
type: browser-tool
---

# Free Subtitle Extractor

Category: Social & Creator

## How do I extract subtitles from a video?

A subtitle extractor finds text subtitle streams stored inside a video container and exports the track as a separate SRT file. Choose a video, scan its tracks, select the language you need, and download the result. The video stays on your device while a browser-based FFmpeg engine does the work.

This tool reads embedded subtitle streams from common video containers such as MKV, MP4, MOV, and WebM. It shows each track's language and codec before converting the selected text stream to SubRip SRT. ASS and SSA styling is omitted because SRT stores timing and text, not advanced positioning or typography.

Embedded subtitles are different from captions painted into the picture. Burned-in captions need frame-by-frame OCR, while a video with speech but no subtitle stream needs transcription. The extractor reports those cases honestly instead of returning an empty file.

## How to use it

1. **Choose a video** - Drop an MKV, MP4, MOV, WebM, AVI, MPEG, or another supported container into the extractor.
2. **Scan its streams** - Start the local scan and wait while the browser reads the video's track metadata.
3. **Select a text track** - Compare the language and codec labels, then choose the embedded subtitle stream you want.
4. **Export SRT** - Extract the selected track, review or copy the text, and download the separate SRT file.

## Who it's for

- **Editors** can save a subtitle track before transcoding, compressing, or replacing a video container.
- **Translators** can turn an embedded text stream into an editable SRT file for localization work.
- **Students and researchers** can recover captions from lectures or archived recordings for note-taking.
- **Media librarians** can separate language tracks from MKV collections without uploading large source files.

## Expert note

FFmpeg calls this operation demuxing: it selects one stream from a container. Converting ASS, SSA, WebVTT, or MP4 mov_text to SRT preserves cue timing and text, but SRT cannot preserve font, color, placement, karaoke, or other rich styling instructions.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is my video uploaded when I extract subtitles?

No. Your file is read from a browser file object and processed by a WebAssembly build of FFmpeg in this tab. The engine code downloads when first needed, but the selected video, stream metadata, and extracted SRT are not uploaded to CanDoYa or stored in an account.

### Is this subtitle extractor free?

Yes. You can scan a video, select an embedded text subtitle track, copy the result, and download SRT without an account, watermark, or usage credit. Browser memory is the practical limit, so very large feature films may work better in desktop software such as FFmpeg or MKVToolNix.

### Which video formats can I use?

The extractor accepts common containers including MKV, MP4, MOV, WebM, AVI, MPEG, TS, and WMV. Actual success depends on the subtitle codec inside the container. Text formats such as SRT, ASS, SSA, WebVTT, and mov_text can usually be converted to SRT.

### Can it extract hardcoded or burned-in subtitles?

No. Burned-in subtitles are pixels in each video frame, not a separate subtitle stream. Recovering them requires optical character recognition across many frames. This tool only extracts embedded streams and will show a clear no-tracks result when a video contains only burned-in captions.

### Can it create subtitles from speech?

No. Audio transcription creates new text by recognizing speech, while this tool retrieves subtitle text already stored in the video container. If the scan finds no subtitle stream, use a speech-to-text or automatic caption tool instead of trying another output format.

### Why is an embedded subtitle track marked as image-based?

Blu-ray PGS and DVD VobSub tracks store timed bitmap images rather than characters. They are real embedded subtitle streams, but converting their pictures into editable SRT requires OCR. The scanner lists them so you know the track exists, then prevents a misleading text export.

### Will SRT preserve subtitle styling?

No. SRT preserves cue order, start and end times, and basic text. Rich formats such as ASS or SSA can also describe fonts, colors, screen positions, animations, and karaoke timing. Those presentation details are lost when the selected track is converted to a simpler SRT file.

## Related tools

- [SRT Editor](https://candoya.com/tools/srt-editor/)
- [Subtitle Burner](https://candoya.com/tools/burn-in-subtitles/)
- [Auto Captions](https://candoya.com/tools/auto-captions/)
- [Video Metadata Viewer](https://candoya.com/tools/video-metadata-viewer/)
- [Audio Extractor](https://candoya.com/tools/extract-audio-from-video/)

---

*Markdown edition of <https://candoya.com/tools/subtitle-extractor/>, published for AI agents and other automated readers. Index of key pages: <https://candoya.com/llms.txt>.*