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How to Add Subtitles to a Movie in VLC
Edited 1 week ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team
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Watching movies is a fun pastime, especially when they are complemented with subtitles that enhance the viewing experience by making the dialogue clear and accessible. Subtitles are important because they make content accessible to a global audience, including people with hearing impairments or people who speak different languages. In this guide, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of adding subtitles to a movie in VLC, a versatile and popular media player known for its flexibility and ease of use.
VLC media player is a free software that supports a wide range of audio and video formats, and one of its most appreciated features is the ability to add subtitles to video files. This guide is aimed at simplifying the process, even if you are new to VLC or digital media players in general.
Step 1: Install VLC media player
If you haven't installed VLC media player yet, you'll need to start by downloading it. Visit the official VLC website at videolan.org and download the version compatible with your operating system. VLC is available for Windows, macOS and Linux platforms, so make sure you choose the right version. Follow the installation instructions, which are generally straightforward: run the installer, accept the license agreement, choose your installation preferences and let the installation complete.
Step 2: Get subtitles for your video
Subtitle files usually come in formats such as SubRip (.srt), WebVTT (.vtt), or SubViewer (.sub). These files can be downloaded from many sites such as:
Find the subtitle file that matches the video file you plan to watch. It is important to make sure that the subtitles match the movie version, as different releases may have different time codes for dialogues, which will affect synchronization.
Once downloaded, make sure the subtitles are saved in an easily accessible location, such as the same folder as your movie file. It is a good practice to rename the subtitle file to match the name of the movie file, which simplifies the automatic loading of subtitles in VLC.
Step 3: Load your movie into VLC
After you install VLC and download the appropriate subtitle file, open the VLC media player. You can load your movie file into VLC by doing one of the following:
- Drag and drop the movie file into the VLC window.
- Go to menu: Media > Open File, and go to the location of your movie, then select and open it.
This action will queue your video for playback in VLC, and make it ready for adding subtitles.
Step 4: Add subtitles to your movie
To add subtitles, follow these steps:
- Make sure your movie is playing or paused in VLC.
- Go to the menu bar at the top, select Subtitles > Add Subtitle File….
- Locate and select the subtitle file you downloaded (example.srt).
By doing so, VLC will overlay the subtitles on your movie. If the timing matches the movie properly, you should see the subtitles displayed in sync with the spoken dialogue.
Step 5: Adjust subtitle settings (if needed)
Sometimes, despite choosing the right subtitle file, you may find that the subtitles are not perfectly synced with your movie. VLC provides tools to adjust the subtitle timing to sync with the video to solve this problem:
- Stop the movie when you feel there is a timing issue.
- Go to the menu: Tools > Track Synchronization.
- In the window that appears, navigate to the area labeled Subtitle Track Synchronization.
- You can adjust the timing using the Advance Subtitle field: positive milliseconds will delay the subtitle, negative will advance it.
Play and pause your video to test subtitle synchronization by adjusting this option. When the dialogue appears matching the action in the movie, your subtitles are properly synced.
Step 6: Troubleshoot subtitle problems
Despite your best efforts, you may encounter subtitle playback issues such as wrong timing, missing subtitles, or the wrong language. Let's look at solutions to common problems:
Wrong time
Sometimes manual synchronization fails to align subtitles properly. Consider the following methods:
- Get another subtitle file: Go back to the subtitle download websites and try to find alternative subtitles that more accurately match your movie file.
- SubRip subtitle file adjustment: Advanced users can open .srt files in plain text editors such as Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (macOS) to manually adjust the start and end times of subtitle entries. Note that times in .srt files are formatted as
HH:MM:SS,ms.
Subtitles missing
If some subtitles are not displayed:
- Check if VLC is accessing the correct subtitle file: Re-open it via Subtitles > Add Subtitle File... and verify that the correct subtitle file is loaded.
- Adjust rendering settings: In VLC, remove OpenGL rendering if it is enabled, as it sometimes conflicts with subtitles.
Foul language
Make sure the subtitle file is in the language you want. Subtitle download platforms often offer subtitles in multiple languages, so it's important to choose the right subtitle during download. Subtitle file names often reference the language code (for example, French may appear as fr or fre).
Other useful VLC subtitle tips
VLC has many more features than just loading subtitles. Here's a look at some additional VLC subtitle settings you may find useful:
Automatically loading subtitles
By making sure your movie and subtitle file share the same file name and are stored in the same directory, VLC can automatically detect and load the subtitle file every time you play the video. This automation saves effort and ensures you never forget to enable subtitles.
Subtitle customization
You can change the format of subtitles in VLC as follows:
- Go to Tools > Preferences.
- Select Subtitles / OSD.
- Change parameters such as font, size, position, and color under the Subtitle Effects section.
Customizing subtitles according to your aesthetic preference or viewing convenience can enrich your movie watching experience.
Conclusion
By following these simple steps, you will be able to add and customize subtitles to your movies using VLC with confidence. Subtitles not only make content accessible to a wider audience, but also deepen understanding by integrating translation into viewing.
Whether you want to bridge the language gap, enhance the educational experience, or simply make sure you understand every word in a cinematic masterpiece, subtitles change the way you engage with video media. When you watch movies with subtitles through VLC, you'll appreciate the program's wide customizability and ease of use, making movie nights more enjoyable and accessible for everyone.
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