TXT to SRT converter — turn a transcript into timed subtitles

Why use Picute's text to SRT tool?

• ✓ Works entirely in your browser — your text is never uploaded to a server
• ✓ Splits your transcript into subtitle-sized lines by sentence and length, so no cue is too long to read
• ✓ Auto-times every cue from a reading-speed estimate, so durations scale with line length and short lines never flash
• ✓ Set a start offset and characters-per-line to match your video — completely free, no sign-up

How it works

1. Paste your transcript, or upload a .txt file
2. Optionally set the start time and the maximum characters per line
3. Click Convert — every line is split and timed into an SRT instantly
4. Download the .srt, then fine-tune the timing in a player or with our subtitle shifter

A quick example

Plain sentences become numbered, timed SRT cues. Durations follow each line's length at a comfortable reading speed.

Hello world. How are you today?

1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,200
Hello world.

2
00:00:01,300 --> 00:00:02,500
How are you today?

Frequently asked questions

How does the auto-timing work?

The tool can't hear your audio, so it estimates how long each line takes to read — about 16 characters per second by default — and lays the cues end to end with a small gap. Durations scale with line length, and a minimum dwell keeps short lines on screen long enough to read. It's a solid first pass you then nudge to match the video.

Will the timing match my video exactly?

Not on its own — auto-timing is reading-speed based, not speech recognition, so it won't line up perfectly with the spoken audio. Use it to get every line timed in seconds, then set a start offset here, or fine-tune with our subtitle shifter, to sync it to your clip.

How long should each subtitle line be?

Around 42 characters per line is a common readability guideline, and that's the default. You can change the characters-per-line value; the tool wraps long sentences into up to two lines per cue and starts a new cue when needed.

Do I need to add timecodes or punctuation myself?

No timecodes — the tool generates them. Punctuation helps, though: sentences are split on . ! ? and the full-width CJK equivalents, so well-punctuated text produces cleaner cue breaks. A blank line always forces a new cue.

Is my text uploaded anywhere?

No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser — your transcript never leaves your device and nothing is sent to a server, so it's safe for private or unpublished material.