# SRT vs VTT vs ASS: Which Subtitle Format to Keep

Source: https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/formats/srt-vs-vtt-vs-ass/
Published: 2026-09-25
Updated: 2026-09-25
Author: Ema Zamboni, video editor (https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/about/)
Section: Formats (https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/formats/)

**In short:** For editing, keep SRT: it is the plain subtitle file DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro import. VTT is the web player format with cue positions and CSS styling, and ASS carries full styling that few editors read. Keep subtitles as a separate SRT while you cut, and embed them only in playback copies. B-ROLL saves all three, or embeds them.

## What are SRT, VTT and ASS files?

SRT, VTT and ASS are text files that pair lines of dialogue with start and end times. SRT holds only text and timing, VTT adds web positioning and CSS styling, and ASS adds full typographic styles. For an edit, SRT is the one to keep.

SRT (SubRip) is a plain-text subtitle format of numbered cues, each with a time range and one or two lines of text. SRT has no formal standard, and its simplicity is why nearly every tool reads it.

```text
1
00:02:10,500 --> 00:02:13,000
We shot the whole thing on one lens.
```

VTT (WebVTT) is the W3C subtitle format for HTML5 video. A VTT file starts with the line `WEBVTT`, uses a period before the milliseconds, and may leave out the hours, according to the [W3C WebVTT specification](https://www.w3.org/TR/webvtt1/). The same cue, pinned to the top of the frame with a cue setting:

```text
WEBVTT

00:02:10.500 --> 00:02:13.000 line:0 align:center
We shot the whole thing on one lens.
```

ASS (Advanced SubStation Alpha) is a styled subtitle format built as a small script: a `[V4+ Styles]` section defines fonts, sizes, colors, outlines and margins, and an `[Events]` section lists each line with its style. Override tags such as `{\pos(960,120)}` move a single line anywhere in the frame. Players that render ASS draw it as styled; most editing apps do not read it.

The full map of containers and edit codecs sits in [codecs and formats for editing YouTube footage](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/formats/).

[Download B-ROLL for Windows](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/download/): free, Windows 10 and 11 today, macOS and Linux planned. No account, no ads.

## How do SRT, VTT and ASS compare?

SRT and VTT differ mainly in the millisecond separator (comma versus period) and in VTT's optional positioning, styling and metadata; ASS is a different class of file, built for styled, positioned captions. The table compares the three on what matters for a cut.

| Format | Timestamp example | Styling support | Where it is used | Resolve and Premiere Pro import | Best for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SRT | `00:02:10,500` | None in any formal standard; some players read basic tags | Editing apps, media players, video platforms | Yes, on both import lists | Editing, translation, timed transcripts |
| VTT | `00:02:10.500` (hours optional) | Cue position, line, size and alignment; bold, italic, underline; CSS through `STYLE` blocks and `::cue` | HTML5 web players and streaming sites | No; Resolve lists VTT for export only | Web players and captions on a website |
| ASS | `0:02:10.50` (hundredths) | Named styles with font, size, colors, outline, shadow; per-line position and effects | Media players, fansub and karaoke styling | No, on neither import list | Styled captions played back in a player |

The VTT column follows the [W3C WebVTT specification](https://www.w3.org/TR/webvtt1/): its cue settings are vertical, line, position, size, align and region, plus `b`, `i`, `u`, class and voice tags in the cue text. The import column follows Blackmagic Design's product page, which lists importing "timed text TTML, SRT, XML and embedded MXF/IMF subtitles" and exporting "TTMLs, SRT or VTT files" ([DaVinci Resolve Edit](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/edit)), and Adobe's list of [supported caption file formats in Premiere](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/add-text-images/insert-captions/supported-file-formats-for-captions.html).

## Which subtitle formats do NLEs import?

SRT is the subtitle format both DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro take as an editable track, so it is the safe download for any timeline. Neither editor lists VTT or ASS as an import format.

DaVinci Resolve imports SRT into the media pool and turns it into a subtitle track you can move, trim and restyle in the inspector, per Blackmagic Design. The drag-and-drop steps, and how to offset the track for a clip, are in [importing YouTube subtitles into DaVinci Resolve](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/guides/youtube-subtitles-in-davinci-resolve/). Premiere Pro imports SRT alongside SCC, MCC, STL and TTML variants, per Adobe; VTT and ASS are not on that list. Dragging the SRT into a sequence creates a caption track, and the full route is in [Import YouTube Subtitles into Premiere Pro](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/guides/youtube-subtitles-in-premiere-pro/).

Styling is rebuilt in the editor anyway: Resolve's subtitle track has its own track styles for font, color, size and position. Download SRT, then style the track inside the NLE.

## Which subtitle format should an editor keep?

Keep SRT for anything that goes on a timeline, because DaVinci Resolve imports it and nearly every other tool reads it. VTT and ASS earn a place only when the destination is a web page or a media player.

When to pick each format:

- **SRT**: cutting in DaVinci Resolve or Premiere Pro, sending lines to a translator, searching a timed transcript for a paper edit.
- **VTT**: publishing captions next to an HTML5 video on your own site, where a web player reads the file directly.
- **ASS**: watching a reference copy with styled, positioned captions in a player that renders ASS.

Verdict: download SRT, and choose it before the download so no conversion step follows. B-ROLL has a **Subtitles** menu next to **Format** with None, Embedded, SRT, ASS and VTT; the language dialog and the file naming (`Title.lang.srt` next to the video) are covered in [the YouTube Subtitle Downloader: SRT, ASS or VTT](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/features/youtube-subtitle-downloader/).

Converting plain captions to ASS adds a default style definition, not a design: the look still has to be made. Automatic tracks also need a proofread; what to expect is in [downloading YouTube auto-generated captions as SRT](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/guides/download-auto-generated-captions/).

## Embedded or separate file: which is better for editing?

A sidecar subtitle file is a separate file that plays alongside the video, such as `Interview.en.srt` next to `Interview.mov`. For editing, the sidecar is better: the NLE imports it as a track, while an embedded track inside an MP4 or MOV usually stays behind.

An embedded subtitle track is text stored inside the video container, next to the picture and sound, that a media player can switch on and off. The table compares the two ways of keeping subtitles with a download.

| Aspect | Embedded track | Sidecar file |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Where the text lives | Inside the MP4, MOV or MKV | A separate `.srt`, `.vtt` or `.ass` next to the video |
| DaVinci Resolve import | Embedded import listed for MXF and IMF only | SRT imports as a subtitle track |
| Edit, re-time, restyle | Only after extracting it to a file | Directly, in the NLE or a text editor |
| Playback in a media player | Switch on from the subtitle menu | Loads in most players when the name matches the video |
| Risk of loss | Dropped by any tool that copies only picture and sound | Lost only if the file is separated from the video |
| B-ROLL option | **Embedded**: SRT muxed as `mov_text` in MP4 and MOV, as SRT in MKV | **SRT**, **ASS** or **VTT** |

B-ROLL's **Embedded** option downloads SRT and muxes every chosen language into the file with language tags, then deletes the loose files. The embed fails for WEBM, which accepts only WebVTT, and is skipped when the video title contains square brackets; in both cases the `.srt` files stay next to the video. Container behavior for each file type is compared in [MOV vs MP4 vs MKV vs WEBM for video editing](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/formats/mov-mp4-mkv-webm-editing/).

Embedded tracks fit reference copies: a client review file or an archive copy that plays on a TV with captions ready. For clip downloads, choose SRT: B-ROLL does not embed subtitles into clip files, and the subtitle file covers the whole video, so you offset it by the clip's in point.

## What are burned-in subtitles?

Burned-in subtitles are captions rendered into the picture itself, so they show on every player and can never be switched off, re-timed or removed. Burn-in belongs at export, after the cut, never at download.

B-ROLL's **Subtitles** menu has no burn-in option, and for an editor that is the right split: an untouched source plus an editable SRT. DaVinci Resolve covers the other end, since subtitles "can be rendered into the final video or exported as separate TTMLs, SRT or VTT files", per [Blackmagic Design](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/edit). Burn captions in for vertical social cuts that play muted, and deliver a sidecar SRT or VTT for platforms that accept caption files.

> **Careful:** Download only footage you have the right to use: your own uploads, Creative Commons, licensed or permitted material.

## Frequently asked questions

Q: Can I convert VTT to SRT?
A: Yes. The cue text and timings carry over, because the two formats differ mainly in the header and the millisecond separator. VTT cue settings, STYLE blocks and class tags are dropped, since SRT has no place for them. With B-ROLL you can skip the conversion: choose SRT in the Subtitles menu before the download and the file arrives ready for the timeline.

Q: Do embedded subtitles survive editing?
A: No, not as an editable track in most cases. Blackmagic Design lists embedded subtitle import for MXF and IMF files in DaVinci Resolve, not for the text track inside an MP4 or MOV, so an embedded track usually stays behind when the clip lands on a timeline. Keep a sidecar SRT for the edit and add captions again at export.

Q: Which format keeps colors and positions?
A: ASS keeps them best: each style defines font, size, colors and outline, and each line can carry its own position. VTT keeps positions through cue settings and colors through CSS, but only web players apply the CSS. SRT has no formal standard for either, so treat an SRT as text and timing only.

## Sources

1. [W3C: WebVTT, the Web Video Text Tracks Format (Candidate Recommendation Draft, 20 May 2026)](https://www.w3.org/TR/webvtt1/)
2. [Blackmagic Design: DaVinci Resolve Edit page (subtitles and closed captioning)](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/edit)
3. [Adobe Help: Supported caption file formats in Premiere](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/add-text-images/insert-captions/supported-file-formats-for-captions.html)

---

B-ROLL is a free, donation-supported desktop YouTube downloader for video editors: it downloads videos, clips, playlists and channels, converts them automatically into edit-ready ProRes or DNxHR (or saves MP4, MKV, WEBM or audio), and includes built-in trimming, subtitles and automatic creator credit files. Part of [Codecs and Formats for Editing YouTube Footage](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/formats/) on the B-ROLL website. Download B-ROLL, free for Windows 10 and 11 (macOS and Linux planned): https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/download/