How to Import SRT Subtitles into DaVinci Resolve (and Fix Sync Fast)

If you already have a transcript or caption file, importing an SRT into DaVinci Resolve is the fastest way to get editable subtitles on your timeline without typing a single line. This guide walks through the import, the most common reasons subtitles land in the wrong place, and how to export clean captions again for YouTube, TikTok, or a client delivery.

If you don't have an SRT yet, skip to Get an SRT file first. You can generate one from a video link or an upload in a couple of minutes.

What you need before you start

• DaVinci Resolve (the free version handles SRT import and export; automatic subtitle generation from audio is a separate feature that depends on your version and edition).
• An .srt file whose timing matches your edit. An SRT is plain text: a cue number, a start --> end timecode, and the caption text. If you're unsure what's inside one, see What is an SRT file?.
• Your timeline frame rate settled. Changing the timeline frame rate after importing subtitles is one of the most common ways to knock cues out of sync.

Step-by-step: import an SRT into DaVinci Resolve

1. Bring the SRT into the Media Pool

Open your project and go to the Edit page. Then either:

• Use File → Import → Subtitle… and choose your .srt file, or
• Drag the .srt file from Finder/Explorer straight into the Media Pool.

The subtitle file appears in the Media Pool like any other clip.

2. Drag it onto the timeline

Drag the subtitle clip from the Media Pool onto your timeline. Resolve creates a subtitle track above your video tracks automatically. Line it up so the first cue starts at the right place. If your SRT was made from the same exported video, it should start at the beginning of the timeline.

3. Check the first, middle, and last cue

Don't scrub the whole thing yet. Spot-check three places:

1. The first spoken line
2. A line in the middle of the video
3. The final line

If all three line up, the whole file almost certainly does. If the first is right but the last drifts, you have a frame rate or speed mismatch (see the troubleshooting section below).

4. Style the captions

Select the subtitle track header (or a single subtitle clip) and open the Inspector. You can change font, size, color, background, position, and outline for the whole track. Track-level styling is the efficient move. Style once and every cue follows.

For short-form vertical video, keep lines short. Our breakdown of characters per line for DaVinci, TikTok, and YouTube covers practical limits so captions don't cover faces or UI.

5. Edit text where needed

Double-click any subtitle clip to edit its text in the Inspector. You can also trim a cue's in/out points on the timeline like a regular clip. This is the place to fix names, brand terms, or jargon the transcript misheard.

Exporting subtitles from DaVinci Resolve

On the Deliver page, scroll to Subtitle Settings and enable subtitle export. You'll usually choose between:

• Export as a separate file (SRT): Best for YouTube, Vimeo, and most platforms that accept caption uploads. Viewers can turn captions on and off, and platforms can index the text.
• Burn into video: Best for TikTok, Reels, and Shorts, where viewers often watch muted and platform caption tools are inconsistent.
• Embedded captions: Supported by some formats and players. Check what your destination actually supports before relying on it.

A common workflow is to export both: a burned-in vertical cut for social and a clean SRT for the long-form upload.

Troubleshooting: why your SRT is out of sync

The captions start late or early by a fixed amount

Cause: The SRT starts at 00:00:00, but your timeline starts at 01:00:00 (Resolve's default start timecode), or your edit has a pre-roll.

Fix: Move the entire subtitle track to the correct start, or change the timeline's start timecode to match.

The captions drift more and more over time

Cause: A frame rate mismatch. For example, the SRT was timed against a 25 fps export but your timeline is 23.976 or 29.97 fps, or the video was speed-ramped after the SRT was made.

Fix: Generate the SRT from the final exported cut rather than a raw recording, or retime the file in a subtitle editor. Our SRT sync and encoding fixes guide covers retiming and stretching.

Strange characters (é, ’) instead of accents or quotes

Cause: Encoding. The file isn't saved as UTF-8.

Fix: Open the SRT in a text editor, re-save it as UTF-8, and re-import.

Resolve refuses to import the file

Cause: Malformed cues, like a missing blank line between entries, a timecode written with a period instead of a comma (00:00:01.000 vs 00:00:01,000), or a .txt file renamed to .srt.

Fix: Validate the structure. If you started from a plain transcript, see TXT to SRT: timecodes and encoding.

Get an SRT file first

If you're starting from a video and don't have captions yet, there are three realistic routes.

1. DaVinci Resolve's built-in subtitle generation. Depending on your version and edition, Resolve can create subtitles from timeline audio. It's convenient when it's available, but accuracy on accents, names, and noisy audio varies, and you'll still edit by hand. More on that in DaVinci Resolve auto captions by version.

2. Platform captions. If the video is already on YouTube, the auto-captions there can sometimes be exported. See YouTube transcript to SRT file.

3. Paste a link or upload to SkyScribe. SkyScribe turns a YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or X link (or an uploaded audio/video file) into a timestamped transcript you can export as SRT and then import into Resolve using the steps above. It's handy when:

• You're editing someone else's published video and only have the URL
• You want to clean the transcript text before it becomes captions
• You need a translated subtitle file as well as the original language

Tip: For the tightest sync, transcribe the final exported cut rather than the raw footage. Every cut you make after transcription shifts the timing.

A fast end-to-end workflow

1. Lock your edit and export a review copy.
2. Upload that export (or paste its link) into SkyScribe and export SRT.
3. In Resolve: File → Import → Subtitle, then drag the file onto the timeline.
4. Spot-check the first, middle, and last cues.
5. Style the subtitle track once in the Inspector.
6. Deliver: burn in for social, export SRT for YouTube.

If you also need an audio-only version of the project for a podcast or voiceover review, our guide to exporting MP3 from DaVinci Resolve covers the settings.

FAQ

Can the free version of DaVinci Resolve import SRT files? Yes. Importing, editing, styling, and exporting SRT subtitles works in the free version. Automatic subtitle generation from audio is a separate feature whose availability depends on your version and edition.

Why does my imported SRT start at the wrong time? Usually because your timeline starts at 01:00:00:00 while the SRT starts at 00:00:00. Move the subtitle track or change the timeline start timecode.

Can I import multiple languages? Yes. Import each language's SRT as its own subtitle track. On export, you can deliver each track as a separate file.

Should I burn in subtitles or upload an SRT? Burn in for short-form social video where viewers watch muted. Upload an SRT for YouTube and long-form platforms so captions stay toggleable and searchable.

How do I get an SRT from a YouTube or TikTok link? Paste the link into SkyScribe, review the transcript, and export SRT. Then import it into Resolve as shown above.