Local subtitle check
Inspect SRT or WebVTT before delivery
Paste text or choose a UTF-8 subtitle file up to 1 MB. The file stays in your browser. Checks cover basic timing syntax, empty cues, overlapping times, and adjustable reading estimates; this is not a complete WebVTT validator or an accessibility certification.
Choose a file, paste text, or load the fictional sample.
Nothing is corrected automatically. Preserve your original and verify the final export in the delivery player. Overlaps may be intentional. Reload clears the text and report.
Try a three-error repair exercise
Download our original synthetic practice files, inspect the broken version with the checker above, then compare the repaired copy with the authored reference. Observed on September 14, 2026: three errors before, none after. No real media or Descript export was used.
A structurally clean file still needs a check against its actual video and delivery player.
Subtitle file or captions on the video?
Descript treats these as different things. Subtitles export as a separate file that you upload alongside the video; captions are text that stays on the video even when it is shared or uploaded. [1] A platform that lets viewers switch languages or turn text off needs the file. A clip posted where no subtitle upload exists needs captions on the picture. Confirm which one the recipient expects before exporting.
This guide is based on Descript's documentation and pricing page read on 29 October 2026. We have not tested a Descript account.
SRT or VTT: pick by destination
| Need | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Plain dialogue for YouTube or most players | SRT | YouTube accepts SRT as plain UTF-8 and ignores styling and positioning in it [3] |
| Text must avoid on-screen interface or lower-thirds | VTT | YouTube supports positioning in WebVTT, with styling limited to bold, italic and underline [3] |
| Another platform or player | Whatever its documentation lists | Support varies; check before exporting rather than converting later |
| Client did not specify | Ask first | YouTube lists SRT as a basic format and WebVTT as an advanced one; other destinations differ [3] |
The export options and what they do not fix
Descript's export settings are format (.srt or .vtt), Show speakers to add speaker labels, Max characters per line, and Max lines per card for how many lines appear at once. [1]
These control presentation only. A perfectly laid-out file can still misspell a guest's name or put the wrong number on screen. Check names, numbers, specialist terms, speaker changes and meaningful non-speech sounds against the audio. If you remove a sentence after exporting, export again and mark the old file superseded.
Worked timing example
Invented cue: starts 00:00:01,000, ends 00:00:03,000, so it displays for two seconds. A next cue starting at 00:00:02,500 overlaps it by half a second. That is worth a look but not automatically wrong, because two people can speak at once.
A cue ending at 00:00:00,900 after starting at 00:00:01,000 ends before it begins and must be fixed. A cue with valid times and the wrong words still needs a human listen. Automated checks catch the second case, never the third.
Practise on the three-error fixture
The practice files beside the checker include a broken SRT with a nonnumeric identifier, a reversed time range and an empty cue. In our 14 September 2026 run of this site's own checker on those synthetic files, the broken file produced three errors and the repaired file returned three cues with no errors or warnings at review thresholds of 20 characters per second and 42 characters per line. Those thresholds are configurable review aids, not a delivery standard, and no Descript export was involved.
Verify the delivery pair
- Open the final video and the exported file together in a separate player.
- Check the first cue, an edit point in the middle and the last cue against the audio.
- Look at a phone-width screen for wrapping and legibility.
- If every cue is offset by the same amount, check whether the video and file came from different edits before shifting timings.
- Record the video version, subtitle version, player and open issues in the checklist.
Do you need a paid Descript plan for this?
Descript's pricing page listed, on 29 October 2026: Free at $0 with 1 media hour a month and 720p export that is not watermark-free; Hobbyist at $24 billed monthly or $16 a month billed annually, with 10 media hours and 1080p watermark-free export; Creator at $35 monthly or $24 a month annually, with 30 media hours and 4K. [2] The subtitle export documentation does not mention plan restrictions. [1]
Who should skip upgrading and keep the current editor: anyone whose editor already produces a usable SRT or VTT, or who only needs to inspect and correct a file, which can be done in any text editor and player. Who might upgrade: people already editing in Descript who need watermark-free 1080p video to go with the subtitle file.
Questions before you decide
Do I need Descript Hobbyist to deliver subtitles?
Not necessarily. Descript's subtitle export page does not mention plan restrictions, and checking a file can be done outside the app. Hobbyist, listed at $24 monthly or $16 a month billed annually on 29 October 2026, mainly matters if you also need watermark-free 1080p video.
Should I choose SRT or VTT for YouTube?
SRT for plain dialogue; YouTube requires plain UTF-8 and ignores styling and positioning in SRT. Choose VTT if text needs positioning, which YouTube supports in WebVTT along with bold, italic and underline.
What does Show speakers do?
Descript says it adds speaker labels to the subtitle file. Decide with the recipient whether labels are wanted, since they take up reading space.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Descript Help: Exporting subtitles Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Descript: Pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- YouTube Help: Supported subtitle and closed caption files Accessed 29 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.