Pulling SRT subtitles out of an MKV file might seem tricky without the proper tools. MKV, short for Matroska Video, is a kind of “all-in-one” multimedia format that can hold audio, video, and subtitle tracks together. These subtitles might come in different styles, like SRT (SubRip Text), which is pretty popular for its simplicity and how well it works with various devices. You might also find subtitles in ASS (Advanced SubStation Alpha), SSA (SubStation Alpha), or VobSub formats.
This guide will show you how to get SRT subtitles out of MKV files step by step using MKVToolNix, a free and handy tool made just for messing with MKV files. Whether you’re looking to edit or translate the subtitles, use them in another video, or help make videos more accessible, like for folks who are hard of hearing, this guide is for you.
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Why pull subtitles from MKV?
Here are a few reasons you might want to get subtitles out of an MKV file:
- Maybe you know a couple of languages and want to translate the subtitles to reach more people.
- Subtitles help make videos more accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing, or who just prefer reading along for a clearer understanding.
- Noticed a mistake or something off in the subtitles? Getting them out is the first step to fixing them.
- Maybe you need the subtitles in a different format. First, you’ll need to extract them.
Also see: How to Download Subtitles in VLC on Windows 11
Why can’t I pull the SRT subtitles from some MKV videos?
Even though MKV is pretty flexible and can hold different subtitle tracks, there might be videos where you can’t get the subtitles out. This usually happens when the subtitles are hard-coded, or “burned,” into the video itself.
Hard-coded subtitles are embedded directly into the video frames, making them a fixed part of the video. This is common in foreign films where the subtitles are meant to stay put. On the other hand, soft subtitles are kept as a separate track, so you can turn them on or off as you like and even pull them out using tools like MKVToolNix and gMKVExtractGUI.
Handy hint: How to Move Subtitles in VLC Player
Getting SRT from MKV with MKVToolNix and gMKVExtractGUI
Follow these steps to extract SRT subtitles from an MKV file using MKVToolNix and gMKVExtractGUI:
What you’ll need
To start, make sure you have these installed:
- MKVToolNix: A bunch of tools for creating, changing, and checking out Matroska files.
- gMKVExtractGUI: A user-friendly interface for the MKVToolNix ‘mkvextract’ command, making things simpler if you’re not too tech-savvy.
Related resource: Convert SRT to 3D Subtitles and Add them to 3D Movies
Getting set up
- Get MKVToolNix: Download it from
https://mkvtoolnix.download/. Pick the version for your system, install it, and remember where you put it. - Download gMKVExtractGUI: Grab the latest from
https://sourceforge.net/projects/gmkvextractgui/. Once downloaded, unzip or copy its contents into the MKVToolNix folder.
Pulling out the subtitles
- Open gMKVExtractGUI.exe.
- Drag and drop your MKV video into the “Input Files” area.
- In the “Input Files” section, you’ll see a list of all the tracks, including video, audio, and subtitles. Choose the subtitle track you want to take out. Look for ‘S_HDMV/PGS’ or ‘S_TEXT/UTF8’ (SRT subtitles are usually this one).
- Pick where you want to save the subtitles by selecting an output directory. If you’re okay with saving them where the MKV is, just tick the “Use Source” box.
- You can mess with other settings if you want, but the standard options should work fine for most folks.
- Hit “Extract” when you’re ready. It’ll take a little bit, but soon your subtitles will be waiting in the folder you picked. If you chose an SRT track, you’ll get a file ending in .srt.
Once you’ve got your subtitles out, you can open the SRT file with any text editor to check them out, tweak them, or translate them however you need.
Closing thoughts
It might seem a bit tricky at the start, but getting subtitles out of an MKV file is actually not that hard with MKVToolNix and gMKVExtractGUI. These tools are great for grabbing subtitles from your MKV videos, whether you’re looking to translate, edit, or switch them to a different format. Even though we talked mainly about SRT and MKV here, you can apply the same ideas to other types of subtitles and videos too.
