Add Subtitles to Video Permanently - Free Guide

VidCoder lets you permanently embed SRT, ASS, or SSA subtitles into any video file - no watermarks, no subscriptions, and no complicated settings.
 

You downloaded a movie or tutorial video, but the subtitles are in a separate file. Your media player shows them fine at home - but what happens when you share that video or play it on a different device?

The subtitles vanish. That separate .srt file means nothing to most TVs, phones, or social media platforms.

The fix is simple: burn those subtitles directly into the video so they become part of the image itself. VidCoder does this for free on Windows, and the entire process takes about five minutes of your time.

Before You Start - Verify Your Subtitle File

Here's a mistake most guides skip: corrupted or malformed subtitle files are the number one reason subtitles fail during encoding. A missing timestamp or broken formatting will either crash the encode or produce garbled text on screen.

Before opening VidCoder, take 30 seconds to verify your subtitle file actually works.

If you have an SRT file, paste it into the free SRT File Viewer at ConvertICO to check formatting and timestamps. For VTT (WebVTT) files - commonly downloaded from YouTube or web platforms - use their VTT File Viewer instead.

These browser-based tools instantly show you every subtitle entry with its timing. If something looks broken, you'll know before wasting time on a failed encode.

Step 1 - Download and Install VidCoder

Grab the latest version of VidCoder from CODECS.COM. It's a lightweight Windows app built on the HandBrake encoding engine - meaning you get professional encoding quality wrapped in a much simpler interface.

Run the installer and launch VidCoder. The main window is clean and uncluttered, which is exactly what you want for a quick subtitle job.

Step 2 - Import Your Video

Click "Open Source" in the top-left corner, then select "Open Video File..." (or press Ctrl+O). Navigate to the video you want to subtitle and open it.

VidCoder accepts virtually every video format - MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, and more. If your file won't open, you may need the K-Lite Codec Pack installed for proper codec support on your system.

Step 3 - Add Your Subtitle File

Click the "Subtitles" tab - you'll find it right below the Audio section. Then click the "+" (Plus) button next to where it says "No subtitles."

Browse to your subtitle file and select it. VidCoder supports SRT, ASS/SSA, and VTT formats. For best results, keep the subtitle file in the same folder as the video and give it the same filename.

Step 4 - Choose Burn-In or Soft Sub Mode

After adding the subtitle track, you'll see a checkbox labeled "Burn In" next to your subtitle entry. This is the critical decision point.

Check "Burn In" if you want the subtitles permanently baked into the video pixels. This is what you want for sharing on social media, sending to friends, or playing on smart TVs that don't handle external subs.

Leave it unchecked to add subtitles as a soft track inside an MKV container. The viewer can toggle them on or off in a compatible player like VLC or MPC-BE.

Step 5 - Set Output and Encode

Choose your output destination at the bottom of the screen. Pick a filename and location you'll remember.

Click "Encode" and let VidCoder do the work. Encoding time depends on your video length and hardware - a typical 90-minute movie takes anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes on modern hardware.

Step 6 - Verify the Output

Play your new video file and scrub through a few scenes to confirm subtitles appear correctly. Check the beginning, middle, and end - timing drift usually shows up later in longer videos.

If something looks off, the problem is almost always in the source subtitle file, not VidCoder. Go back to the SRT/VTT viewer tools mentioned above and inspect the timestamps around the trouble spots.

When VidCoder Isn't Enough

VidCoder handles straightforward subtitle embedding perfectly. But some situations call for different tools.

If you need to create subtitles from scratch or translate existing ones, Subtitle Edit is the industry standard - it supports 300+ formats, includes Google Translate integration, and has a built-in waveform editor for precise timing.

If your subtitles are out of sync during playback but you don't want to re-encode, most modern players can adjust subtitle delay on the fly. Our guide on which player is best for subtitles covers the best options.

For advanced encoding where you need granular control over codec settings, bitrate, and filters, HandBrake gives you more options at the cost of a steeper learning curve.

That's all there is to it. VidCoder takes the complexity out of subtitle embedding and gives you a video that plays with subtitles on any device, every time. Grab the latest version below and make your next video accessible to everyone.