How to convert ASS to SRT
Drop the .ass or .ssa file and download it as SRT. The converter reads the [Events] section, takes the Dialogue lines in time order, turns \N into line breaks and converts the centisecond timestamps 0:00:20.00 into SRT’s 00:00:20,000. Italic, bold and underline overrides become the equivalent tags.
What is lost converting ASS to SRT
- Fonts, sizes, colours and outlines are removed, because SRT has no styles.
- Positioning such as {\an8} for top-of-screen lines is dropped: every line appears at the bottom.
- Karaoke timing, fades, movement and other effects are removed.
- Vector drawings and typesetting used for signs are dropped, leaving no text for them.
- Times are kept to the millisecond, but ASS only has centisecond precision to begin with.
ASS, SSA and SRT compared
SSA and its successor ASS were designed for styled subtitles, and are common in fansubbed anime. A file has a [Script Info] header, a [V4+ Styles] section defining fonts and colours, and an [Events] section of Dialogue lines that name a style. That power is the reason the files do not play everywhere: many TVs, media boxes and web players ignore or reject ASS.
SRT is plain by comparison, which is why it is the safe choice for compatibility. If you want to keep the styling for players that support it, keep the ASS file as well and use the SRT as the fallback.
Encoding problems, handled
Most “broken” subtitle files are not broken: they are saved in an encoding other than UTF-8, so accented letters, Cyrillic, Greek, Arabic or Asian characters turn into question marks or garbage in tools that assume UTF-8. This converter detects the file’s encoding (from a byte-order mark, a UTF-8 validity check, or statistical detection) and shows you what it chose. If the text looks wrong, choose a different encoding from the list and the file is read again. Whatever the input, the file you download is UTF-8, which every modern player understands.
How to use it
- Drop your .ass or .ssa file onto the box.
- Check the cue count and the detected encoding.
- Choose SRT as the download format.
- Download the converted file.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert ASS to SRT?
Drop the ASS or SSA file here and download it as SRT. The text and timing are kept; styling is removed.
Can I convert SSA files too?
Yes. SSA and ASS use the same Dialogue structure, and both are read.
Why are some signs and songs missing?
In ASS they are often drawn as vector graphics or effects rather than text, so there is no text to carry into SRT.
Why do accented or non-Latin letters look wrong?
Because the file is not UTF-8. Many subtitle files are saved in Windows-1252, Windows-1251, Shift-JIS, GBK and other encodings, and reading them as UTF-8 produces garbled text. This tool detects the encoding, shows what it chose, and lets you pick another from a list; the file you download is UTF-8.
Is my subtitle file uploaded?
No. The file is read and converted in your browser and is never sent to a server. The site records only an anonymous count of the format pair and a rough size bucket, never the subtitle text.