Subtitles out of sync, overlapping or broken in an .srt or .vtt file
Last reviewed 2026-09-19
Subtitle files are lists of timed cues. They fall out of step when they were made for a different cut of the video, or when the file has structural problems such as missing blank lines, unsorted cues or cues with no duration that make players skip or reject them.
Messages you might see
- “Subtitles appear too early or too late”
- “Subtitle file won't load or shows only the first lines”
- “Cues overlap or flash by too quickly”
Why it happens
- The subtitles were made for a version of the video with a different start or intro.
- Cues that overlap, have no duration or are out of order.
- Missing blank lines between cues or wrong numbering.
- SRT and WebVTT mixed up, since players need the right format.
Try this first (free, no tool needed)
- In VLC, press G or H to adjust subtitle delay while playing and find the offset that works.
- Try a different subtitle release that matches your exact video (same source and cut).
- For a shift that grows over time, the frame rate differs. A constant shift will not fix that.
If that didn't work
These tools run in your browser. Your file is read and repaired on your own device and is never uploaded.
Subtitle Timing Fixer
Re-sorts cues, fixes cues that overlap or have no duration, repairs missing blank lines between cues and renumbers them. It can shift every timestamp by a fixed number of seconds and convert between SRT and WebVTT. It applies a fixed shift, so a drift that builds up over the film needs a different tool.
Open Subtitle Timing FixerCommon questions
What if the delay grows during the film?
That is a frame-rate mismatch. A constant shift won't fix it; look for subtitles for your exact video or a tool that rescales timing.
Is my file uploaded anywhere?
No. The tool runs as a program inside your own browser, so the file is read and repaired on your device and never sent to a server.