How to break subtitle lines
Add your file
Drop the SRT or VTT file that has long lines into the box.
Set the limit
Enter the longest line that you allow in Maximum characters per line. The default is 42.
Check and download
Read the preview and the list of subtitles that need more than two lines. Click Break lines, then Download.
When to use Line breaker
- Your subtitles run off the edge of the screen.
- A broadcaster or a platform limits lines to 42 characters.
- A speech-to-text tool made three-line subtitles and you need two lines.
- You pasted text into the subtitles and the line breaks fall in odd places.
- Every subtitle in a machine-made file is one very long line.
More free subtitle tools
Timing
Convert
Join and split
Clean up
Common questions
How many characters can a subtitle line have?
Many style guides, including the Netflix guide for English, allow 42 characters on a line and two lines in a subtitle. The default here is 42. Other languages and other clients can have other limits.
How do I split long subtitle lines?
Add the file, enter the limit in Maximum characters per line, and click Break lines. A long line becomes two lines of about the same length.
What happens to a subtitle that is too long for two lines?
The tool leaves it as it is and lists it below the preview. This tool does not split a subtitle in time. Shorten the text or split the subtitle in an editor.
Does the tool change the timing of the subtitles?
No. Only the line breaks change. The start and end times stay the same.
What does it do with a dialogue of two speakers?
A subtitle where both lines start with a dash keeps one speaker on each line. If one of those lines is too long, the tool lists the subtitle.
Are tags counted in the line length?
No. Tags such as <i> and {\an8} are not on screen, so they do not count. When a split falls inside an italic part, the tool closes and opens the italic tag again.
Is my file uploaded?
No. The tool runs in your browser. Your subtitle file never leaves your computer.
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