# Extract Subtitles from Video - MKV/MP4 to SRT, VTT or ASS

> Free subtitle extractor: list embedded tracks in MKV or MP4 with language, format and title, export SRT, WebVTT or ASS, batch to ZIP. No upload.

- URL: https://qilingtools.com/en/video/extract-subtitles
- Category: Video Tools (https://qilingtools.com/en/video)
- Tags: [Video](https://qilingtools.com/en/tags/video), [Subtitles](https://qilingtools.com/en/tags/subtitle)
- Last updated: 2026-10-26
- Price: Free, no sign-up
- Privacy: Runs locally in the browser; files are never uploaded

Movies and episodes in MKV, or recordings in MP4, often carry several embedded subtitle tracks. Want one out on its own to translate, proofread or use in another player? Drop the video in and the tool reads the header and lists every subtitle track with its language code, subtitle format, title and default/forced flags. Tick the tracks you need and pick an output: universal SRT, WebVTT for web players, or ASS to keep styling and effects — in Auto mode ASS stays ASS and everything else becomes SRT. All ticked tracks are exported in a single pass, several videos can be processed in one batch and zipped, and files are named “video.language.srt” so players load them automatically. Tracks are copied straight out of the container and converted, the video is never re-encoded, and the file is mounted read-only instead of being copied into memory, so even a multi-GB movie only needs one read. Timing matches the original video exactly and output is always UTF-8. Blu-ray PGS and DVD VobSub tracks are image-based (each line is a picture with no text inside); they are detected and flagged as needing OCR.

## How to use

1. Upload one or more videos with embedded subtitles (MKV, MP4, MOV, TS…)
2. Tick the subtitle tracks to export and choose SRT, WebVTT, ASS or Auto
3. Click Extract subtitles and download the files or a ZIP of everything

## Features

- Lists every subtitle track: language, format, title, default/forced
- Exports SRT, WebVTT or ASS, or picks automatically
- Several tracks in one pass; batch videos into a ZIP
- Named video.language.ext so players auto-load them
- Timing matches the video exactly; UTF-8 output
- Detects image-based PGS and VobSub tracks
- Large files are mounted, not copied into memory
- Runs locally in your browser — no upload

## FAQ

### Why can’t I extract subtitles from some videos?

There are embedded subtitles and hard-coded (burned-in) subtitles. Burned-in text is part of the picture and cannot be extracted as text by any tool without OCR of the frames. Only subtitles stored as separate tracks in MKV, MP4 and similar containers can be extracted — if no track is listed, the subtitles are burned in or were a separate file.

### Why can’t PGS or VobSub be converted to SRT?

Blu-ray PGS (SUP) and DVD VobSub (SUB/IDX) are image-based: every line is a transparent picture with no text data. Turning them into SRT requires OCR on each image, which desktop apps such as Subtitle Edit can do.

### Does ASS export keep the styling?

If the source track is ASS/SSA, choosing ASS or Auto keeps its styles, fonts, positions and effect tags. Converting to SRT or WebVTT keeps the text plus basic italics and bold. MP4 mov_text subtitles have no complex styling, so SRT is the best fit for them.

### Can it handle multi-GB movies? Is anything uploaded?

Yes. The video is mounted read-only for FFmpeg (WebAssembly) in your browser — it is not copied into memory and never uploaded. Extraction still reads through the whole file once, so large movies may take a minute or two. The tool is free with no sign-up.

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