>

Add a Subtitle Track to a Video (FFmpeg)

Mux an SRT subtitle file into an MP4 as a selectable soft-subtitle track without re-encoding the video.

WindowsvideosubtitleffmpegLow risk
Run ffmpeg -i movie.mp4 -i subs.srt -map 0 -map 1 -c copy -c:s mov_text movie-sub.mp4 to add the subtitles as a soft track.

01Command

Command
$ ffmpeg -i movie.mp4 -i subs.srt -map 0 -map 1 -c copy -c:s mov_text movie-sub.mp4

02What it does

This copies the video and audio streams untouched (-c copy) and converts the SRT text to mov_text, the subtitle format MP4 containers accept, so it finishes in seconds. The subtitles stay optional: players like VLC and Movies & TV show a subtitle menu where you can turn them on or off. If you want the text permanently visible in every player, use the subtitles filter approach described in the same wiki page instead.

03Risk

RiskLow risk
RequirementsFFmpeg is not preinstalled on Windows — install it first with: winget install --id Gyan.FFmpeg
!Warning: Re-wrapping creates a new file — keep the original until you have checked subtitles display correctly.

04Undo

✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.

05Sources

  • How to add/burn subtitles to a video
    FFmpeg Trac Wiki · community · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: Shows adding soft subtitles with -c copy -c:s mov_text for MP4 containers and the subtitles filter for permanently burned-in text.

Last verified: 2026-09-18 · Category: Media