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Extract Subtitles from MKV with mkvextract

Save embedded subtitle tracks as .srt files so players and translators can use them standalone.

LinuxvideosubtitleclimkvtoolnixLow risk
First run mkvmerge -i movie.mkv to list track IDs, then mkvextract tracks movie.mkv 3:subtitles.srt to export track 3 as an SRT file.

01Command

Command
$ mkvextract tracks movie.mkv 3:subtitles.srt

02What it does

MKV files embed subtitles as separate tracks, and mkvextract (part of mkvtoolnix) demuxes any of them — tracks, attachments, chapters or tags — back into standalone files. Text-based subtitles (SRT/ASS) and VobSub/PGS bitmap subtitles are supported; bitmap ones need OCR if you want plain text. Multiple tracks extract in one pass by appending more TID:filename pairs, and the source file is left untouched.

03Risk

RiskLow risk
Requirementsmkvtoolnix package; use mkvmerge -i or mkvinfo to find track numbers first
!Warning: Track IDs come from mkvmerge -i, not from players' on-screen numbering — picking the wrong number silently extracts the wrong track or fails.

04Undo

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

05Sources

  • mkvextract(1) — Debian man page (mkvtoolnix)
    Debian manpages · community · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: Man page header 'mkvextract — extract elements from Matroska files into other files' and the tracks mode with TID:dest-name syntax appear in the text.
  • mkvextract(1) — extract elements from Matroska files
    Ubuntu manpages · community · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: Man page documents the 'tracks' extraction mode ('tracks source-file [options] TID1:dest-name1...') and SRT subtitle output; confirms 'mkvextract' and 'tracks' appear in the text.

Last verified: 2026-09-19 · Category: Media