Subtitle Sample Files

Subtitle sample files for every major format

A structured reference library of subtitle sample files in SRT, VTT, SUB, SBV, ASS, and STL. Each sample follows the accepted structure for its format, so you can verify parsing, timing, and encoding behavior in a translation or conversion workflow before it reaches production data.

DOWNLOAD a sample file View the format guide
Six subtitle formats Standards-based structure No external redirects
Description

What subtitle sample files are

Subtitle sample files are short, self-contained caption files that follow the formatting rules of a specific subtitle standard. Each one pairs a timecode range with a line of text, structured according to the syntax that a media player, translation system, or conversion tool expects to read. Because the files are small and predictable, they work well as a fixed reference point: the same input, checked against the same rules, every time.

This library covers six formats you're likely to encounter in a captioning or localization workflow: SRT (SubRip), VTT (WebVTT), SUB (MicroDVD), SBV (SubViewer), ASS (Advanced SubStation Alpha), and STL (the EBU broadcast subtitle format, shown here as a readable text reference since the native format is binary).

Information

How the samples are structured

Timecodes

Each sample uses the timecode syntax native to its format — comma-separated milliseconds in SRT, dotted milliseconds in VTT, frame counts in MicroDVD SUB, and HH:MM:SS:FF in STL — so you can confirm your workflow parses each convention correctly.

Text cues

Every sample carries three short, plain-language cues. Line breaks, spacing, and cue separators match what's generally accepted for that format, giving you a predictable baseline to compare against your own output.

Format markers

Formats that require header or style blocks — such as ASS — include a minimal, valid header, so the sample reflects a realistic file rather than only the caption lines themselves.

Benefits

Why use a fixed sample set

01

Consistent baseline

Testing against the same reference file each time makes it easier to tell whether a change in output comes from your workflow or from the input file.

02

Faster QA cycles

Small, predictable files let you check parsing, timing, and encoding behavior in minutes rather than assembling test data from scratch.

03

Broad format coverage

Six formats in one place means fewer gaps in coverage when a workflow needs to support more than one subtitle standard.

04

Standards-aligned structure

Each sample follows the generally accepted syntax for its format, reducing the chance that a test result is skewed by a malformed input file.

05

Self-contained files

Every sample is plain text you can view in full right on this page — nothing links out, and nothing depends on an outside service to stay usable.

06

Easy to read and edit

Plain-text structure means you can open a sample in any text editor to inspect or adapt it before running it through your own tooling.

Getting started

Three steps to a test-ready file

1

Choose a format

Scroll to the format grid below or open the full guide to see every sample's structure before you pick one.

2

Preview the content

Use "Preview Sample" on any format card to read the full file content and confirm it matches what your workflow expects.

3

Review and test

Select DOWNLOAD to view the complete sample content, then use it as a reference while testing your translation or conversion workflow.

See the full step-by-step guide
Sample files

Pick a format

Every card below shows a short excerpt of the actual sample. Preview the full file first, or go straight to DOWNLOAD.

.srt

SubRip (SRT)

The most widely supported plain-text subtitle format, using numbered cues.

1
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,000
Welcome to the subtitle...
.vtt

WebVTT (VTT)

The web-native captioning format, built for HTML5 video players.

WEBVTT

00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:04.000
Welcome to the subtitle...
.sub

MicroDVD (SUB)

A frame-based format that ties each cue to a video frame number.

{25}{100}Welcome to the
subtitle sample library.
.sbv

SubViewer (SBV)

A simple timecode-and-text format used for caption uploads.

0:00:01.000,0:00:04.000
Welcome to the subtitle...
.ass

Advanced SubStation Alpha (ASS)

A styling-capable format with dedicated header and style sections.

[Script Info]
Title: Subtitle Sample
[Events]
Dialogue: 0,0:00:01.00,...
.stl

EBU-STL (text reference)

A readable reference to the timecode structure of the binary broadcast standard.

TC IN: 00:00:01:00
TC OUT: 00:00:04:00
Welcome to the subtitle...