How to Add SRT Subtitles to a Video on Windows

Quick SRT subtitle setup

1. Move the video and subtitle file into the same folder.
2. Rename the SRT to match the video's filename before the extension.
3. Open the video in FastPlay.
4. Press S if you need to toggle the subtitles on.

For example:

vacation.mp4
vacation.srt

The extensions stay different. Only vacation must match exactly.

Make the video and SRT filenames match

Windows often hides known file extensions, which can accidentally produce a name such as vacation.srt.txt. In File Explorer, open View > Show and enable File name extensions before renaming. Then confirm the pair looks like this:

• lesson-03.mov and lesson-03.srt—loads automatically.
• lesson-03.mov and lesson-03-english.srt—does not match.
• lesson-03.mov and lesson-03.srt.txt—still a text file, not an SRT.

Keep the files together if you move or copy the video. Sidecar subtitles are separate files; they are not embedded into the video container.

Show or hide subtitles during playback

Open the video rather than the SRT file. FastPlay looks beside it for the matching subtitle file and renders cues at their timestamps. Press S to toggle the subtitle layer without stopping playback or changing the original file.

Troubleshoot subtitles that do not appear

1. Confirm both files are in the same folder and their base names match.
2. Enable file extensions and make sure the subtitle is really .srt.
3. Open the SRT in Notepad and confirm it contains numbered, timestamped cues.
4. Save unusual text as UTF-8 if accented or non-English characters display incorrectly.
5. Press S once in case subtitles were toggled off.
6. Check the first cue's timestamp; the subtitles may simply begin later in the video.

FastPlay accepts UTF-8 with a byte-order mark and falls back to Windows-1252 for common legacy subtitle files. Converting an uncertain file to UTF-8 is the safest option.

FastPlay subtitle limits

• FastPlay currently loads external sidecar SRT files, not embedded subtitle tracks.
• It does not provide a track picker for multiple languages.
• SRT styling support is intentionally minimal; advanced ASS/SSA positioning and effects are not supported.
• This workflow adds subtitles for playback only. It does not burn them permanently into an exported video.