How to add SRT subtitles to a video on a Mac

howtosimply.com/guides/how-to-add-srt-subtitles-to-a-video-on-a-mac/ · Checked October 2026 · MacBook Neo · macOS 27.0.1

4 of 4 steps with real screenshots · 2 official sources below

Device

Mac

Shown on

macOS 27.0.1 (MacBook Neo)

App

VLC

Real screenshots

4 of 4 steps

Checked

October 2026

Sources

2 official, linked below

Step by step

1. 

   Open the video in VLC

   Drag it onto VLC, or right-click it and choose Open With, VLC. The file name shows in the title bar: ours was F1_h264_aac.mp4.

   Done

2. 

   Choose Subtitles, Add Subtitle File

   It is the first item in VLC's Subtitles menu. Subtitle Track below it is grey until a track is loaded.

   Done

3. 

   Pick the .srt and click Open

   Ours was test.srt, a Subrip Subtitle File of 114 bytes, in our ar-test folder.

   Done

4. 

   Check the text on screen

   The first line showed at the bottom of the picture on ours.

   Done

If you do not see this option

• Using IINA instead? Choose Subtitles, Load External Subtitle, pick the .srt and click Open. Our screenshot shows that item in IINA's Subtitles menu. Source: The modern media player for macOS

  

• Trying it in QuickTime Player? It can't load one. Our screenshot shows View, Subtitles with only On, Off and Style, which work on subtitles already inside a video.

  

• Subtitles inside an MKV not showing? They can start switched off. Our screenshot shows VLC's Subtitles, Subtitle Track with Disable ticked: pick Track 1 - [English].

  

• Have an .ass file? Load it the same way. Our screenshot shows it in VLC with its own style: yellow text at the top centre.

  

If this does not work

• MKV subtitles off in IINA too? Choose Subtitles, Subtitle and pick the track. Our screenshot shows the result in IINA: Test subtitle one at 2 seconds.

  

• Letters come out garbled? Save the .srt as UTF-8. Our screenshot shows ü, é and ✓ coming out right in VLC from a UTF-8 file.

  

About this guide

We loaded the same test.srt (114 bytes) and a styled test.ass into an MP4 in QuickTime Player, VLC and IINA. QuickTime had no menu item for it; VLC and IINA showed both files.

The screenshots are from our MacBook Neo with macOS 27.0.1, QuickTime Player 10.5, VLC 3.0.24 and IINA 1.5.0, in Dark mode, taken on 25 October 2026. The test clip is dark, so the picture looks almost black.

Good to know

To change the size or colour, see change the subtitle style on a Mac.

For MKV files QuickTime won't open, see play MKV files on a Mac.

In short: Open in VLC, Subtitles, Add Subtitle File, pick the .srt, Open.

📷 Camera Lab: the same 6 scenes photographed with 11 phones, side by side.