Convert subtitles from FCP to SRT (or viceversa)

Apple Final Cut Pro Legacy

Convert subtitles from FCP to SRT (or viceversa)

Posted by Enrique Leon on March 17, 2011 at 8:39 pm

Hi all,

I’ve been subtitling several things lately, from YouTube short videos to feature length films.

I’ve always taken one of these 2 paths:
1. Sometimes I subtitle in FCP (I know there are specific softwares to create subtitles, but for several reasons I like to do it in FCP, and I’ve learned to do it very very fast, mainly using the keyboard shortcuts). Then I export a video with the subtitles inserted in the image.
2. Sometimes I modify an already existing text document (SRT/STL) in Microsoft Word. Then I play the video in VLC, QuickTime Player or another player, and the subtitles run “synchronizedly” (is that even a word?).

The problem is:
I haven’t found how to convert the subtitles from one format to the other one. I mean:
– Export a STL/SRT file from the FCP project, or
– Import a STL/SRT into a FCP project.

I was close to get the first one, thanks to this online free tool: https://www.michaelcinquin.com/tools/subtitles/list_subtitles
(Thanks, Michael!).

Using it, I did create an Excel document based on my FCP timeline…
but the timecodes were wrong. The first subtitles are only 1 frame wrong, which doesn’t really matter, but the error margin grows as the timeline goes on, and it ends up being around 3 seconds.

Can anybody help me? I would REALLY appreciate it!

Thanks in advance,
Enrique.

Michael Brown replied 8 years, 11 months ago 4 Members · 5 Replies
5 Replies

Andreas Kiel
March 18, 2011 at 3:05 pm

You may try my TitleExchange — but it’s not a free tool.

Andreas

Spherico
https://www.spherico.com/filmtools
Test Tesj
November 6, 2012 at 12:44 pm

export an XML from FCP
go to https://www.michaelcinquin.com/tools/subtitles/list_subtitles
upload xml and export as stl (dvd studio format)
then open jubler (you can download the app here:https://www.jubler.org/download/index.php)
open the stl file
choose “save as”
choose subrip (srt) in format and save
DONE !
Enrique Leon
November 6, 2012 at 2:00 pm

Thanks a lot to both!
Andreas Kiel
November 6, 2012 at 4:31 pm

You may try Jubler. From my experience you will loose font style settings or get control characters inside the subtitles. But it may fit your needs.
Michael’s web tool works fine with most of the standard text generators of FCP, even with my non standard ones.

Andreas

Spherico
https://www.spherico.com/filmtools
Michael Brown
July 27, 2017 at 2:26 pm

Hi Andreas,

I tried to download your TitleExchange, but I get the follwoing message:

“Your security preferences allow installation of only apps from the Mac App Store and identified developers.”

Yes, I am on FCP 7.03 on OS Yosemite.

Do you know why?

Thanks for your support.

Michael Brown

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