Free online AVI to SRT converter

Source format: AVI

AVI (Audio Video Interleave) is a classic video container format developed by Microsoft. It can store video and audio together, but the container itself does not define the compression method inside the file. That means AVI files may use many different video and audio codecs, and some files may also include subtitle streams.

Because AVI is a video format, people usually ask about AVI to SRT when they want to extract existing subtitles or create a new subtitle file from the video’s audio.

Target format: SRT

SRT (SubRip Subtitle) is a plain-text subtitle format. It stores subtitle entries as numbered blocks, each containing start and end timestamps and the subtitle text. It is popular because it is simple, widely supported, and easy to edit in any text editor.

Can AVI be converted to SRT?

Not directly in the usual sense. AVI is a video container format, while SRT is a subtitle format. There is no one-step format conversion unless the AVI already contains subtitle data that can be extracted. If the AVI has no subtitles, you must create them from the audio using speech recognition or manual transcription.

How to get an SRT file from AVI

1. Check whether the AVI contains subtitles

First inspect the file to see whether it includes a subtitle stream. With FFmpeg, run ffmpeg -i input.avi and look for any subtitle tracks in the stream list. Some AVI files contain embedded subtitles, but many do not.

2. Extract embedded subtitles if possible

If a subtitle stream exists and it is text-based, you may be able to extract it directly. With FFmpeg, a common command is ffmpeg -i input.avi -map 0:s:0 output.srt. This works only when the subtitle stream can be written in SRT or cleanly converted to SRT. If the subtitles are image-based or use an unsupported codec, you may need a subtitle editor or OCR-based workflow instead.

3. Create subtitles from the audio if none exist

If the AVI has no subtitle stream, open the video in a subtitle editor such as Subtitle Edit or Aegisub. You can transcribe the dialogue manually while watching the video, or use speech recognition if your software setup supports it. In Subtitle Edit, the relevant workflow is typically found under Video → Audio to text or a similar speech-to-text option.

4. Save the result as SRT

After extracting or creating the subtitle entries, save or export the file as .srt. In most subtitle editors, this is done through File → Save as or File → Export, then choosing SubRip (*.srt).

5. Use the built-in online converter on 101convert.com

You can also convert the file on 101convert.com for free, without installing any software, if the site supports your specific AVI-to-SRT workflow. It is not suitable for uploading very large video files and is only suitable for extracting embedded subtitles, but it is suitable for small files without subtitles for audio-to-SRT transcription.

Important limitations

AVI to SRT is not a true format conversion unless subtitles already exist inside the video. If there are no subtitles, an SRT file must be generated from speech recognition or manual transcription, so the result depends on audio quality, accents, background noise, and the accuracy of the transcription method.

If the AVI contains image-based subtitles or older subtitle codecs, extraction may require OCR or additional conversion steps before the text can be saved as SRT. Always review the final subtitle file for timing, spelling, and formatting errors.

For best results, use a subtitle editor that lets you preview the video, adjust timing, and correct the text before saving the final .srt file.