How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC

This wikiHow teaches you how to add a subtitle track to a video in VLC media player. As long as you have the subtitle file in the same folder and under the same name as the video with which you want to use it, you should be able to select...
Part 1 of 2:

Setting up the Subtitle File

  1. How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC Picture 1How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC Picture 1
    Find your subtitle file. Go to the folder in which your subtitle file is stored.
    1. You'll need to create the subtitle file if you don't have one.
    2. The file is probably in the Downloads folder if you downloaded it from online.
  2. How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC Picture 2How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC Picture 2
    Copy the subtitle file. Click once the subtitle file, then press either Ctrl+C (Windows) or Command+C (Mac).
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    Go to the video's location. Open the folder in which the video you want to subtitle is located.
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    Paste in the subtitle file. Press Ctrl+V (Windows) or Command+V (Mac) to do so.
  5. How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC Picture 5How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC Picture 5
    Copy the video's name. You'll need to rename the subtitle file to match the video's exact name:
    1. Windows — Right-click the video, click Rename, press Ctrl+C, and press Enter.
    2. Mac — Click once the video, click the video's name, press Command+C, and press Enter.
  6. How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC Picture 6How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC Picture 6
    Rename the subtitle file using the video's name. Right-click the subtitle file, click Rename, and press Ctrl+V to paste in the copied video name. You can then press Enter to save your changes.
    1. On a Mac, click once the subtitle file, click once the subtitle file's name, and press Command+V to paste in the name, then press Return.
Part 2 of 2:

Selecting the Subtitle

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    Select the video. Click once the video to do so.
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    Right-click the video. This will prompt a drop-down menu.
    1. On a Mac, click File in the menu bar instead.
  3. How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC Picture 9How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC Picture 9
    Select Open with. It's in the drop-down menu. Doing so prompts a pop-out menu to appear.
    1. On a Mac, you'll instead select Open With in the File drop-down menu.
  4. How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC Picture 10How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC Picture 10
    Click VLC media player. This should be in the pop-out menu. Your video will open in VLC.
  5. How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC Picture 11How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC Picture 11
    Click Subtitle. It's at the top of the VLC window. A drop-down menu will appear.
    1. On Mac, this option will say "Subtitles" in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
  6. How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC Picture 12How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC Picture 12
    Select Sub Track. This is in the Subtitle drop-down menu. An additional menu will pop out.
    1. On Mac, this option sill say "Subtitles Track" instead.
  7. How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC Picture 13How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC Picture 13
    Click Track 1. It's in the pop-out menu. You should now see your subtitles appear at the bottom of your video.
  8. How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC Picture 14How to Add Subtitles to a Movie/Video on VLC Picture 14
    Import the subtitle file if necessary. If VLC is having trouble finding or displaying the subtitle file, you can import it into your VLC session by doing the following:
    1. Click Subtitle.
    2. Click Add Subtitle File... in the drop-down menu.
    3. Select your subtitle file.
    4. Click Open or Choose.
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