What is the SBV caption format?

SBV is the native caption format used by YouTube Studio. It lists each cue as a comma-separated start and end timestamp followed by plain text, with no cue numbers and no styling tags.

Does SBV support italics, colors, or other styling?

No. SBV is plain text only, so this converter strips HTML and ASS styling tags from your SRT cues while preserving the caption text and timing exactly.

Can I upload the converted SBV file to YouTube?

Yes. The output follows the same SBV layout YouTube Studio exports — unpadded hours, comma-separated timestamps, blank lines between cues — so you can upload it directly under Subtitles in YouTube Studio.

Free tool · no signup required

SRT to SBV Converter

Convert SRT subtitles to YouTube SBV captions instantly. SBV is the plain-text caption format YouTube Studio exports and accepts — get a clean .sbv file ready to upload, free and entirely in your browser.

Drop your .srt file here

or click to browse. SubRip (.srt) files supported.

When to use this tool

Prepare SRT subtitles for upload to YouTube Studio as SBV captions.
Strip HTML and ASS styling tags automatically — SBV is plain text only.
Convert YouTube captions back and forth without desktop software.

FAQs

SBV is what YouTube Studio exports and accepts: unpadded hours, comma-separated timestamps, and plain text cues.
Your file never leaves your browser. All processing happens locally.
No file size limit and no daily cap — convert as many files as you need.