SyncMySubsClean up YouTube auto captions
YouTube's automatic captions are hard to read: the words are broken into one- and two-word fragments, cues overlap and roll, and lines repeat. This tool re-flows a caption file you've downloaded into full, readable subtitles and cleans up the timing, while keeping your words exactly as they are. Download your captions from YouTube first, then load that file here. Nothing is uploaded.
Why auto captions are hard to read
To sync with speech as it happens, YouTube's automatic captions appear a word or two at a time, with each cue overlapping the last and re-showing the previous words as new ones scroll in. Downloaded as a file, that turns into hundreds of tiny, repetitive cues with messy, overlapping timings. It's accurate to the audio but exhausting to read and awkward to edit.
This tool fixes the shape, not the substance. It strips the rolling repeats, merges the fragments into fuller cues up to the length and duration you set, breaks at natural pauses, and writes clean non-overlapping timings. It deliberately does not add punctuation or "correct" any words, because guessing at those would change what was actually said. You get readable subtitles with your transcription intact, ready to proofread or publish. Load only your own downloaded caption file; this tool never fetches anything from YouTube.
FAQ
What does the cleaner actually change?
It re-flows the structure and timing, not the words. It merges the one- and two-word fragments YouTube produces into fuller, sentence-length cues, removes the rolling repeats where each cue re-shows the previous words, and writes clean start and end times that don't overlap. It does not add punctuation or change any transcription, because that would risk mangling what was said.
Does it download captions from a YouTube link?
No. It only works on a caption file you already have. Download your captions from YouTube Studio first (as SRT, VTT, or SBV), then load that file here. The tool never contacts YouTube or any other site, and nothing is uploaded from your device.
Can I control how much it merges?
Yes. Set the maximum characters per line and the maximum time a merged cue can stay on screen. Lower values keep cues short and snappy; higher values pack more words into each. It also breaks at natural pauses, so a clear gap between phrases starts a new cue.