How to make SRT subtitles from a video with an AI assistant
An SRT file is plain text: numbered cues with a start time, an end time and the words. Most video tools read it. Ears returns real SRT with timestamps from any recording, so your assistant can hand you a file you can use right away.
This is what the first cues of our sample recording look like:
1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,380
Hello, this is a short sample recording for the EARS transcription service.
2
00:00:04,940 --> 00:00:08,520
Today is Monday, and the team meeting starts at 3.30.1. Connect Ears once
Ears is a remote MCP server, so there is nothing to install. Add this address to your assistant:
https://useears.com/mcp- Claude (claude.ai, Desktop, Cowork): Settings, Connectors, Add custom connector. Name it Ears, paste the address, press Connect and choose Create a free account. Save the recovery key you are shown.
- Claude Code: run
claude mcp add --transport http ears https://useears.com/mcp, then/mcpto sign in. - ChatGPT, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Codex: add a custom MCP server with the same address. The docs have the exact steps for each.
New accounts get 30 free credits, enough for 30 minutes of audio. No card is needed.
2. Ask for subtitles
Say that you want SRT. Without that, the assistant gets the text only, which keeps answers short.
Give me SRT subtitles for https://useears.com/sample.wav and save them as subs.srt.Ears detects the language by itself. To force one, name it: “in Spanish”. For a video on your computer, ask the assistant to transcribe the file and it will send it through a one-time upload link.
3. Use the file
- YouTube: in YouTube Studio open Subtitles, add a language and upload the file with timing.
- VLC: Subtitle, Add Subtitle File.
- Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut: import the SRT as a captions track.
- ffmpeg, to burn the subtitles into the picture:
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -vf subtitles=subs.srt -c:a copy out.mp4Or to add them as a switchable track in an MP4:
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -i subs.srt -c copy -c:s mov_text out.mp4Tips
- Ask the assistant to fix names and product terms it knows from the conversation, and to re-wrap long lines to about 42 characters.
- For another language, ask it to translate the text of each cue and keep the timestamps untouched.
- Long videos: split the audio into 5-minute parts first (the first guide shows the ffmpeg command) and ask for the parts one by one.
A 10-minute video costs 10 credits, which is €0.10. Failed jobs are not charged.