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If you already have an .srt file, it's really quite straightforward to customise subtitles to your preferences. This is a simple walkthrough. It's centered around making an .srt with both Thai and romanized lyrics but you can put anything you want in.
(Collection of my custom .srt text here)
1) Download the video and check if you have one or more .srt files in the folder.
(Collection of my custom .srt text here)
1) Download the video and check if you have one or more .srt files in the folder.
Some videos are uploaded with subtitles hardcoded so there's no .srt file. Check by clicking on the CC button. If the online video lets you turn subtitles on/off or gives you a choice of languages, an .srt file is available. But look to see if the captions are the lyrics or a line by line translation and not some [music] [foreign] [hydrate the garage auto-generated nonsense].
Some download methods don't capture .srt files. There are ad-heavy websites which will do that. Anything ad-heavy is a security risk. I don't use them and make zero claims as to the risk or safety of the files they provide.
(For friends - ask me for help. If there are usable .srt files, I should be able to get them for you.)
Some download methods don't capture .srt files. There are ad-heavy websites which will do that. Anything ad-heavy is a security risk. I don't use them and make zero claims as to the risk or safety of the files they provide.
(For friends - ask me for help. If there are usable .srt files, I should be able to get them for you.)
2) Find a romanisation of the lyrics that you get on with. I especially like http://jetsiphaa.com/.
3) "Open with" an .srt file in a word processor or plain text editor (Notepad on Windows, Text Edit on Mac).
4) Copy/paste each line you want to add, section by section keeping to the (Number) (Timings) (Subtitle Text) (empty line) format. This is an example from the .en.srt (English translation) for Counting Stars (OST Astrophile)
The most important thing about the .srt file is the timings. There's dedicated software to make this easier but if someone else has already sorted that, you can put anything you want in the line(s) of text under them. For this one, I replaced the English translations with Thai and romanized Thai from jetsiphaa.
5) Save the file so you don't have to do it again if you mess anything up. Select All and Copy.
6) Open a new window in your plain text editor (Notepad, Text Edit, etc) and Paste your text in.
7) If need be, Format > Make Plain Text.
8) From either the video or an .srt file, Copy the exact name of the video. Go back to your plain text editor and start to Save your new file. Use the Copied video name as the name for your new file BUT change the ending. (If you leave it the same it will overwrite the original file and you don't want that.) Everything before the first "." should stay the same.
Original .srt file: นบดาว (Counting Stars) Ost_คนนบดาว Astrophile - Fluke Gawin(1080p).mp4.en.srt
My custom .srt file: นบดาว (Counting Stars) Ost_คนนบดาว Astrophile - Fluke Gawin(1080p).mp4.aaROM.srt
(.en is standard code for English, .th for Thai, and so on. I let .th.srt remain for official Thai subtitles and made a string that's unique and easily recognisable as mine.)
9) Now you can finish the Save, sending it to the same folder as the video. (Nae worries if it ends up somewhere else, just move it into the video folder manually.)
10) Because the video viewer I use (VLC) has a language default setting, I make a second folder inside the video's folder and hide the .en.srt and other .srt files in there, leaving only my custom .srt in the first folder. If I don't, it will just use the .en.srt automatically and it's a faff to get it to use mine instead. But if mine is its only option, it's smooth sailing. For other viewers, sorting it to the top may be sufficient, thus the .aa to start my string.
11) Watch and hope it works. (It should.) :D
If you find any number and timings information in your subtitles, it just means you didn't leave an empty line. It tends to happen at line 14 for me, because that's a page break in the word processor I use. Easily edited in the text editor (Open With..., tweak, save), as are any other tweaks or changes you want to make.
There are a number of steps, but once you get the hang of it it goes quickly. Don't worry about figuring out EXACTLY what you think you want to start with, just try something and if you change your mind, make a new one :) This is all about customising to suit your current needs and preferences.
For some popular songs there are a few options on youtube. You'll have to type out their romanizations, but that's also language learning. (Also karaoke vids. The things we learn out of desparation ;)
3) "Open with" an .srt file in a word processor or plain text editor (Notepad on Windows, Text Edit on Mac).
I prefer a word processor because plain text editors make Thai letters so much smaller than Latin ones. Using a word processor means an extra minor step but also guarantees a back-up file in case you I mess up the plain text file. Software like Tero Subtitler is even better since you can check how it's all lining up as you go.
4) Copy/paste each line you want to add, section by section keeping to the (Number) (Timings) (Subtitle Text) (empty line) format. This is an example from the .en.srt (English translation) for Counting Stars (OST Astrophile)
1 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:26,600 Counting the stars in the sky 2 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:31,840 Thinking about when we first locked eyes
The most important thing about the .srt file is the timings. There's dedicated software to make this easier but if someone else has already sorted that, you can put anything you want in the line(s) of text under them. For this one, I replaced the English translations with Thai and romanized Thai from jetsiphaa.
1 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:26,600 นับดาวที่ลอยอยู่บนฟ้า nap dao ti loi yu bon fa 2 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:31,840 คิดถึงวันที่เรานั้นได้เจอ kidteung wan ti rao nan dai jer
(Don't worry about fonts or give it fancy formatting. It will need to be plain text.)
5) Save the file so you don't have to do it again if you mess anything up. Select All and Copy.
6) Open a new window in your plain text editor (Notepad, Text Edit, etc) and Paste your text in.
7) If need be, Format > Make Plain Text.
8) From either the video or an .srt file, Copy the exact name of the video. Go back to your plain text editor and start to Save your new file. Use the Copied video name as the name for your new file BUT change the ending. (If you leave it the same it will overwrite the original file and you don't want that.) Everything before the first "." should stay the same.
Original .srt file: นบดาว (Counting Stars) Ost_คนนบดาว Astrophile - Fluke Gawin(1080p).mp4.en.srt
My custom .srt file: นบดาว (Counting Stars) Ost_คนนบดาว Astrophile - Fluke Gawin(1080p).mp4.aaROM.srt
(.en is standard code for English, .th for Thai, and so on. I let .th.srt remain for official Thai subtitles and made a string that's unique and easily recognisable as mine.)
9) Now you can finish the Save, sending it to the same folder as the video. (Nae worries if it ends up somewhere else, just move it into the video folder manually.)
10) Because the video viewer I use (VLC) has a language default setting, I make a second folder inside the video's folder and hide the .en.srt and other .srt files in there, leaving only my custom .srt in the first folder. If I don't, it will just use the .en.srt automatically and it's a faff to get it to use mine instead. But if mine is its only option, it's smooth sailing. For other viewers, sorting it to the top may be sufficient, thus the .aa to start my string.
11) Watch and hope it works. (It should.) :D
If you find any number and timings information in your subtitles, it just means you didn't leave an empty line. It tends to happen at line 14 for me, because that's a page break in the word processor I use. Easily edited in the text editor (Open With..., tweak, save), as are any other tweaks or changes you want to make.
There are a number of steps, but once you get the hang of it it goes quickly. Don't worry about figuring out EXACTLY what you think you want to start with, just try something and if you change your mind, make a new one :) This is all about customising to suit your current needs and preferences.
