DaVinci Resolve has two officially documented ways to write a subtitle file out of a timeline, and they do not offer the same list of formats. If all you want is a plain .srt, either one works. If you need IMSC1 or DFXP, only one of them will give it to you. This page walks through both, using Blackmagic's own wording, and points out where the two disagree.
What you need before you start: a timeline that already contains a subtitle track. Creating that track — importing a file or transcribing — is a separate job from getting it back out, and this page is about getting it out.
Before you start
If the subtitle track came from a file you imported, the manual describes the accepted formats like this:
"Currently, DaVinci Resolve supports subtitle files in multiple formats such as .srt, .srtx, .vtt, .xml, and .ttml."
Note the phrasing — "such as", not a closed whitelist. Blackmagic is giving examples, so a format missing from that sentence is not automatically rejected.
If the track came from Resolve's own transcription instead, the manual is narrower:
"Transcription text can be imported and exported using standard .srt files."
And it attaches a condition to that route:
"It's important that the timecode of the clip you're importing subtitles to, matches the timecode in the .srt file for accurate results."
Path 1: the Export Subtitle command (.srt and .vtt)
This is the fast route, and the manual documents it twice — once from the menu bar and once from the timeline. The menu version:
"Choose File > Export Subtitle, and use the export dialog to choose a location and file type for the exported subtitle file. You can export subtitles in the .srt and .vtt formats."
The track-header version:
"Right-click on the track header of a subtitle track, and choose Export Subtitle from the contextual menu. Use the export dialog to choose a location and file type for the exported subtitle file. You can export subtitles in the .srt and .vtt formats."
Same final sentence in both places: .srt and .vtt. That is the whole menu in this path. No render, no queue, no waiting on an encode — you pick a location and a file type and you are done.
Path 2: the Deliver page (IMSC1, DFXP, SRT, and WebVTT)
The second route lives in the Deliver page's render settings, and it is the one that unlocks the broadcast-style formats. The manual documents the controls like this:
"Export Subtitle checkbox: Lets you enable or disable subtitle/closed caption output."
"Format pop-up: Provides four options for outputting subtitles/closed captions."
Three of those options matter here. The first writes a sidecar file:
"As a separate file: Outputs each subtitle track you select as a separate file using the format specified by the Export As pop-up. A set of checkboxes lets you choose which subtitle tracks you want to output."
And the Export As pop-up is where the format list differs from Path 1:
"Export As: (Only available when Format is set to "As a separate file.") Lets you choose the subtitle/closed captioning format to output to. Options include: IMSC1, DFXP, SRT, and WebVTT."
That is the difference worth knowing. The same software, two official export paths, two different format lists: the Export Subtitle command is documented as .srt and .vtt, while the Deliver page's Export As pop-up is documented as IMSC1, DFXP, SRT, and WebVTT. If a distributor asked you for IMSC1 or DFXP, the Export Subtitle command cannot produce it and the Deliver page can. Note the condition on that control too: Export As only appears when Format is set to "As a separate file."
| What you need | Which path |
|---|---|
A quick .srt or .vtt sidecar | Export Subtitle command |
| IMSC1 or DFXP | Deliver page, Format set to "As a separate file" |
| Subtitles baked into the picture | Deliver page, "Burn into video" |
| Captions inside the media file | Deliver page, "As embedded captions" |
Already have the .srt out of Resolve and the destination wants WebVTT? You do not have to reopen the project and render again — the conversion is a text-format change, and it runs right here in your browser:
Try it right here
Runs in your browser. Your file is not uploaded anywhere.
Nothing is uploaded; the file is read and rewritten locally. You can also open SRT to VTT on its own, or browse all Clapr tools if you need the reverse direction. If you are not sure which of the two your platform actually wants, subtitle formats compared lays out the differences.
Burning in and embedded captions
The other two Format options do not produce a sidecar at all. Burn-in is described in one sentence, and the limiting clause in it is the part people miss:
"Burn into video: Renders all video with the currently selected subtitle track burned into the video."
The currently selected subtitle track — singular. If your timeline carries several language tracks, this is not a one-render-does-all setting.
Embedded captions are narrower still:
"As embedded captions: Outputs the currently selected subtitle track as an embedded metadata layer within supported media formats. There is currently support for CEA-608 closed captions within MXF OP1A and QuickTime files. You can choose the subtitle format from the Codec pop-up that appears."
"Codec: (Only available when Format is set to "As embedded captions.") Lets you choose how to format embedded closed captions; choices include: Text and CEA-608."
Two containers are named there — MXF OP1A and QuickTime. MP4 is not one of them. And if you were planning to push captions out over hardware, the manual adds a flat note:
"NOTE: Neither analog (Line 21) nor digital (CEA-708) closed caption output via Decklink or UltraStudio is supported at this time."
Common mistakes
- Looking for IMSC1 or DFXP in the Export Subtitle dialog. It is documented as
.srtand.vtt. Those two formats live in the Deliver page's Export As pop-up. - Assuming burn-in covers every subtitle track. The manual says "the currently selected subtitle track," so check which track is selected before you queue the render.
- Expecting embedded captions in an MP4. The containers Blackmagic names for CEA-608 embedding are MXF OP1A and QuickTime.
- Ignoring timecode on import. Resolve's own guidance is that the clip's timecode has to match the timecode in the
.srtfile "for accurate results." - Uploading a generically named file. For Facebook, the manual spells out a convention: "Some naming conventions require both language code and country code. For example, Facebook requires SubRip (.srt) files with the naming format
"VideoFilename.[language code]_[country code].srt"for proper embedding."
FAQ
Does DaVinci Resolve export SRT files? Yes, by both documented routes. The Export Subtitle command exports "in the .srt and .vtt formats," and the Deliver page's Export As pop-up lists "IMSC1, DFXP, SRT, and WebVTT."
Where is Export Subtitle in DaVinci Resolve?
Two places, per the manual: File > Export Subtitle in the menu bar, or right-click the track header of a subtitle track and choose Export Subtitle from the contextual menu. Both open an export dialog where you pick a location and a file type.
How do I get a WebVTT file instead of SRT?
The Export Subtitle dialog lists .vtt as one of its two file types, and the Deliver page lists WebVTT in Export As. If you already exported the .srt, converting it is quicker than rendering again — that is what the converter above does.
Can I export more than one subtitle track at once? In the Deliver page, yes. "As a separate file" is documented as outputting "each subtitle track you select as a separate file," with "a set of checkboxes" for choosing which tracks. Burn-in is the opposite case: it is defined against the currently selected track.
Why are my exported subtitles out of sync with the video?
Blackmagic's documented cause is timecode: the clip's timecode has to match the timecode in the .srt file. For anything beyond that, check the official documentation rather than a forum guess.
Need the other direction, or a different caption format for a different platform? Start from the how-to hub and pick the workflow that matches where the file is going.
Quotes in this article are taken verbatim from the DaVinci Resolve 21 Reference Manual (subtitle import, Export Subtitle, and Deliver page subtitle settings), checked 16 September 2026. Blackmagic revises these documents between versions — verify against the current manual before relying on them.
