Use ffmpeg to add text subtitles

Question

I am trying to add text subtitles to an  mp4 container using ffmpeg   ffmpeg -i input mp4 -i input srt -map 0 0 -map 0 1 -map 1 0 output mp4   When I am trying to run this line  it gives me an error        Nmber of stream maps must match number of output streams     If I try to change the mp4 to mkv  although mp4 supports text subtitles   like this   ffmpeg -i input mp4 -i input srt -map 0 0 -map 0 1 -map 1 0 output mkv   It correctly maps the streams  but gives an error       Encoder  codec id 94210  not found for output stream  0 2    When I launch  ffmpeg -codecs   I can see that srt codec is supported as decoder and encoder  however I am not sure what is used for mp4 and mkv subs encoding  and whether I need to switch it on or compile separately

User · Answer

ffmpeg supports the mov text subtitle encoder which is about the only one supported in an MP4 container and playable by iTunes  Quicktime  iOS etc   Your line would read   ffmpeg -i input mp4 -i input srt -map 0 0 -map 0 1 -map 1 0 -c s mov text output mp4

User · Answer

NOTE  This solution  quot burns the subtitles quot  into the video  so that every viewer of the video will be forced to see them  If your ffmpeg has libass enabled at compile time  you can directly do  ffmpeg -i mymovie mp4 -vf subtitles subtitles srt mysubtitledmovie mp4  This is the case e g  for Ubuntu 20 10  you can check if ffmpeg --version has --enable-libass  Otherwise  you can the libass library  make sure your ffmpeg install has the library in the configuration --enable-libass   First convert the subtitles to  ass format  ffmpeg -i subtitles srt subtitles ass  Then add them using a video filter  ffmpeg -i mymovie mp4 -vf ass subtitles ass mysubtitledmovie mp4

User · Answer

Simple Example   videoSource test mp4 videoEncoded test2 mp4 videoSubtitle test srt videoFontSize 24 ffmpeg -i   videoSource  -vf subtitles   videoSubtitle  force style  Fontsize   videoFontSize     videoEncoded    Only replace the linux variables

User · Answer

MKV container supports video and audio codecs Virtually anything and also supports subtitles and DVD menus  So you can just copy codecs from input video to output video with MKV container with subtitles   First you should convert SRT to ASS subtitle format  ffmpeg -i input srt input ass   and embed ASS subtitles to video  ffmpeg -i input mp4 -i input ass -c v copy -c a copy -c s copy -map 0 0 -map 0 1 -map 1 0 -y out mkv   Also worked with VMW file   ffmpeg -i input wmv -i input ass -c v copy -c a copy -c s copy -map 0 0 -map 0 1 -map 1 0 -y out mkv   see the wiki page Comparison of container formats

User · Answer

I tried using MP4Box for this task  but it couldn t handle the M4V I was dealing with  I had success embedding the SRT as soft subtitles with ffmpeg with the following command line   ffmpeg -i input m4v -i input srt -vcodec copy -acodec copy -scodec copy -map 0 0 -map 0 1 -map 1 0 -y output mkv  Like you I had to use an MKV output file - I wasn t able to create an M4V file

User · Answer

You are trying to mux subtitles as a subtitle stream  It is easy but different syntax is used for MP4  or M4V  and MKV  In both cases you must specify video and audio codec  or just copy stream if you just want to add subtitle   MP4   ffmpeg -i input mp4 -f srt -i input srt   -map 0 0 -map 0 1 -map 1 0 -c v copy -c a copy   -c s mov text output mp4   MKV   ffmpeg -i input mp4 -f srt -i input srt   -map 0 0 -map 0 1 -map 1 0 -c v copy -c a copy   -c s srt  output mkv

User · Answer

This is the reason why mkv is such a good container  especially now that it s mature   mkvmerge -o output mkv video mp4 subtitle srt

User · Answer

I will provide a simple and general answer that works with any number of audios and srt subtitles and respects the metadata that may include the mkv container  So it will even add the images the matroska may include as attachments  though not another types AFAIK  and convert them to tracks  you will not be able to watch but they will be there  you can demux them   Ah  and if the mkv has chapters the mp4 too   ffmpeg -i  lt mkv-input gt  -c copy -map 0 -c s mov text  lt mp4-output gt    As you can see  it s all about the -map 0  that tells FFmpeg to add all the tracks  which includes metadata  chapters  attachments  etc  If there is an unrecognized  track   mkv allows to attach any type of file   it will end with an error   You can create a simple batch mkv2mp4 bat  if you usually do this  to create an mp4 with the same name as the mkv  It would be better with error control  a different output name  etc   but you get the point    ffmpeg -i  1 -c copy -map 0 -c s mov text    n1 mp4    Now you can simply run  mkv2mp4  Video with subtitles etc mkv    And it will create  Video with subtitles etc mp4  with the maximum of information included

User · Answer

ffmpeg -i infile mp4 -i infile srt -c copy -c s mov text outfile mp4   -vf subtitles infile srt will not work with -c copy  The order of -c copy -c s mov text is important  You are telling FFmpeg   Video  copy  Audio  copy  Subtitle  copy Subtitle  mov text  If you reverse them  you are telling FFmpeg   Subtitle  mov text Video  copy  Audio  copy  Subtitle  copy  Alternatively you could just use -c v copy -c a copy -c s mov text in any order

[ffmpeg] Use ffmpeg to add text subtitles

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