Fix subtitle delay in any player

Subtitle delay shortcuts by player

Player	Subtitles later	Subtitles earlier	Step	Notes
VLC (Windows, Linux)	H	G	50 ms	Tools → Track Synchronization
VLC (macOS)	J	H	50 ms	Playback → Track Synchronization
MPC-HC	F2	F1	500 ms (Options → Subtitles)	Shown as “Sub delay”
PotPlayer	< (comma)	> (period)	0.5 s (0.1 s option)	/ resets; can save with sync applied
KMPlayer	[	]	0.5 s; Shift = 5 s	Alt+Y resets; Control Box Sync±
mpv	Z or x	z	100 ms	Ctrl+Shift+←/→ re-times so the previous/next line shows now

These are the default keys in current versions; all of these players let you rebind them. VLC, MPC-HC and mpv defaults come from the players’ own source code. PotPlayer and KMPlayer are closed source, so press a key once and read the on-screen value before relying on the direction.

Player delay or file fix?

Use the player’s delay when you are watching something once and the offset is constant. Fix the file when you will watch it again, play it on a TV, phone or media server, or share it. A player delay is lost when the video closes; a shifted file keeps working in every player, and you can convert it to another format at the same time.

	Player delay	Shifted file
Survives closing the video	No	Yes
Works on other devices	No	Yes
Fixes a part of the film only	No	Yes (“From the selected cue onward”)
Fixes drift	No (VLC has a speed factor)	Yes, with two-point sync

How to make a player subtitle delay permanent

1. Find the delay in your player. Use the player’s delay keys until the subtitles line up with the speech, and note the value it shows (or count the key presses).
2. Open the subtitle file here. Drop the SRT, VTT or ASS file on the tool above. Nothing is uploaded.
3. Apply the same delay as a shift. A positive delay (subtitles later) is a shift Later, a negative one a shift Earlier, by the same amount.
4. Download and reset the player. Save the corrected file, set the player’s delay back to zero and check a line near the start and one near the end.

Enter the delay your player shows. VLC, MPC-HC and mpv all use the same sign convention as the shift tool, so the number goes in unchanged:

Player delay → file shift

Delay your player shows (ms)

Shift the file 1.250 s later (+1250 ms).

Put it in the shift tool

Step-by-step guides per player

• VLCVLC can push subtitles earlier or later while the video plays. Find the right delay in the player, then shift the file once so it stays in sync everywhere.
• MPC-HCMedia Player Classic – Home Cinema adjusts subtitle timing with two function keys. Use them to find the delay, then shift the file so the fix travels with it.
• KMPlayerKMPlayer moves subtitles in half-second steps from the keyboard or its control box. Count the steps you need, then apply the total to the file once.
• PotPlayerPotPlayer moves subtitles half a second per key press by default. Tune the step, find the right offset, and then make it permanent in the subtitle file.

Background: how to tell a constant offset from drift, and the SRT shifter itself.

FAQ

Why does my subtitle delay reset every time?

Players store the delay for the current playback only. The subtitle file still has the old timestamps, so the fix is lost when you open the video again or play it on another device. Shift the file once to keep it.

Is a positive subtitle delay later or earlier?

In VLC, MPC-HC and mpv a positive subtitle delay shows the subtitles later. PotPlayer and KMPlayer describe their keys as faster and slower instead, so check the on-screen value after the first press.

What if the delay is different at the start and the end?

Then the subtitles drift, usually because of a frame-rate difference. No single delay fixes that; use two-point sync or the frame rate converter.