HandBrake, a free and open-source video transcoder, offers powerful tools for adding, managing, and customizing subtitles.
You can easily add soft subtitles for flexibility or burn them directly into your video for permanence.
In this guide, we’ll take you step by step through everything you need to know about subtitles on HandBrake.
You can add subtitles to your video in two ways in HandBrake : soft subtitles (which can be toggled on or off) or hardcoded subtitles (permanently embedded into the video). Follow these simple steps to do it by yourself:
Start by opening HandBrake on your computer. Drag your video file directly into the interface. HandBrake supports a variety of formats including MP4, MKV, MOV, and M4V.
Once the video loads, you’ll see a preview and several tabs at the bottom — this is where you’ll configure your export settings. Click on the "Subtitles" tab. That’s where all the subtitle magic happens.
Let’s begin with hardcoded subtitles, which are burned directly into the video and can’t be turned off.
To add them:
HandBrake will now export your video with the subtitles embedded directly into the footage. If you used an ASS file, your styling will carry over. If you used an SRT file, it will apply a simple default style — clean and readable.
Now, let’s say you want to include soft subtitles — captions that can be turned on or off in a video player like VLC. These are useful if you want to support multiple languages or let viewers choose how they watch.
To add soft subtitles:
When everything looks good, click “Start Encode.”
Once processed, your video will now include soft subtitles that can be toggled in most media players. Viewers can switch languages or turn captions off entirely.
Once your subtitles are added, you can adjust their settings:
Before proceeding with encoding, click the “Preview” button to verify that your subtitles appear as intended. This is especially important for hardcoded subtitles, as errors can’t be fixed once they are embedded.
Under the “Summary” tab, select the desired output format for your video (e.g., MP4 or MKV). Then, specify the destination folder where the encoded video will be saved. Make sure the selected format supports subtitles, especially if you’re adding soft subtitles.
Once all settings are configured, click the “Start Encode” button at the top of the interface. HandBrake will begin encoding your video with the added subtitles. The encoding time depends on the length and complexity of the video.
Sometimes, you may need to remove subtitles from a video, whether they were mistakenly added or no longer needed. HandBrake makes this process simple, though it requires re-encoding the video to apply the changes :
Open HandBrake, and click “Open Source” to import your video file. This can be an MP4, MKV, or MOV — as long as it’s supported by HandBrake, you’re good to go.
Once the file is loaded, the interface will display your video’s details. Head straight to the “Subtitles” tab — this is where you’ll see any embedded subtitle tracks already included in the file.
If you added the subtitles yourself earlier, or if they came with a download or DVD rip, they’ll show up here.
Under the “Subtitles” tab, you’ll see a list of all current subtitle tracks.
These could include:
Now, here's the important part: HandBrake only allows you to remove soft subtitles — tracks that are selectable and not burned into the video.
If your subtitles are hardcoded (burned-in), they’re part of the video frames themselves. You’d need advanced video editing or cropping to erase those — and HandBrake can’t do that.
To remove subtitles:
If you only want to remove one subtitle track but keep others (like for different languages), just delete the one you don’t need using the trash icon next to the track.
Once cleared, the video will be processed without any subtitle layers included in the final file.
After clearing out the unwanted subtitles, go to the bottom of the interface and choose where you want to save your new file. Click “Browse” to set your export location and file name.
Then hit “Start Encode.” HandBrake will begin exporting your new video — this time without any subtitle tracks.
When the process is complete, open your video in a player like VLC or Media Player Classic. You’ll notice there are no subtitle options available — just clean video with no text on screen.
To remove a subtitle track, select it from the list and click the “Clear” button. This action will delete the track from the encoding settings. Repeat this process for all subtitle tracks you wish to remove.
Here are answers to common questions and troubleshooting tips to help you navigate potential issues in HandBrake :
Checksub is a modern subtitle editor that combines automation with detailed customization. Its AI-powered tools simplify the subtitling process while maintaining high-quality results.
Want to easily add subtitles in your video file ? Try Checksub for free.
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