Premiere Pro Subtitles

The AudioSRT Premiere Pro workflow gives you editable caption tracks in your timeline — not a static subtitle layer that you can only move as a whole. The key difference is the export format: AudioSRT's Premiere Pro JSON creates native caption tracks that you can edit word by word inside Premiere, just as if you'd typed them there directly.

Why native Premiere JSON is better than SRT import

When you import an SRT file into Premiere Pro, it creates a subtitle clip on your timeline. You can move it, but styling is applied globally to the entire track — changing the font means changing every subtitle at once, and individual subtitle blocks aren't independently editable in the Essential Graphics panel.

A native Premiere JSON export creates a true caption track — the type Premiere generates internally when you use its built-in Speech to Text feature. Each caption entry is independently selectable and editable. You can change the text, adjust timing, and style individual entries. The track also responds correctly to the Essential Graphics panel and any caption preset you've set up.

How Premiere Pro handles caption tracks

Premiere Pro distinguishes between three subtitle types: Subtitles (static, full styling control), Captions (broadcast-standard, limited formatting), and Open Captions (burned into the video). The AudioSRT JSON export creates a Subtitles track — giving you the most flexibility for font, size, color and position while keeping the track fully editable.

Caption tracks in Premiere sit on a dedicated track above the video tracks. They render on top of the video in export and can be toggled visible/invisible for review. You can also export the caption track separately as SRT from Premiere if you need to upload to YouTube after finishing your edit.

Step-by-step: AudioSRT to Premiere workflow

1. Transcribe in AudioSRT. Drop your audio or video file. Whisper AI runs locally — nothing is uploaded. Wait for the transcript to complete.
2. Edit the transcript. Fix any mis-transcribed words. Split long subtitle lines to keep them under 42 characters. Adjust any timing that looks off against the waveform.
3. Set your styling. Choose the font, size, color, shadow and position you want. This styling will carry through to the Premiere JSON export — so set it how you want it to look in Premiere.
4. Export Premiere Pro JSON. Click Export, select Premiere Pro JSON format, and download the file.
5. Import into Premiere. In Premiere Pro, go to File → Import (or drag the JSON file into the Project panel). The file will appear as a subtitle clip. Drag it to the timeline — it creates an editable caption track.
6. Review in Premiere. Play through the timeline to check timing against your video. Make any final adjustments directly in Premiere's caption editor.

Styling subtitles in AudioSRT for Premiere output

AudioSRT's styling controls mirror what Premiere Pro's Essential Graphics panel offers for caption tracks. Font family, size, fill color, stroke (outline), shadow, and vertical/horizontal position all transfer through the JSON export. Set these values in AudioSRT first — it's faster to use AudioSRT's live preview than to style in Premiere's timeline view.

One important note: if you're working from a company or client style guide, set up the exact font and color values in AudioSRT before exporting. Custom fonts — .TTF and .OTF files — can be uploaded directly in AudioSRT and will be referenced in the JSON export.

Frame accuracy and timing in Premiere

AudioSRT exports timestamps at millisecond precision. Premiere Pro's timeline works at the frame level — at 24fps, one frame is 41.67ms; at 30fps, 33.33ms. AudioSRT's export automatically rounds timestamps to the nearest frame at your project's frame rate. This means no sub-frame drift and no manual offset corrections after import.

If your Premiere project uses a different frame rate than your source media (for example, 29.97fps interpreted as 30fps), check the sequence settings in Premiere before importing. The timestamps will be correct for the frame rate specified in the JSON, but frame-rate mismatches in Premiere can cause apparent drift.

Common Premiere subtitle mistakes

• Importing SRT when JSON is available. SRT creates a static subtitle layer; JSON creates an editable caption track. Always prefer the JSON export if you're finishing in Premiere.
• Wrong sequence frame rate. Check your Premiere sequence frame rate matches your source media before importing captions.
• Not reviewing after import. Even with accurate timestamps, always play through the full timeline once after import to catch any outliers.
• Styling in Premiere before editing text. Fix all text and timing in AudioSRT before importing. Editing inside Premiere's caption editor is slower than AudioSRT's dedicated subtitle editor.

Comparison: SRT import vs JSON export in Premiere

SRT import creates a subtitle clip: styling is global, text editing is limited, and the track doesn't integrate with the Essential Graphics panel. JSON export creates a native caption track: each entry is independently editable, styling transfers correctly, and the track is treated identically to captions generated inside Premiere itself. For any professional workflow, JSON is the correct choice.

Using with Premiere's Essential Graphics panel

After importing the JSON caption track, open the Essential Graphics panel (Window → Essential Graphics). Select any caption in the timeline to see its styling options. You can modify the font, size, color and position for individual captions or apply a Motion Graphics Template (.mogrt) to style the entire track at once — useful for applying a client's branded caption style across all entries in one click.