# Subtitle Timing Transplant

Borrow the timings from a correctly synced subtitle and graft them onto a translation: cue-by-cue in strict order when counts match, or monotonic nearest-time assignment when they drift apart.

> Canonical page: https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/subtitle-timing-transplant

- **Category:** Media

- **Keywords:** subtitle timing transplant, copy timings between subtitles, subtitle timing transfer, translation timing, srt timing copy, sync translation to subtitles, 字幕时间轴移植

## Overview

The classic localization trap: your Chinese translation carries beautiful text but timings from the wrong video release, while the English track for the right release is perfectly synced but has the wrong language. Timing transplant takes the clock from one file and the words from another. When both tracks have the same cue count — the normal case for a file and its own translation — the two are zipped 1:1 in strict order, which is exact. When the translation dropped or split cues, nearest-time mode assigns each timing cue the closest unused text cue in a monotonic (order-preserving) pass, so a text cue can never be pasted onto an earlier timing cue; timing cues that find no partner keep the timing track's own text so nothing disappears, and the report counts transplanted, unmatched timing and leftover text cues. SRT and WebVTT in, SRT or WebVTT out; everything stays plain text.

## Inputs

- **Timing source (correct timings)** (textarea): Paste the correctly synced SRT / WebVTT here (its text is ignored)
- **Text source (translation to keep)** (textarea): Paste the translation SRT / WebVTT here (its timings are ignored)
- **Match mode** (select)
- **Output format** (select)

## When to use

- You have a translated subtitle file with broken timestamps and a synchronized source-language file for the target video cut.
- A video release change introduces variable offsets or frame rate discrepancies that make simple time shifting ineffective.
- A translated subtitle track has dropped or split cues and needs monotonic re-alignment against the original reference timing.

## How it works

- Paste the synchronized reference track into the timing source field and the translated dialogue into the text source field.
- Select your matching strategy: Strict Order for matching cue counts, or Nearest Time for monotonic alignment across cue discrepancies.
- Choose whether to format the final generated file as an SRT or WebVTT subtitle track.
- Run the transplant to generate re-timed subtitles alongside a summary of matched, fallback, and unused cues.

## Use cases

- Porting an existing fan translation or external subtitle track to a new Blu-ray or web video cut with different scene timings.
- Aligning localized subtitle lines to a master English reference track that has pre-approved broadcast synchronization.
- Repairing drifted subtitles where progressive frame rate conversion ruined line-by-line time alignment.

## Frequently asked questions

### What happens if the timing source and translation have different cue counts?

Nearest Time mode assigns the closest unused translation cue monotonically. Any timing cue without a match retains its original source text as a fallback.

### Which subtitle formats can I input and export?

You can paste either SRT or WebVTT plain text as inputs and export the transplanted result as either SRT or WebVTT.

### How does Strict Order mode handle matching?

Strict Order matches cues 1:1 sequentially from start to finish, replacing the timing source's text with the corresponding translation cue.

### Will Nearest Time mode scramble the sentence order?

No. The monotonic assignment strictly preserves cue order, preventing translation text from ever jumping backward to an earlier timestamp.

### What happens to leftover translation cues that find no match?

Unmatched translation cues are omitted from the output track, and their total count is listed in the processing summary.

## Related tools

- [Bilingual Subtitle Merger](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/bilingual-subtitle-merger): Merge two single-language subtitle files (SRT or WebVTT) into one bilingual track — primary language on top, secondary below — aligning cues by time overlap or cue index.
- [LRC SRT Lyrics Converter](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/lrc-srt-converter): Convert synced LRC lyrics into SRT subtitles (each line ends where the next begins, editable last-cue and maximum durations, \[offset:\] and enhanced word-timing tags handled) and turn SRT subtitles back into LRC lyrics — both directions lossless on text.
- [SDH Annotation Cleaner](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/srt-sdh-annotation-cleaner): Strip hearing-impaired (SDH) noise from subtitles: bracketed sound effects like \[APPLAUSE\] and (engine rumbles), speaker labels like JOHN: or NARRATOR -, music-note lines ♪ ♫ — then drop the empty cues left behind.
- [Subtitle Frame-Rate Retime Converter](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/subtitle-framerate-retime-converter): Rescale subtitle timings for frame-rate changes: PAL speedup presets (23.976↔25), custom fps pairs, a direct linear factor, or two-point linear calibration t′ = a·t + b.
- [WebVTT · TTML · SBV · SRT Subtitle Converter](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/webvtt-ttml-sbv-subtitle-time-axis-and-cue-style-converter): Convert subtitles between WebVTT, TTML (with SMPTE frame timing and styles), YouTube SBV and SRT — frame-precision time axes (23.976/24/25/29.97 drop-frame/30/50/59.94 DF/60), TTML tts styles bridged to WebVTT ::cue CSS, cue-id uniqueness, and IMSC 1.0.1 compatibility checks.
- [Adaptive 12-Point Hidden Watermark](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/adaptive-12-point-hidden-watermark): Add a subtle text watermark to one image or every supported image in a ZIP, at all, random, or chosen perimeter positions with automatic dark/light local contrast.
- [Audio Caption Timing Shifter](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/audio-caption-timing-shifter): Shift SRT or WebVTT captions to a likely speech onset or by a manual offset.
- [Language Learning Loop Maker](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/audio-language-learning-loop-maker): Turn speech phrases into a repeatable practice track with a configurable pause between repetitions.

## Samples

- [SRT Subtitle Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/srt-samples): Sample SRT subtitle files from simple to complex for testing import, translation, conversion, and timing-preservation workflows
- [ASS Subtitle Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/ass-samples): Sample ASS subtitle files from simple to complex for style-aware subtitle parsing, translation, conversion, and localization QA
- [Copyright-Free MP3 Audio Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/mp3-samples): Collection of royalty-free audio samples for testing and development purposes including nature sounds, meditation music, and ambient audio
- [Web Image Processing Python Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/web-image-processing-python): Web Python image processing examples using PIL/Pillow including reading, saving, resizing, and format conversion

## Related content

- [Repair Translated Subtitle Sync and Deliver a Bilingual Track](https://elysiatools.com/en/hubs/translated-subtitle-sync-repair-and-bilingual-delivery): Diagnose fixed offset, progressive drift or edit differences in existing translated subtitles, confirm cue correspondence, merge a bilingual track and verify readable selectable playback.