Remove SDH from SRT

SDH subtitles describe sounds and name speakers for viewers who can't hear the audio. Turn them into regular subtitles: sound descriptions, speaker labels and music symbols go, the dialogue stays.

Your subtitles

Runs in your browser. Your subtitles are never uploaded.

Clean up in three steps

1.

Add the SRT

Paste it, open the file, or load the example to see what's removed.

2.

Choose what to remove

Brackets, parentheses, speaker names and music symbols can each be turned off.

3.

Remove and download

Subtitles that were only a sound description are deleted.

What counts as SDH

SDH (subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing) add what a hearing viewer gets from the audio: sound effects like [door slams] or [UPBEAT MUSIC], reactions like (laughs), the speaker's name when they're off screen (JOHN:), and ♪ around song lyrics.

Streaming downloads often only come with an SDH track. Removing the extra text gives you plain dialogue subtitles, which are easier to read and to translate.

Speaker names are only removed when they're in capitals before a colon at the start of a line, like "SARAH:" or "- MAN 2:", so a normal sentence with a colon isn't touched. When a two-speaker subtitle is left with one line, its dialogue dash is removed too.

What gets removed

[Sound effects]

Anything in square brackets.

(Reactions)

Anything in parentheses, like (sighs).

SPEAKER NAMES:

Capitalised labels before a colon.

♪ Music symbols

The symbols go; the lyrics stay.

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Frequently
Asked Questions

What does SDH mean on subtitles?

Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of hearing: they include sound descriptions and speaker names as well as the dialogue.

Will it remove lyrics?

No, only the ♪ symbols around them. Song lyrics are part of what's said or sung.

Some speaker names in lower case weren't removed.

To avoid deleting real dialogue, only names in capitals are treated as labels. Remove the rest by hand.

Is my file uploaded?

No. It's processed in your browser.

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