DaVinci Resolve Subtitle Export: The Complete Guide

Last updated: September 21, 2026 · Reading time: ~7 minutes

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DaVinci Resolve and Subtitles

DaVinci Resolve has strong subtitle support, but the export options can be confusing. There are three relevant formats:

.drt — DaVinci Resolve Timeline (ZIP archive with project metadata)
.srt — SubRip (the standard, universal subtitle format)
.xml — Final Cut Pro XML or other XML variants

⚠️ Common misconception: A .drt file contains timeline metadata (track names, durations, timecodes) but usually does NOT contain subtitle text. To get actual subtitle text out of DaVinci, you need to export separately.

How to Export Subtitles from DaVinci Resolve

Method 1: Deliver Page (Recommended)
1. Go to Deliver tab (bottom right)
2. In Subtitles section, enable Export Sidecar
3. Choose format: SubRip (.srt)
4. Click Add to Render Queue → Render
5. Your .srt file appears next to your video

Method 2: Timeline → Subtitle Track → Export
1. Open Edit page
2. Right-click on the Subtitle Track
3. Choose Export Subtitles → SubRip (.srt) or WebVTT (.vtt)

Method 3: For .drt timelines
Save the timeline as .drt via File → Save Timeline As. The .drt can be re-opened in DaVinci, but for subtitle text you still need Method 1 or 2.

Converting .drt to Other Formats

If you have a .drt file, our converter can read it:

Drag the .drt onto the FCPXML Converter
The tool extracts the archive and reads the <SubtitleTrackVec> data
You'll see the track name (e.g., "Mama, I can't sleep") and cue count
If no text appears, the .drt didn't include embedded subtitles — export as .srt separately (see above)

Timecode Issue: 1-Hour Offset

DaVinci timelines often start at 01:00:00:00 (one hour) by default. When you import subtitles into DaVinci or export them, the timecodes will be offset by 86400 frames (at 24fps).

Solution in our converter:

Use the DaVinci → 0 button to subtract 86400 frames from all cues
Use the 0 → DaVinci button to add 86400 frames (when exporting for DaVinci)

FPS Gotcha

DaVinci projects can use any frame rate. Common ones:

23.976 — Cinema (most common for film/streaming)
24 — Cinema (true)
25 — PAL broadcast (Europe, Asia)
29.97 — NTSC broadcast (US, Japan)
30 — Web video

Make sure to select the matching fps in the converter's FCPXML output settings panel.

Privacy Note

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