Subtitle Line Counter
Check how many lines your subtitles use. The line counter reports the total number of text lines, the average and maximum per cue and how many cues have one, two, three or more lines, and lists every cue that exceeds the limit you set – usually two lines, the standard for broadcast and streaming. It updates as you type or paste.
- Runs in your browser
- No sign-up
- Free to use
How to use Subtitle Line Counter
- Paste subtitles or open an .srt or .vtt file.
- Choose the maximum lines per cue.
- Read the statistics and the list of cues over the limit.
- Download the report if needed.
Subtitle Line Counter features
Total lines
All text lines in the file.
Distribution
Cues with 1, 2, 3 … lines.
Limit check
Cues over 1, 2 or 3 lines with their position.
Live
Recounts as you edit.
Report
Download as text.
Private
Runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
When to use Subtitle Line Counter
- Quality checks before delivering subtitles.
- Checking automatic transcripts for long cues.
- Preparing subtitles for platforms with strict rules.
- Comparing translations with the original.
Subtitle Line Counter FAQ
Why limit subtitles to two lines?
More lines cover more of the picture and take longer to read. Netflix, the BBC and most broadcasters allow at most two lines per subtitle.
Are empty lines counted?
No, only lines with visible text.
Are formatting tags counted?
No. Tags such as <i> are removed before counting.
How do I fix cues with too many lines?
Split them into two cues in a subtitle editor, or shorten the text. The SRT Formatter can re-wrap long lines to two balanced lines.
Which formats are supported?
SRT and WebVTT (.vtt), detected automatically. Open a file or paste the text.
Is my file uploaded?
No. Everything happens in your browser.
Lines and readability
Subtitles compete with the picture for the viewer’s attention. Every additional line covers more of the image and needs more reading time, which is why professional style guides limit subtitles to two lines and keep single-line subtitles where the text is short.
The line counter treats each cue separately. It removes formatting tags, ignores empty lines and counts the remaining text lines. From these counts it builds statistics for the whole file: the total, the average per cue, the maximum and a distribution showing how many cues have one, two or more lines.
The list of cues over the limit tells you exactly where to look: the cue number, its start time and the line in the file. Fixing them usually means splitting a long cue into two shorter ones or condensing the text, which is common practice in translation as well.
A high share of three-line cues often means the file was produced by speech recognition or converted from a transcript. Such files benefit from re-wrapping and resegmentation before publication.
Counting happens in your browser as you edit.