How to Translate Subtitles in DaVinci Resolve
By Antonio Pennino · Updated September 2026 · 6 min read
Short answer: DaVinci Resolve has no built-in button to translate subtitles from one language to another. There are two routes that actually work. If your goal is foreign-language audio into English subtitles, a Whisper-based plugin does it automatically in one pass. If you need any other target language, you export the subtitles as an SRT, translate that file with a service like DeepL, and import it back. Here is exactly how each works, and which one fits your job.
Why there is no translate button in Resolve
Resolve is an editor, not a translation tool. Even the Studio-only Create Subtitles from Audio feature only transcribes speech in the language that was spoken; it does not convert it to another language. So translation always happens in a separate step, either as part of the transcription (Whisper can translate to English while it works) or outside Resolve on the subtitle text itself.
Route 1, auto-translate foreign audio to English
This is the fastest route, and the only fully automatic one. OpenAI's Whisper model has a translation mode that takes speech in any of 90+ languages and outputs English text, timed to the audio. It is perfect for making a foreign-language interview, vlog or guest clip watchable for an English audience.
SmartSubs Pro exposes this with a single checkbox. It transcribes the timeline audio locally, and with translation on it writes the captions in English onto your own Text+ template, word timing intact:
- Open your timeline and launch SmartSubs Pro from Workspace › Scripts › Utility.
- Tick Translate to English.
- Pick a Whisper model (medium or larger is more reliable for translation than the tiny ones).
- Click Generate Captions. The English captions land on the timeline.
Be clear on the direction. Whisper translation goes from 90+ languages into English, not the other way around. If you need subtitles in French, Spanish, Arabic and so on, that is Route 2 below.
Route 2, translate into any other language (SRT round-trip)
For any target language other than English, the reliable method is to get the text out of Resolve, translate it, and bring it back:
- Get an SRT of your subtitles. Transcribe the audio (SmartSubs Pro can export a .srt alongside the captions), or export the existing subtitle track from Resolve as SRT.
- Translate the SRT. Use a service that preserves timing: DeepL, Google Translate, or a subtitle editor like Subtitle Edit that can translate an SRT while keeping the timestamps.
- Import it back. In Resolve, bring the translated SRT into the Media Pool and drop it onto a subtitle track.
This gives you a plain, static subtitle track in the target language. If you also want it animated word by word, you would style it separately with Text+, which is the job the karaoke guide covers.
Which route fits you?
| What you need | Route 1, to English | Route 2, SRT round-trip |
|---|---|---|
| Target language | English only | Any language |
| Fully automatic inside Resolve | ✓ | ✗ |
| Keeps word-level timing | ✓ | Line-level |
| Can drive animated Text+ captions | ✓ | Extra step |
Foreign audio to English, in one pass
SmartSubs Pro transcribes locally and, with one checkbox, turns speech in 90+ languages into English captions on your own animated Text+ template. One-time payment, no subscription.
Get SmartSubs Pro for $39.9930-day money-back guarantee · Studio or free Resolve, any version