pysubs2
A library for editing subtitle files
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. pysubs2 is a stable, actively maintained library with zero dependencies, broad format support, and a permissive license. Install it if you need to programmatically work with subtitles or build subtitle conversion and retiming tools. The low friction and production-ready status make it a straightforward choice for subtitle-related tasks.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.9 or later.
- Low install friction with no runtime dependencies.
- Actively maintained with a recent release and ongoing commits; classifiers indicate production-stable status and support for current Python versions.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; you may use, modify, and distribute pysubs2 freely provided you include the license notice.
last release 2026-03-19 (148 days) · last repo commit 2026-07-30 · 436 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 263,983 downloads/mo, #8,347 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pysubs2
import pysubs2
subs = pysubs2.load("my_subtitles.ass", encoding="utf-8")
subs.shift(s=2.5)
subs.save("my_subtitles_edited.ass")- Whether the library handles edge cases in format conversion (e.g., unsupported tags or malformed input) gracefully.
- Performance characteristics when processing large subtitle files or batch operations.
- Completeness of support for advanced SubStation Alpha features beyond basic text and timing.
What it is and what it does
pysubs2 is a Python library for reading, editing, and writing subtitle files across multiple formats. It centers on SubStation Alpha (the native format of Aegisub) but also handles SubRip, MicroDVD, MPL2, TMP, WebVTT, TTML, SAMI, and OpenAI Whisper captions. The library provides both a programmatic API for subtitle manipulation—loading files, shifting timings, modifying text and styling—and a command-line tool for batch conversion and retiming tasks.
The package has no external runtime dependencies, making installation straightforward. It is actively maintained, production-stable, and supports current Python versions. The MIT license places no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution. It is well-suited for developers building video processing pipelines, subtitle editors, or tools that need to work with captions in multiple formats.
Use it for
- Batch convert subtitle files between formats (e.g., SRT to ASS) across a directory.
- Programmatically adjust subtitle timings in response to video edits or synchronization issues.
- Parse and modify subtitle text, styling, or metadata within a video processing workflow.
- Integrate subtitle handling into a video editor or caption management application.
- Process OpenAI Whisper-generated captions and convert them to standard subtitle formats.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
pysubs2 is a stable, actively maintained library with zero dependencies, broad format support, and a permissive license. Install it if you need to programmatically work with subtitles or build subtitle conversion and retiming tools. The low friction and production-ready status make it a straightforward choice for subtitle-related tasks.
Install
pysubs2 on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with no runtime dependencies. Actively maintained with a recent release and ongoing commits; classifiers indicate production-stable status and support for current Python versions.
Requires Python 3.9 or later.
License in practice
MIT license permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; you may use, modify, and distribute pysubs2 freely provided you include the license notice.
Quickstart
pip install pysubs2
import pysubs2
subs = pysubs2.load("my_subtitles.ass", encoding="utf-8")
subs.shift(s=2.5)
subs.save("my_subtitles_edited.ass")Verify before relying
- Whether the library handles edge cases in format conversion (e.g., unsupported tags or malformed input) gracefully.
- Performance characteristics when processing large subtitle files or batch operations.
- Completeness of support for advanced SubStation Alpha features beyond basic text and timing.
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.9 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 148 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 263,983 / month, #8,347 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: End Users/DesktopLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Multimedia :: VideoTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python ModulesTopic :: Text Processing :: MarkupTyping :: Typed |
Evidence: pysubs2-1.8.1-py3-none-any.whl
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See also aeidon · pysrt · webvtt-py · subliminal · srt · trakit · pydub · pyaaf2 · pywhispercpp · moviepy