Avid DS Subtitle

You can import InqScribe transcripts into Avid DS using a special subtitle text format.

You can also import an Avid DS Subtitle file into Avid Media Composer as a SubCap Effect. If you need some help with the import, here's a YouTube tutorial by Steve Holyhead.

For more information about how it works, please visit this Avid Knowledge Base article on Avid DS Subtitle file.

NOTE: This exporter is experimental. Please contact us if you have any issues or have any requests.

CAVEAT: Avid DS seems to have trouble importing subtitles into 24fps movies. If you're working with a 24p movie, please check that all of your subtitles have been imported. You may find a few entries skipped. One possible fix might be to try a larger framegap (e.g. 10 frames).


Select your InqScribe transcript, set parameters, click "Convert + Download", review the results, then import into Avid.

  1. Prepare your transcript file

    Your transcript should:

    1. Match your Avid DS project's frame rate. e.g. if your Avid DS project is using 30fps, make sure your InqScribe transcript is also set to 30fps. (Alternatively you can use the framerate override in Step 3 below).
    2. Have "in" points. Ideally you would also have "out" points, but InqScribe can insert them in automatically (See Step 4, below). See the example InqScribe Transcript below for a transcript with in points.
    3. Start your timecodes at 01:00:00 (1 hr). If it doesn't you can use InqScribe's "Adjust timecode" feature to add "01:00:00" to your transcript.
  1. Select your InqScribe transcript file to upload for conversion

  1. Select the framerate you would like your subtitles to be exported in

    This will override the media framerate set in your transcript. The framerate of the exported subtitles should match the framerate of your Avid DS project.

  1. Set the gap in time between subtitles

    Avid DS can have trouble importing subtitles with overlapping timecodes. We recommend at least a 3 frame separation between one subtitle text and the next subtitle. If you've already set "out" points, the converter will automatically adjust the out point by the number of frames defined here before the next subtitle appears.

    If your timecodes are too close together, the converter will insert a warning message "*** "OUT" TIMECODE IS TOO CLOSE TO NEXT "IN"! PLEASE REVIEW GAP! ***" into your text. Review the export, adjust the transcript, and try the conversion again.

    If you really don't want a frame gap, enter "0".

  1. Fix "2" and "7" time codes to "1" and "6"

    For use with NTSC 23.976 projects only.

    Media Composer has a bug where any time code that end in a 2 or 7 are dropped when importing as a SubCap effect into Media Composer. Checking this box will replace any time code ending in a 2 to 1, and a 7 to a 6, e.g. 01:00:21:08 01:00:28:07 will become 01:00:21:08 01:00:28:06. This bug only affects NTSC 23.98 (aka 23.976) or 24 movies. (Bug still persists as of version 8.9.0 ca 2017)

Fix NTSC 23.976 time codes
  1. Add "1:00:00.00" to the time code

    Avid DS requires subtitles to start at 01:00:00.00. If your transcript does not start at 01:00:00.00, check this box to have the exporter automatically add 1 hour to all of your time codes. For example, a time code of 00:02:23.23 will become 01:02:23.23. This will add an hour regardless of your starting timecode, e.g. if the box is checked and your first time code is 01:00:00.00, an hour will be added to it to become 02:00:00.00.

Add 01:00:00.00
  1. Convert and Download

    Your transcript will not be saved on the server*.

  1. Import the subtitles into Avid DS

    Please refer to your Avid DS documentation.

Original (InqScribe transcript)

InqScribe works on Mac or Windows.


Using Inqscribe couldn't be simpler.

Launch the application.

Avid DS (Exported to Avid DS Subtitle file format, gap=3)

<begin subtitles>
00:00:05:08 00:00:07:23
InqScribe works on Mac or Windows.

00:00:07:26 00:00:12:24

00:00:12:27 00:00:15:10
Using Inqscribe couldn't be simpler.

00:00:15:13 00:00:17:04
Launch the application.
<end subtitles>