# DaVinci Resolve Subtitle Timing: Offset All Captions > **Quick answer:** For DaVinci Resolve subtitle timing, offset all captions by selecting every clip on the subtitle track and sliding the selection earlier or later by the same amount. In Resolve 21.1, use Synchronize Word Timings when individual word timing is wrong, not when the whole track needs a uniform shift. *Published by [TryUncle](https://tryuncle.com) — the on-screen assistant that teaches DaVinci Resolve on your own screen.* *Updated 2026-10-03 · DaVinci Resolve 21.1 (September 2026) · Canonical: https://tryuncle.com/learn/davinci-resolve/davinci-resolve-subtitle-timing-offset-all-captions* The fix is usually one clean group move, not a hundred tiny caption edits. I’ve used that rule for years because subtitle timing problems become much easier once you separate a constant offset from drift. We’ve spent 7+ years doing professional, commercial video editing, and we run a 100,000+ member editing community where this is one of the recurring questions. As of September 2026, the current public DaVinci Resolve manual is version 21.1, dated September 8, 2026 ([Blackmagic Design manual page](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/welcome/en/W-DRE-03)). The names below follow Resolve 21.1 where behavior has changed, with older-version notes where they matter. Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design’s CEO, described the value of keeping editorial work in one application in the foreword to Blackmagic’s Resolve guide: > “I think one of the most exciting things about DaVinci Resolve 15 is that it brings editing, color correction, audio post and now visual effects together in the same software application!” > > Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design, [The Definitive Guide to DaVinci Resolve 15](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinci-Resolve-15-Definitive-Guide.pdf) That idea applies to subtitles too. When the caption track lives in the same timeline as the dialogue, you can compare the words and move the timed text without rebuilding the project in another application. ## How do you offset all captions in DaVinci Resolve? To offset all captions in DaVinci Resolve, select every subtitle clip on the subtitle track, then drag the selected group earlier or later by the same amount. Do not select the video or audio clips with it. Blackmagic describes imported subtitle entries as clips that can be selected and slid earlier or later together ([DaVinci Resolve 15 New Features Guide](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/SupportNotes/DaVinci_Resolve_15_New_Features_Guide.pdf)). **A constant subtitle offset is a group-move problem, not a caption-by-caption problem.** Here is the reliable workflow: 1. Open the **Edit** page and locate the subtitle track above the video tracks. 2. Play the timeline around the first spoken line. Decide whether the caption appears early or late, and measure the difference in the timecode display. 3. Switch to **Selection** mode with **A** if you are in Trim mode. The Resolve 17 Editor’s Guide documents **T** for Trim mode and **A** for Selection mode ([Blackmagic Design Editor’s Guide](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinci-Resolve-17-Editors-Guide.pdf?_v=1624410089000)). 4. Drag a selection box around the caption blocks on the subtitle track. Keep the box inside the vertical height of that track so it does not include video or audio clips. 5. Drag one selected caption left if the captions are late, or right if the captions are early. Keep the group selected while you move it. 6. Play the corrected region. Then check one caption near the beginning, one near the middle, and one near the end. If the subtitles are 2 seconds late, move the group 2 seconds earlier. If they are 12 frames late, move the group 12 frames earlier. The direction is simple: a caption that appears after its spoken line must move left on the timeline; a caption that appears before the line must move right. Resolve’s Edit page treats subtitles as a dedicated track above the video tracks. Blackmagic says the Edit page can import timed text in TTML, SRT, XML, and embedded MXF or IMF subtitle formats, and that subtitle entries can be moved and trimmed like other media ([Blackmagic Design Edit page](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/se/products/davinciresolve/edit)). That is why the whole-track correction works without rewriting every caption’s text. If you still need to create the track or import the file, start with our guide to [how to add subtitles in DaVinci Resolve](https://tryuncle.com/learn/davinci-resolve/subtitles). This page assumes the captions already appear on a subtitle track and need a timing correction. ## Which subtitle timing problem do you actually have? The right fix depends on the shape of the error. A uniform early or late track needs one group shift, a word-boundary problem needs retiming, and progressive drift needs a frame-rate or timebase investigation. Use this quick diagnosis before touching the timeline: | What you see | What it usually means | First action | Do not start with | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Every caption is about 2 seconds late | Constant start offset | Select all subtitle clips and move them earlier | Editing each caption one by one | | The first caption is correct but the last is 8 seconds late | Progressive drift | Check timeline frame rate, source timing, and drop-frame interpretation | Applying one global shift | | The caption starts near the right moment but words highlight at the wrong times | Word timing problem | Use Resolve 21.1’s Synchronize Word Timings or Update Word Timings | Moving the entire track | | Only captions after one edit are wrong | Local timeline change | Select and move the affected range | Shifting the whole project | | Captions are correct in Resolve but wrong in the exported file | Delivery or timecode mismatch | Test the export with a short range and inspect its timecodes | Rebuilding all captions | **DaVinci Resolve treats subtitle entries as timeline clips, so a selected group can move earlier or later together.** To tell a constant offset from drift, check two captions that are far apart. Suppose the first caption is 1 second late and a caption near the end is also about 1 second late. That is a constant offset. Move the group once. If the first caption is correct but the later one is increasingly late, the error is changing over time. A global 1-second move might make the middle look better, but it will leave both ends wrong. That pattern calls for a frame-rate or timebase check. Also separate caption timing from caption duration. Moving a caption changes its start and end together. Trimming its left edge changes when it begins. Trimming its right edge changes when it disappears. If all captions start and end too late by the same amount, move the group. If each caption begins correctly but stays on screen too long, adjust durations instead. The Blackmagic training example makes the same distinction in practical terms. It describes a subtitle that appears too late, then uses Trim mode to slide that caption left until it lines up with the dialogue ([The Editor’s Guide to DaVinci Resolve 17](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinci-Resolve-17-Editors-Guide.pdf?_v=1624410089000)). The one-caption exercise scales to a whole track when the offset is consistent. ## What is the safest way to move every subtitle earlier or later? The safest method is to make a duplicate of the timeline or export the current subtitle track first, then select only the subtitle clips and move them as one group. That gives you a rollback if the shift was measured in the wrong direction. # ## 1. Preserve the current caption track Before changing timing, save the project. If the subtitles came from an SRT file, keep the original file untouched. Resolve can export subtitle tracks from the Edit workflow, and its subtitle track header contains an export command in current Resolve documentation ([DaVinci Resolve 21 New Features Guide](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/SupportNotes/DaVinci_Resolve_21_New_Features_Guide.pdf)). # ## 2. Find a clean sync point Pick a clear spoken consonant rather than a long pause. A word that begins with a sharp sound gives you a better visual and audio reference than room tone. Play the line several times and pause on the first audible syllable. Note the caption’s start frame and the dialogue’s start frame. If the subtitle starts at `00:01:12:10` and the spoken line starts at `00:01:10:10`, the caption is 2 seconds late. Move the caption group left by 2 seconds. The timecode itself is more useful than a vague feeling that the captions are “a little off.” At 24 frames per second, one frame represents 1/24 of a second. At 25 frames per second, it represents 1/25 of a second. At 30 frames per second, it represents 1/30 of a second. Those are direct frame-duration conversions, not special Resolve rules. Resolve’s project settings expose a Timeline Frame Rate and a drop-frame timecode option, so verify those settings before measuring a frame-level correction ([DaVinci Resolve Reference Manual](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinci_Resolve_15_Reference_Manual.pdf)). # ## 3. Select only the captions Use the Edit page timeline. Zoom out far enough to see the full subtitle range, then drag a marquee over the subtitle lane from before the first caption to after the last one. Keep the marquee vertically contained within the subtitle track. If you only need to repair a section, start and end the marquee around that section. For example, if a ripple edit changed captions from 10 minutes onward, leave the earlier captions alone and select only the later range. # ## 4. Move the group by a measured amount With the captions selected, drag one caption left or right. Watch the timecode offset while you drag. Turn snapping on if you need the selection to land on a known edit point, but do not let snapping decide your sync point for you. The spoken audio is the authority. If you prefer keyboard precision, use the timeline’s displayed frame values and make small nudges after the main move. Resolve’s shortcut layout can be customized, so use the menu command or your own shortcut mapping if a key does not behave as expected. The Blackmagic guide confirms the broader editing model: subtitle clips can be trimmed and adjusted like other timeline clips ([DaVinci Resolve 15 Advanced Editing guide](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinci-Resolve-15-Advanced-Editing.pdf)). # ## 5. Check three points, not just the first one Review the start, middle, and end of the caption track. A constant offset should look corrected at all three points. If only the first point is right, stop and investigate drift. Do not keep nudging the complete selection. **The safest subtitle export test is a short range with the first caption checked in both Resolve and the delivered file.** For a separate subtitle file, export a short test range if your delivery workflow allows it. Open that file in the target player or platform preview and check its first caption against the same spoken word. A caption track can look correct inside Resolve while the delivery environment interprets timecode differently. ## How do you use Synchronize Word Timings in Resolve 21.1? Use **Synchronize Word Timings** when the captions are on the right general timeline but the individual word boundaries are wrong. In Resolve 21.1, right-click the subtitle track header and choose **Synchronize Word Timings**. Blackmagic’s Resolve 21 New Features Guide documents this command as the way to retime all subtitle clips on a subtitle track ([Blackmagic Design Resolve 21 New Features Guide](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/SupportNotes/DaVinci_Resolve_21_New_Features_Guide.pdf)). **Resolve 21.1’s Synchronize Word Timings command fixes word-level timing, not a uniform shift of an entire caption track.** The distinction matters because there are two different clocks in a caption workflow: - The caption clip’s position on the timeline. - The words inside that caption and their individual timings. If every caption is late by the same amount, move the caption clips. If the caption begins at the correct point but a word highlight appears too soon or too late, retime the words. Applying word synchronization to a simple track offset can change the internal word boundaries without solving the track’s start position. Resolve 21 also documents an individual-caption route. Select a subtitle clip, open the Video Inspector’s Caption tab, and press **Update Word Timings**. Use that when one caption needs a fresh word-level analysis rather than the whole track. If you are on Resolve 20, 19, or an older release, you may not see the 21.1 command. That is a version difference, not proof that the subtitle track is broken. Use the group-slide method for a constant offset, or update Resolve if you specifically need the Resolve 21 word-timing workflow. Blackmagic’s public manual page identifies 21.1 as the current manual at the time of this post ([Blackmagic Design manual page](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/welcome/en/W-DRE-03)). There is a second Resolve 21 path for imported transcription data. The same new-features guide documents **AI Tools > Audio Transcription > Import and Detect Timing** for a Media Pool clip. That is useful when you are bringing subtitle text into a clip and want Resolve to analyze the timing. It is a different operation from shifting captions already placed on the timeline. ## Why are all subtitles still wrong after you move them? If the subtitles remain wrong after a group move, first check whether the error is constant, progressive, local, or limited to export. Each pattern has a different cause. # ## The captions are correct at the start but drift later Progressive drift usually means the subtitle timebase and timeline timebase do not agree. Compare the first caption and a caption near the end. If the difference grows, check the timeline frame rate, source frame rate, and whether drop-frame timecode is enabled where it should be. Resolve’s project settings include a primary Timeline Frame Rate and a Use drop frame timecode option. The manual says the timeline frame rate determines the primary frame rate used by the project and that the drop-frame setting controls the current project’s timecode behavior ([DaVinci Resolve Reference Manual](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinci_Resolve_15_Reference_Manual.pdf)). Do not change the project frame rate casually after editing. Make a duplicate first and confirm what the subtitle file expects. If the apparent problem also includes dialogue and picture being out of sync, use the separate [DaVinci Resolve audio sync guide](https://tryuncle.com/learn/davinci-resolve/sync-audio) before changing the captions. Subtitle timing should follow a trusted dialogue reference, not compensate for audio that is already misaligned. The difference between 23.976 and 24, or between 29.97 and 30, is small per frame but accumulates across a long program. That is why a caption can begin close to the dialogue and finish visibly out of sync. A global offset changes the starting point. It cannot change the rate at which the error accumulates. For a deeper explanation of the common frame-rate choices, see [23.976 vs 24 vs 25 in DaVinci Resolve](https://tryuncle.com/learn/davinci-resolve/davinci-resolve-frame-rate-23-976-vs-24-vs-25-explained). The decision is broader than subtitles, but it is often the hidden reason a caption file drifts. # ## The captions are right in Resolve but wrong after export Treat this as a delivery diagnosis. Export a short test, then inspect the first caption and the program start timecode in the actual target environment. A subtitle file may carry timecode assumptions that the receiving player, platform, or review tool interprets differently. Do not edit the entire caption track until you know whether the discrepancy exists in Resolve or only after export. If the captions are aligned in the timeline but shifted in the exported file, changing the clips can make the source project less correct while leaving the delivery problem untouched. Blackmagic documents multiple subtitle export paths and formats, including separate TTML, SRT, and VTT files as well as rendered subtitles in the final video ([Blackmagic Design Edit page](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/se/products/davinciresolve/edit)). Choose the output that matches the destination’s requirement, then validate that exact output. # ## Only captions after an edit are wrong This is usually a local range problem. A ripple edit, inserted gap, or removed section can leave a later caption range needing a separate move. Select the affected captions only and compare the first caption before the edit with the first caption after it. Subtitle track auto-selection affects how timeline operations interact with a track. Blackmagic’s Editor’s Guide warns that auto track selector controls for subtitle tracks work like those on other timeline tracks, so be careful when ripple trimming captions ([The Editor’s Guide to DaVinci Resolve 17](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinci-Resolve-17-Editors-Guide.pdf?_v=1624410089000)). If you want subtitles to follow an editorial change, include the subtitle track deliberately. If you want to preserve them while changing picture, turn that decision into an explicit part of the edit. # ## The captions are visually styled text, not subtitle clips If the words were converted to Text+ or another title generator, they are no longer a normal subtitle track. A Text+ clip may need a different bulk-selection and animation workflow. You can still move selected title clips, but the Resolve subtitle-track commands such as Synchronize Word Timings apply to subtitle clips, not every text object on a video track. That difference also affects delivery. Resolve’s Edit page can export subtitle files from subtitle tracks. Text+ titles are graphics in the video and generally belong in a rendered video workflow. Decide whether you need a selectable subtitle file or burned-in graphics before you rebuild anything. ## How do you fix only one section of captions? To fix one section, select only the subtitle clips inside the affected range, move that range by the measured amount, and inspect the captions immediately before and after the boundary. A local correction should not move captions that were already aligned. This happens after a common editorial change: the picture is shortened, a gap is removed, or a section is inserted. The subtitles may follow the operation if the subtitle track is included, or they may remain where they were if it was excluded. Neither result is universally correct. It depends on whether the captions belong to the moved program material or to a fixed delivery timecode. Use this local repair sequence: 1. Find the edit that created the mismatch. 2. Play the last correct caption before the edit. 3. Play the first incorrect caption after the edit. 4. Measure the difference between the spoken line and the caption. 5. Select only the incorrect range on the subtitle track. 6. Move that range earlier or later. 7. Check the caption immediately before the selection and immediately after it. Do not select a caption range by text alone if the same words repeat in the program. Select by timeline position. Text is content; the timeline is the timing reference. When the local range contains a gap or an overlap, use the Inspector to confirm each caption’s start and end values after the move. The visual blocks can look close while a short overlap or gap remains at the boundary. If the section includes multiple language tracks, repair each language deliberately. A Spanish caption track and an English caption track may start from different source files and may not share exactly the same line breaks or durations. Moving one track does not prove the other track is correct. Uncle can point at the exact timing control in your own Resolve project while you work if the selection or menu is the part you cannot find. ## How should you verify captions before delivery? Verify captions in three passes: timeline alignment, readability, and exported-file behavior. A track can be synchronized and still fail because a caption is too brief, overlaps the next one, or uses the wrong delivery format. # ## Timeline alignment Play the first, middle, and last dialogue sections. Check the first audible syllable, not just the general sentence. Then check a pause, a fast exchange, and a section after a cut. These spots expose different errors. If the offset is constant, the three points should improve together. If the first point improves but the last point worsens, stop and investigate drift. If only one sentence is wrong, repair that sentence or its local range. # ## Readability and overlap Read the captions at normal playback speed. Look for two caption blocks showing together when they should be sequential, a caption that disappears before the sentence ends, or a long line that forces an awkward break. Timing is not only synchronization with speech. It is also the time a viewer gets to read. Blackmagic’s subtitle workflow includes track-level settings for caption styling and delivery, and its official training material demonstrates inspecting and adjusting subtitle clips individually ([The Editor’s Guide to DaVinci Resolve 17](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinci-Resolve-17-Editors-Guide.pdf?_v=1624410089000)). Keep timing changes separate from styling changes so you can tell which edit caused a new problem. # ## Export behavior Export the format your destination actually asks for. Blackmagic lists SRT, VTT, and TTML among the subtitle outputs supported by the Edit workflow ([Blackmagic Design Edit page](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/se/products/davinciresolve/edit)). Open the exported file or upload a short private test to the destination and check the first caption against the spoken line. Keep the project’s original subtitle track until the delivered file passes review. If a client asks for a second language, a captioned master, or a separate SRT, you want one known-good source rather than a track you have repeatedly shifted without a record of the changes. ## What is the best way to learn DaVinci Resolve fast when menus differ? The best way to learn DaVinci Resolve fast is to combine an official reference with practice on your own timeline and targeted help when your version does not match a tutorial. Blackmagic’s free training page offers training videos, guides, lesson files, and a certification path, so it remains the right source for the software’s canonical workflow ([Blackmagic Design training](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/au/products/davinciresolve/training)). We’ve taught 100,000+ students on Udemy as an official Udemy Business Partner, taught and worked with Fortune 500 companies, and built our editing community around the gap between a general lesson and the exact control in front of you. That is why this guide starts with diagnosis rather than a long list of menu clicks. Here is the honest split between common learning options: | Resource | Best use | Where it falls short for this timing problem | | --- | --- | --- | | Blackmagic Design training | Canonical, structured learning and version-aware foundations | It cannot inspect your specific timeline while you are stuck | | Casey Faris and other YouTube teachers | A visual walkthrough when you need to see a complete workflow | The tutorial’s project, layout, and Resolve version may not match yours | | Reddit or the Blackmagic Forum | A second opinion on an unusual project or version issue | Answers vary in detail and may assume context you do not have | | TryUncle | Help while your own Resolve project is open, with the control pointed out on screen | It is not a replacement for a full curriculum or official manual | The consensus matters. Official Blackmagic training is useful. YouTube teachers such as Casey Faris are useful. Community answers can surface edge cases. An app that helps you while using DaVinci Resolve is useful when the problem is not “what is subtitle timing?” but “which control on my current screen changes this track?” TryUncle works as an on-screen Resolve assistant for Mac and Windows. Ask in plain words, and Uncle points at the exact control on your screen. The category has different kinds of tools. Sottocut describes itself as a local-first assistant editor that lives inside an open Resolve project and can propose and verify edit operations ([Sottocut](https://www.sottocut.com/)). Eddie AI describes an integration that imports clips and timelines from Resolve and sends edits back for polishing ([Eddie AI for DaVinci Resolve](https://www.heyeddie.ai/workflows/davinci-resolve)). CutAgent positions itself as an AI agent that can hand off editing tasks inside DaVinci Resolve ([CutAgent](https://www.cutagent.ai/)). PremiereCopilot is built for Adobe Premiere Pro rather than DaVinci Resolve ([PremiereCopilot](https://www.premierecopilot.com/en/copilot)). Those are not interchangeable answers to this subtitle question. Tools that automate or plan edits are aimed at changing the edit. Uncle’s narrower job is to watch the Resolve screen and teach the next control while you remain the editor. If you need a full course, start with Blackmagic’s training. If you need a different editor to generate cuts, compare the automation tools honestly. If you are stuck on the exact subtitle track in your own Resolve project, [TryUncle](https://tryuncle.com/) is the relevant product path. ## What should you do when the whole subtitle track is still offset? Start over with a small diagnosis, not a larger correction. Save the project, compare two captions far apart, and classify the error as constant offset, progressive drift, local range mismatch, or export-only mismatch. Then use the matching action: 1. **Constant offset:** select every caption on the affected subtitle track and slide the group earlier or later. 2. **Wrong word boundaries:** in Resolve 21.1, use **Synchronize Word Timings** on the subtitle track or **Update Word Timings** for one caption. 3. **Progressive drift:** inspect Timeline Frame Rate, source timing, and drop-frame settings before moving the track again. 4. **Local mismatch:** move only the range after the edit that caused the problem. 5. **Export-only mismatch:** validate the delivered SRT, VTT, TTML, or rendered file in the target environment. The shortest correct answer to “DaVinci Resolve subtitle timing offset all captions” is still the simplest one: select the subtitle clips, move the group, and verify three points. The extra diagnosis protects you from using that simple answer on a problem it cannot solve. If a tutorial shows a different menu, check the Resolve version before assuming your project is wrong. Resolve 21.1’s new word-timing command is a current version detail; the basic subtitle-track model has been documented for older releases as well. Keep the source subtitle file, keep a pre-offset timeline, and make the timing change reversible. That is the whole repair: measure once, move the right clips, and test the file you will actually deliver. ## FAQ ### How do I offset all captions in DaVinci Resolve? Select every subtitle clip on the subtitle track, then drag the selected group earlier or later by the same amount. Preview the first, middle, and last caption before exporting. ### Why are all my subtitles off by the same amount in DaVinci Resolve? A uniform error usually means the subtitle track started at the wrong time. Move all subtitle clips together, then check the timeline start timecode and frame rate if the exported file is still wrong. ### What does Synchronize Word Timings do in DaVinci Resolve 21.1? Synchronize Word Timings retimes all subtitle clips on a track against the timeline audio. Use it for captions whose word boundaries are wrong, not for a simple constant offset. ### Why do subtitles drift farther out of sync in DaVinci Resolve? Progressive drift points to a frame-rate, timebase, or drop-frame mismatch. A single global move cannot fix drift because the error grows as the timeline continues. ### Can I shift subtitles without moving the video in DaVinci Resolve? Yes. Select only the subtitle clips, keep the video and audio clips out of the selection, and slide the caption group earlier or later on its subtitle track. ## Sources - [DaVinci Resolve 21.1 Manual landing page](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/welcome/en/W-DRE-03) - [DaVinci Resolve 21 New Features Guide](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/SupportNotes/DaVinci_Resolve_21_New_Features_Guide.pdf) - [DaVinci Resolve Edit page, subtitles and closed captioning](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/se/products/davinciresolve/edit) - [Importing Subtitles and Captions, DaVinci Resolve 15 New Features Guide](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/SupportNotes/DaVinci_Resolve_15_New_Features_Guide.pdf) - [The Editor's Guide to DaVinci Resolve 17](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinci-Resolve-17-Editors-Guide.pdf?_v=1624410089000) - [DaVinci Resolve 15 Advanced Editing guide](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinci-Resolve-15-Advanced-Editing.pdf) - [DaVinci Resolve 15 Reference Manual, project frame rate settings](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinci_Resolve_15_Reference_Manual.pdf) - [Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve training](https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/au/products/davinciresolve/training) - [Grant Petty, The Definitive Guide to DaVinci Resolve 15](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinci-Resolve-15-Definitive-Guide.pdf) - [Sottocut for DaVinci Resolve](https://www.sottocut.com/) - [Eddie AI for DaVinci Resolve](https://www.heyeddie.ai/workflows/davinci-resolve) - [CutAgent for DaVinci Resolve](https://www.cutagent.ai/) - [PremiereCopilot for Premiere Pro](https://www.premierecopilot.com/en/copilot) - [TryUncle](https://tryuncle.com/)