How to download HeyGen captions, SRT files, and captioned videos
A captioned MP4 and an SRT solve different delivery problems. Keep the clean master and editable subtitle file even when the publishing channel needs burned-in text.
Open the completed video’s share/download interface and choose the video or captions/SRT option available for that project. For bulk or API workflows, completed video records can expose captioned_video_url and subtitle_url. Download the standard master too, because burned-in captions cannot be removed or restyled later.
Choose the right caption asset
| Asset | What it is | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Standard MP4 | Video without burned-in caption styling | Master editing and platforms that render captions |
| Captioned MP4 | Text permanently rendered into frames | Sound-off social viewing and fixed visual control |
| SRT | Plain subtitle text with timecodes | Accessibility upload, editing, translation |
| Transcript | Text without reliable timing | Review and repurposing, not caption delivery |
Do not call a transcript an SRT unless it contains correctly ordered time ranges. A publishing platform needs those timecodes to display lines at the right moment.
Download from the HeyGen interface
- Open Projects and select the completed video.
- Open its share or download controls.
- Choose the standard video, captioned version, or captions/SRT option shown.
- Save the files together and rename them before they become ambiguous.
HeyGen’s current download help says the video interface can provide full-video, audio, and captions SRT downloads. Available formats can depend on the project and plan, so use the options displayed for that output.
Retrieve caption assets in bulk or through the API
The current List Videos response documents both captioned_video_url and subtitle_url fields. A robust process should test each field rather than assuming every completed video has every variant.
- Follow pagination through the complete video list.
- For every completed video, record which asset URLs are present.
- Download the standard master and the selected caption assets.
- Write local filenames and success/failure status into a manifest.
- Record unavailable variants as exceptions, not silent omissions.
Review words, timing, placement, and identity
- Play the opening, middle, and closing captions with sound.
- Check names, brands, acronyms, numbers, and URLs against the approved script.
- Confirm lines do not cover faces, products, or platform interface controls.
- Open the SRT in a text editor and verify sequential timecodes.
- Confirm the SRT and video share the same base filename and language code.
- Review every target language with a qualified speaker before paid distribution.
HeyGen notes that only stylized captions added in AI Studio currently appear in the final rendered video. Treat the rendered caption version and sidecar subtitle file as separate deliverables.
Use filenames that survive handoff
launch-demo_vid_abc123_en-US_master.mp4
launch-demo_vid_abc123_en-US_captioned.mp4
launch-demo_vid_abc123_en-US.srtInclude the stable video ID when duplicate titles are possible. Language/locale prevents translated captions from being attached to the wrong video later.
If a caption URL or download option is missing
- Confirm the video is completed rather than still processing.
- Check whether captions were enabled or generated for that project.
- Open the video and inspect its current caption settings.
- Verify you are looking at the intended version after a regeneration.
- Record the exception and regenerate only after confirming the expected asset.
For a complete asset archive, use the HeyGen backup workflow. For downloading many completed variants, see the bulk-download methods.