YouTube Users Report Disabling of Custom SRV3 Subtitles

Reports have emerged indicating that YouTube is disabling custom SRV3 subtitles, a format relied upon by many creators for stylized captions. Users have noted that subtitle tracks, particularly those formatted with .srv3 and .ytt files, are no longer appearing on videos after uploading. This issue has sparked significant concern, particularly among creators who depend on these advanced captioning options for their content.

The problem was brought to light by user maymei.cc on social media platform X, who claimed that YouTube is “slowly deleting all custom subtitles.” This includes work from prominent creators and companies, such as hololive. According to the user, the issue does not pertain to standard closed captions, but specifically affects advanced subtitles that offer formatting options not available in typical uploads.

Discussion on Reddit further corroborated these claims. A thread titled “Uploading SRV3 subtitles got broken/disabled. Please restore it” highlighted the frustrations of users, including original poster Matthew Hinson, who reported that SRV3 uploads have ceased to appear. Hinson later updated the thread, stating that existing SRV3 subtitles are being “randomly deleted” from previously published videos.

The impact of this change is particularly severe for creators who rely on these stylized subtitles to enhance their videos and provide accessibility. Commenter u/NanatsuEtc expressed frustration, stating, “This is my job… I literally have commissions in progress that I cannot complete.” Another user lamented the loss of their “proudest work,” which included .ytt and .srv3 tracks.

Understanding the significance of the SRV3 format is essential to grasping the current situation. This YouTube-associated subtitle format has circulated in subtitling communities for years, although it has never been officially documented by the platform. Users describe it as an older internal format that enables advanced styling options, such as colored speaker labels, custom placement, shadows, and language-specific formatting like ruby text. These features make SRV3/YTT popular in communities where captions serve dual purposes: as accessibility tools and enhancements to production quality.

Fans of hololive have been particularly vocal about these changes, as many official translations on their videos utilize styled captions. In the same Reddit thread, Matthew Hinson reported that the first hololive video to lose these subtitles was Tsunomaki Watame’s “What an amazing swing.” A separate discussion thread on the r/Hololive subreddit addressing the removal of custom subtitles quickly garnered thousands of upvotes, with users sharing examples and expressing their frustrations.

Some users speculate that YouTube’s recent focus on auto-translation and AI dubbing may be linked to the issues surrounding SRV3 subtitle uploads. However, there is currently no evidence to suggest a direct connection between these systems and the reported failures. Observations indicate a troubling pattern: SRV3 uploads fail, followed by the disappearance of existing tracks.

As of now, YouTube has not provided an official explanation for the issues affecting SRV3 and YTT captions. For creators concerned about potential data loss, the most practical advice circulating in these discussions is to back up .srv3 and .ytt files locally and to export any accessible projects from YouTube Studio.

The situation continues to evolve, and creators are left navigating an uncertain landscape regarding their custom subtitles on YouTube.