Format guide
Timed Text Markup Language (TTML / DFXP)
The XML-based broadcast standard used by Netflix, Apple Music lyrics and SMPTE-compliant pipelines.
What is TTML?
TTML is a W3C XML standard for timed text. It supports rich styling, regions, animations and accessibility metadata, and is the format Apple Music ships synchronised lyrics in (TTML 2 with Apple's iTunesTimedText profile). It also underpins SMPTE-TT for broadcast captions and is exported by professional subtitling suites such as EZTitles, Subtitle Edit and FAB.
Common use cases
- Apple Music / Spotify / Tidal lyric distribution
- Broadcast-grade closed captions (SMPTE-TT, EBU-TT-D)
- Streaming-platform subtitle ingest (Netflix IMSC1)
Example file
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<tt xmlns="http://www.w3.org/ns/ttml">
<body>
<div>
<p begin="00:00:12.34" end="00:00:18.91">First subtitle line</p>
<p begin="00:00:18.92" end="00:00:24.50">Second line</p>
</div>
</body>
</tt>
Free TTML tools
Validate TTML
Check syntax errors instantly
View TTML
Render in your browser, no signup
Convert TTML → LRC
The de-facto standard for synced song lyrics. Plain text wit…
Convert TTML → SRT
The most widely supported subtitle format on the planet. Pla…
Convert TTML → VTT
The W3C web-native subtitle format used by HTML5 <video>. SR…
Convert TTML → ASS
The format anime, fansubs and karaoke scripts use when SRT c…