Convert subtitle format from SRT to ASS
subtitles
// what it does
Converts a subtitle file from SRT to ASS (Advanced SubStation Alpha) with no other inputs involved. ffmpeg reads the timing and text from the SRT and rewrites it as ASS, inferring the target format from the .ass extension. You'd do this when you need styling, positioning, or karaoke features that SRT can't express, or to prep subs for burning with custom fonts.
// shell
$ ffmpeg -i subtitles.srt subtitles.ass// gotcha
The output gets a single generic Default style, so ASS's real power (fonts, colors, placement) still has to be added by hand afterward. Basic SRT bold/italic tags are mapped to ASS override codes, but anything richer is approximated or dropped.