Fact · Transcription
The openai-whisper command-line tool has a --max_line_count option, which sets the maximum number of lines in a segment. The help text says it requires word timestamps to be turned on.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“(requires --word_timestamps True) the maximum number of lines in a segment”
whisper/transcribe.py: decoding defaults and command-line options (openai/whisper), OpenAI, GitHub (openai/whisper), 2026, Command-line argument parser, --max_line_count option.
Open the original- What it measures
- Whisper calls the block of text that it emits for one time span a segment. Pairing this option with --max_line_width limits how many lines a single caption can take.
- What it does not show
- The option has no default value. Whether a segment matches a caption depends on the timing, so check each cue on screen.