moving subtitle text up in *.srt file format

Many players support ASS tags in .srt files. Below is an example using ASS positioning tags which work in both VLC and SMplayer in Linux, and probably in many other players and other OSes.

Note that the accepted answer suggests an older version of the SSA format, using {\aX} instead of {\anX}. The numbers used in the older format are also different, and that format is considered deprecated. The newer format uses the numpad layout for the numbers. While SMplayer correctly displays both formats, VLC only accepts the current {\anX} format.

1
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,000
{\an7} Top-left: an7

2
00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,000
{\an8}Top-center: an8

3
00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:12,000
{\an9}Top-right: an9

4
00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:16,000
{\an4}Middle-left: an4

5
00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:20,000
{\an5}Middle-center: an5

6
00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:24,000
{\an6}Middle-right: an6

7
00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:28,000
{\an1}Bottom-left: an1

8
00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,000
{\an2}Bottom-Center an2

9
00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,000
{\an3}Bottom-right: an3

11
00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:45,000
Back to default

You must write {\an} before your text.

{\a10} for center of screen, {\a6} for center above, {\a5} for left above, {\a9} for left center, etc...

(if it doesn't work, copy my writing to your subtitle)

As far as I know there is no such setting in the .srt format (this is confirmed by this page), that will depend on the program you use to view your videos. For example, in the settings of vlc you have "Force subtitle position":

There is an extended SRT format specification. The link to visualsubsync merely confirms that this very program only supports the standard spec. It also implies that there indeed is support for coordinations and there is:

You need to place coordinates for the pixels behind the time code like that:

00:10:30,796 --> 00:10:33,799 X1:117 X2:619 Y1:042 Y2:428
<font color="#ffffff">Any kind of text</font>

The example was taken from the following link:

http://forum.doom9.org/archive/index.php/t-86664.html

Your player, encoder, filter etc. might not support the extended SRT specs, though.