diff --git a/lib/Subtitle/BASE.pm b/lib/Subtitle/BASE.pm
index 542b0b6..7d90342 100644
--- a/lib/Subtitle/BASE.pm
+++ b/lib/Subtitle/BASE.pm
@@ -25,6 +25,21 @@ sub log {
 sub parse { return "Unimplemented by subclass"; }
 sub build { return "Unimplemented by subclass"; }
 
+sub from_string {
+  my ($self, $text) = @_;
+  my @lines = split /\r?\n/o, $text;
+  return $self->parse(\@lines);
+}
+
+sub from_file {
+  my ($self, $path) = @_;
+  open my $FH, '<', $path
+    or return -1;
+  my @lines = <$FH>;
+  close $FH;
+  return $self->parse(\@lines);
+}
+
 1;
 
 =pod
@@ -55,6 +70,21 @@ Collected messages can be accessed like this:
 =head C<build>
 =head C<parse>
 
-Stubs for subclasses
+Stubs for subclasses.
+Should return -1 on error, >= 0 on success (parsed events count).
+
+=head2 C<from_string>
+
+  my $cnt = $obj->from_string($text);
+
+Parse subtitle from given string.
+Return codes are the same as C<parse>
+
+=head2 C<from_file>
+
+  my $cnt = $obj->from_file($path);
+
+Parse subtitle from given file.
+Return codes are the same as C<parse>
 
 =cut
diff --git a/t/format-msub.t b/t/format-msub.t
index e90ec9f..631cd9a 100644
--- a/t/format-msub.t
+++ b/t/format-msub.t
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ my $sample = <<"EOF";
 {45}{60} Test event|with line wrap
 
 EOF
-my @lines = split(/[\r\n]+/, $sample);
-my $cnt = $msub->parse(\@lines);
+
+my $cnt = $msub->from_string($sample);
 is($cnt, 2);
 my @events = @{ $msub->{events} };
 is($events[0]->{timing}->[0], 2.0);
diff --git a/t/format-srt.t b/t/format-srt.t
index f4c3530..017c03b 100644
--- a/t/format-srt.t
+++ b/t/format-srt.t
@@ -21,8 +21,7 @@ my $sample = <<"EOF";
 </i>
 EOF
 
-my @lines = split(/\r?\n/, $sample);
-my $cnt = $srt->parse(\@lines);
+my $cnt = $srt->from_string($sample);
 is($cnt, 2);
 
 my @events = @{ $srt->{events} };