SRT vs VTT vs TXT: Which Transcript Format Should You Download?
Transcripts · 6 min read
By YT Toolkit Editorial Team · Published
Choose by what happens next. If you want to read or annotate a lecture, download TXT. If you need captions in a video editor, start with SRT. If you are adding a timed text track to an HTML video, use VTT. Each file may contain the same words, but the timing syntax and intended use differ.
| Format | Contains timing? | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| TXT | Optional in our export | Reading, notes, searching, drafting |
| SRT | Yes, with comma milliseconds | Simple caption files and editing workflows |
| VTT | Yes, with dot milliseconds | Web video text tracks and captions |
TXT: text first
A plain .txt transcript is easiest to read in a notes app. Without timestamps, it becomes flowing text. With timestamps, our export puts a marker beside each caption segment so you can return to the video. TXT is not a ready-to-play subtitle file: a video player needs structured start and end times for each cue.
[0:04] Today we'll test the first method.
[0:08] Start by checking the source.SRT: numbered caption cues
An .srt file has a cue number, a start and end time separated by an arrow, the caption text, then a blank line. Its milliseconds use a comma. The Library of Congress describes this basic SubRip structure, and YouTube accepts basic UTF-8 SRT files for caption uploads. SRT is a useful default when an editor or upload form specifically asks for it.
1
00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:07,500
Today we'll test the first method.VTT: timed text for the web
A .vtt file starts with WEBVTT. Its cue timing uses a dot before milliseconds. WebVTT is the format used by HTML <track> elements for captions, subtitles, and other timed text. The format can support extra cue settings, though our basic export contains only cue times and spoken text.
WEBVTT
00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:07.500
Today we'll test the first method.How to export the right one
- Paste a captioned video URL into the Transcript Extractor.
- Choose the available caption language you need.
- Select TXT for notes, SRT for a basic caption workflow, or VTT for a web text track.
- Open the file and proofread names, numbers, line breaks, and cue timing before using it.
Our tool also offers JSON with video ID, language, and segment start/end/duration values in seconds. That structured export is useful for software or data workflows, but it is not a direct replacement for an SRT or VTT caption file.
Can you rename a TXT file to SRT?
No. Changing the extension does not create cue numbers or start/end times. Likewise, changing .srt to .vtt does not add the WebVTT header or change comma milliseconds to dots. Export the format you need or convert the cue structure explicitly. If you only need to find and copy spoken words, start with the YouTube-to-text guide.
Sources
Format details checked 28 September 2026: the Library of Congress SRT format description, MDN WebVTT reference, and YouTube supported caption files.