TXT vs SRT vs VTT Transcripts

Choose between TXT, SRT, and VTT transcript formats for editing, subtitles, accessibility, and content repurposing.

Updated July 21, 2026

Picking the wrong caption format wastes cleanup time. Match the export to your next tool in the pipeline.

Plain text (TXT)

TXT strips timestamps—ideal for:

  • Blog summaries
  • Quote mining
  • LLM prompts

Export TXT from the YouTube Transcript Extractor when timing does not matter.

SubRip (SRT)

SRT is a simple timed format:

1
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,000
First caption line

Use SRT for legacy NLEs, some translation services, and offline players.

WebVTT (VTT)

VTT adds web-oriented metadata:

WEBVTT

00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:04.000
First caption line

Choose VTT for HTML5 players, many modern editors, and accessibility pipelines.

Comparison table

FormatTimestampsTypical use
TXTNoNotes, articles
SRTYesVideo editing, translation
VTTYesWeb players, streaming

Download all three

Paste a video URL into the transcript extractor and download the format your workflow needs.

How to Download a YouTube Transcript

FAQ

Which transcript format is best for subtitles?

VTT is common on the web; SRT remains widely supported in editing software. Both include timestamps.