TXT vs SRT vs VTT: Understanding Transcript Formats

When downloading YouTube transcripts, you'll encounter three main formats: TXT, SRT, and VTT. Each format serves different purposes and has unique advantages. This guide will help you choose the right format for your needs.

TXT Format (Plain Text)

What is TXT?

TXT is the simplest transcript format—pure text without any timing information or formatting codes. It's just the spoken words from the video.

Hello and welcome to this tutorial.
Today we're going to learn about transcript formats.
Let's start with the basics.

When to Use TXT

Reading and studying: When you just need the text content
Content repurposing: Converting videos into blog posts or articles
SEO optimization: Adding searchable text to your website
Translation: Easier to translate without timing codes
Note-taking: Copy-paste important sections

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Simple and easy to read
Works in any text editor
Small file size
Easy to edit and search

Cons:

No timestamps
Can't sync with video
No speaker labels

SRT Format (SubRip Subtitle)

What is SRT?

SRT is the most popular subtitle format. It includes sequence numbers, timestamps, and text, making it perfect for synchronized captions.

1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,500
Hello and welcome to this tutorial.

2
00:00:03,500 --> 00:00:07,000
Today we're going to learn about transcript formats.

When to Use SRT

Video editing: Adding subtitles to your videos
Accessibility: Providing synchronized captions
Social media: Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok support SRT
Video players: Most players (VLC, Windows Media) support SRT
Translation services: Many translation tools prefer SRT

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Universal compatibility
Precise timing control
Easy to edit manually
Supported by most platforms

Cons:

Limited formatting options
No styling information
Larger file size than TXT

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VTT Format (WebVTT)

What is VTT?

VTT (Web Video Text Tracks) is the modern web standard for captions. It's similar to SRT but with enhanced features for web videos.

WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.500
Hello and welcome to this tutorial.

00:00:03.500 --> 00:00:07.000
Today we're going to learn about transcript formats.

When to Use VTT

HTML5 video: Native format for web video players
YouTube: Preferred format for uploading custom captions
Advanced styling: Need colored or positioned captions
Web development: Building custom video players
Interactive transcripts: Creating clickable, searchable transcripts

Advanced Features

Styling: Control font, color, size, and position
Speaker labels: Identify who's speaking
Metadata: Add chapter markers and descriptions
Voice tags: Mark different speakers or languages

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Most feature-rich format
Web standard (W3C)
Styling and positioning
Growing platform support

Cons:

Less universal than SRT
More complex syntax
Overkill for simple needs

Format Comparison Table

          
            
              Feature
              TXT
              SRT
              VTT
            

              Timestamps
              ❌
              ✅
              ✅
            

              Video Sync
              ❌
              ✅
              ✅
            

              Styling
              ❌
              ❌
              ✅
            

              Web Standard
              ❌
              ❌
              ✅
            

              Easy to Read
              ✅
              ⚠️
              ⚠️
            

              File Size
              Small
              Medium
              Medium
            

              Platform Support
              Universal
              Wide
              Growing
            

        

Feature	TXT	SRT	VTT
Timestamps	❌	✅	✅
Video Sync	❌	✅	✅
Styling	❌	❌	✅
Web Standard	❌	❌	✅
Easy to Read	✅	⚠️	⚠️
File Size	Small	Medium	Medium
Platform Support	Universal	Wide	Growing

Which Format Should You Choose?

Choose TXT if you need to:

Read and study video content
Repurpose into blog posts or articles
Search for specific information
Translate content
Take notes or create summaries

Choose SRT if you need to:

Add captions to videos
Edit videos with subtitle software
Upload to social media platforms
Use with most video players
Ensure maximum compatibility

Choose VTT if you need to:

Upload custom captions to YouTube
Create HTML5 web videos
Style and position captions
Build interactive transcripts
Use advanced caption features

How to Convert Between Formats

Converting SRT to TXT

Simple text extraction:

Open SRT file in text editor
Delete all numbers and timestamps
Keep only the text lines
Save as .txt file

Converting SRT to VTT

Add VTT header:

Open SRT file in text editor
Add "WEBVTT" at the very beginning
Add blank line after WEBVTT
Save as .vtt file

Converting TXT to SRT/VTT

This requires timing information, which can be done by:

Using subtitle editing software
Manually adding timestamps
Using speech-to-text tools with timing
Re-extracting from the original video

💡 Pro Tip: Our tool lets you download transcripts in all three formats simultaneously. No need to convert manually!

Best Practices

For Content Creators

Always keep the original SRT or VTT file with timestamps
Create a TXT version for SEO and blog repurposing
Upload VTT to YouTube for best quality
Use SRT for social media posts

For Students

Download TXT for easy reading and note-taking
Use SRT if you need to reference specific timestamps
Keep organized folders for different courses

For Developers

Use VTT for web applications
Parse SRT for maximum compatibility
Store TXT for full-text search features

Conclusion

Understanding transcript formats helps you choose the right tool for your needs:

TXT is perfect for reading, studying, and content repurposing
SRT is ideal for video editing and maximum compatibility
VTT is best for web videos and advanced features

The good news? You don't have to choose just one. Download all three formats and use whichever works best for each task.

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