•TranscribeFast Team

SRT vs VTT vs Plain Text: Which Transcript Format Should You Export?

Student-friendly guide to transcript export formats: when to use TXT/PDF, and when you need subtitles (SRT) or captions (WebVTT/VTT) for videos and presentations.

You finished transcription—now what? The format you export matters. Use the right one and you’ll save time when editing, submitting homework, or adding captions to a video.

Quick answer

  • TXT: fastest for notes, copying quotes, and sharing.
  • PDF: best for final hand-in (clean, fixed formatting).
  • SRT: standard subtitles for many video tools (YouTube, editors).
  • VTT (WebVTT): modern captions for the web (HTML5 video players).

What is SRT?

SRT is a subtitle file format. It’s basically numbered caption blocks with start/end times.

1
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,200
Today we’re interviewing three students.

Use SRT if you’re uploading captions to a platform or editing a video project.

What is VTT (WebVTT)?

VTT is similar to SRT but designed for web video players and can support extra metadata (like styling).

WEBVTT

00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:03.200
Today we’re interviewing three students.

Use VTT when you’re embedding a video on a website or using an HTML5 player.

When plain text (TXT) is best

  • Writing papers, reports, or reflections
  • Creating a Quote Bank with timestamps
  • Copy/pasting into docs, notes, or spreadsheets

When PDF is best

  • Submitting an appendix or transcript attachment
  • Sharing a “final” version that won’t accidentally get edited
  • Printing and highlighting for manual coding

Common mistakes

  • Using SRT/VTT when you only need quotes for a report (TXT is easier).
  • Uploading the wrong caption format to your platform (check whether it wants SRT or VTT).
  • Not proofreading proper nouns before publishing captions (names are the first thing viewers notice).