After transcribing a public video with the YouTube to Text Converter, export TXT for plain transcript text without caption timestamps. Choose SRT or VTT when you need start and end times for subtitles. Review and save the transcript before downloading.
Notes need readable words; a caption player also needs to know when those words should appear and disappear.
Choose the Right YouTube Transcript Export
| Format | Includes caption timestamps? | Typical destination |
|---|---|---|
| TXT | No | Notes, search, article drafts and document editing |
| SRT | Yes, with numbered cues | Subtitle editors and players supporting SubRip |
| VTT | Yes, with a WEBVTT header | Web caption tracks and compatible players |
TXT does not add headings, citations or summaries for you. Retain the original video URL separately when your notes need a source reference. SRT and VTT preserve caption timing, but neither format permanently embeds captions into the video.
Download a YouTube Transcript as a Text File
- Import an individual public video or Short in the YouTube workspace.
- Sign in and process it within your allowance.
- Open the completed transcript and check important words against the audio.
- Save corrections, then select TXT from the export controls.
- Open the downloaded text file and check the passage you need.
This converts a YouTube lecture, interview or podcast into editable text. A TXT export contains the transcript rather than an MP3 recording or downloadable video.
Keep Timestamps with SRT or VTT
Choose SRT or VTT when another application needs machine-readable cue timing. SRT numbers each cue and uses commas for milliseconds; WebVTT uses a header and dots for milliseconds.
An illustrative two-second cue looks like this in SRT:
1
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,000
Example caption text.The same illustrative cue in WebVTT is:
WEBVTT
00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:03.000
Example caption text.These are format examples, not results from a real video. The TXT, SRT and VTT comparison provides more detail about choosing a destination format.
Check Timing Against the Same Video Edit
Play the beginning, a middle passage and the ending with the exported caption track. Confirm that cues follow the spoken phrase and remain readable. Check passages where you corrected words or changed cue timing.
A uniformly late or early track may have a constant offset. Use the subtitle timing adjuster when you know that offset. If drift grows over time, or several sections were cut differently, moving every cue by the same amount will not fix the whole track.
Convert an Existing Subtitle File or Remove Its Timing
You do not need to retranscribe merely to change the subtitle format. Use SRT to VTT or VTT to SRT. To keep only the words, load an existing subtitle file in the subtitle editor and download TXT.
These existing-file tools run in your browser without sign-in or transcription-minute charges. They retain plain cue text and timing, but do not preserve specialist styling or caption positioning.
For the complete import and review process, read how to convert YouTube videos to text online.
