To create subtitles for a video, send the video file to the Potok bot on Telegram, switch on timestamps and export SRT or VTT. Files up to 2 GB work. Then load the file in your editor or player and adjust line length so each cue is easy to read in 2 lines or fewer.
Transcribe a recording
Send your voice message, audio or video to @potok_now_bot on Telegram and the text comes back in the chat.
Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram
Files up to 2 GB · export to TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, SRT and VTT · speaker labels and timestamps · about 30 languages
Key facts
- SRT suits most desktop editors, while VTT is the format web players read.
- Line length is the part you will edit most: a cue that wraps to three lines is hard to read in time.
- The subtitles stay in the language spoken in the video. They are not translated into another language.
How to do it
- Pick the format first. Ask where the subtitles will play. Web players read VTT. Most desktop editors and many platforms read SRT.
- Send the video. Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram and attach the video, as a file or a document. Use the Upload button of the mini app for a file near 2 GB.
- Turn on timestamps. The subtitle formats need start and end times, so enable them before sending.
- Wait for the transcript. Short results appear in the chat. A long video returns as a file.
- Export SRT or VTT. Save the file next to the video with the same base name. Many players pick it up on their own.
- Fix line length. Open the file in a text editor. Break long cues into two short lines and split cues that hold several sentences.
- Test on the real video. Play the video with the subtitles on. Look for cues that flash past too quickly to read.
What the result looks like
[00:03] Speaker 1: Start with a hot pan and a spoonful of oil.
[00:07] Speaker 1: Add the onions and leave them alone for two minutes.
[00:12] Speaker 1: You want colour, not smoke, so lower the heat if needed.
Sample text written by us to show the layout of a transcript. It is not the output of the recognition engine and not a real recording.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Where it works | Telegram bot @potok_now_bot; large files go through the bot's mini app |
| File size | Up to 2 GB |
| Export | TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT |
| Speakers and time | Speaker labels and timestamps can be switched on |
| Languages | About 30 languages with good published results; a few more with warnings |
| Translation | The transcript is not translated into another language |
| Dictation | A separate Potok desktop app lets you dictate text into any program; it recognises Russian speech |
Common mistakes
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Leaving long sentences in one cue | Viewers read the first line while the second is already gone. | Split the cue at a natural pause so each holds a short phrase. |
| Using SRT on a page that only reads VTT | The player shows nothing, and the page looks as if there are no subtitles. | Export VTT for web embeds and keep SRT for editors. |
| Burning subtitles into the picture before reviewing them | A typo can no longer be fixed without exporting the whole video again. | Review the text file first and burn in only the final version. |
| Assuming the transcript is also a second-language track | Viewers who need another language still get the original language. | Plan a separate subtitle track for other languages, made outside the bot. |
More
See the full list of languages, the tools and the glossary.
Frequently asked questions
Which subtitle formats can I export?
SRT and VTT both work. Pick SRT for most editors and VTT for web players.
Can I send a video file, not only audio?
Yes. The bot accepts video as well as audio, and the speech is read from the sound track.
How long should a subtitle line be?
Keep a line short enough to read at a glance, and use no more than two lines per cue. The exact limit is a style choice.
Does the bot burn the subtitles into the video?
No. It gives you a text file of cues. You add it in a player or editor, or burn it in there.
Will the subtitles appear in another language?
No. The text stays in the language of the speech. A different language needs a separate step outside the bot.
Sources
Each source was opened by hand on the date shown. Pages change, so open the source if a detail matters to you.
- Closed captioning (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked
- WebVTT (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked
- SubRip and the .srt format (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked
Try it on your own recording
Send your voice message, audio or video to @potok_now_bot on Telegram and the text comes back in the chat.
Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram