Converting a VTT file to SRT gives you numbered cues in SRT, a plain numbered-cue format that many subtitle editors read. The WEBVTT header line is dropped, the period before the milliseconds becomes a comma, and the cues are numbered from 1 in order. The page shows two cues in WebVTT and again in SRT.
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Files up to 2 GB · export to TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, SRT and VTT · speaker labels and timestamps · about 30 languages
Key facts
- Every blank-line block is numbered as a cue, 1, 2 and so on, whatever identifiers the VTT file had.
- An identifier line above a time line is replaced by the new number, so names such as intro do not reach the SRT.
- Only times written with hours, as in 00:00:01.000, are converted. A short time such as 00:01.000 is left unchanged.
- NOTE, STYLE and REGION blocks and header metadata lines are not dropped, so delete them before converting.
- WebVTT allows short times without hours, so add 00: hours to them before converting, because SRT needs hh:mm:ss,mmm.
Calculator
Default example: the same two cues in WebVTT and in SRT.
WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:03.500 Let's start the meeting. 2 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:07.200 First, we'll review last week's results.
1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,500 Let's start the meeting. 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:07,200 First, we'll review last week's results.
| 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 |
More
See the full list of languages, the tools and the glossary.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert VTT to SRT?
Delete the WEBVTT header, change the period before the milliseconds in each time to a comma, and number the cues from 1. The example does exactly this.
Why does SRT need numbers when VTT does not?
SRT defines each entry as a counter, a time line and the text. WebVTT makes the counter optional, so a VTT file may have none.
What happens to extra WebVTT features?
Notes, styles, regions and cue settings have no place in plain SRT, and the converter does not remove them. Delete NOTE, STYLE and REGION blocks and header metadata lines first, because every blank-line block is numbered as a cue; cue settings after the times stay on the time line, so delete them too.
Will the text of each cue change?
No. The lines of text are copied as they are. Only the header, the time separator and the cue numbers change.
Can I export SRT without converting?
Yes. The bot exports a transcript as SRT or VTT, so a conversion is needed only when you start from an existing VTT file.
Sources
Each source was opened by hand on the date shown. Pages change, so open the source if a detail matters to you.
- WebVTT: The Web Video Text Tracks Format (W3C), W3C · checked
- SubRip and the .srt format (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked
- WebVTT (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