Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
SRT and VTT are text file formats for subtitles: the lines come with timecodes, the start and end marks of each phrase. You can get such a file from a voice message, audio or video with the Potok bot @potok_now_bot, which exports a finished transcript to SRT and VTT alongside TXT, DOCX, Markdown and PDF. 60 minutes of transcription per month are free.
SRT and VTT are the two most common subtitle file formats: video players, editing programs and most transcription services read them. The difference between them is in how timecodes are written and in the file header, and you can get either one from a recording that is already transcribed.
How to get SRT or VTT from your recording
- Send the voice message, audio or video to the Telegram bot @potok_now_bot: find it and press “Start” if you have not opened it before.
- Wait for the transcription: a short recording arrives as text in the chat, a long one as a file.
- Under the finished text press the “Other format” button and choose SRT or VTT. Both are in the export list along with TXT, DOCX, Markdown and PDF.
- If you need timecodes and speaker labels in the text itself, turn them on beforehand in the bot settings (/settings). They will then also go into the subtitles.
- For a heavy file, use the bot's mini app: the same export formats are available there, in the browser.
What timecodes, speakers, SRT and VTT mean
- Timecode is a time mark next to the text showing at which second of the recording a phrase was spoken. In the Potok bot you can turn timecodes on in the settings.
- Speaker labels mean each participant's lines are marked with a number: “Speaker 1”, “Speaker 2” and so on. The bot does not know the speakers' names, only the serial numbers of the voices.
- SRT (SubRip) is the most common subtitle format: numbered blocks of text, each with its own start and end timecode for the phrase.
- VTT (WebVTT) is a subtitle format for the web: the file starts with the line WEBVTT and also stores timecodes together with the text. Video players on websites understand it.
- Summary is a short digest of the recording: the main points and tasks by participant, a separate button under the finished transcript.
- Other format is a button under the transcript that lets you re-export the same text as a different file, including SRT and VTT.
When not to rely on the bot for subtitles
The Potok bot is not suitable if you need subtitles right during a live broadcast or stream: it works only with a finished, complete recording, not with a live feed. If the recording is not in Russian, the bot will not help either: it has no translation and no recognition of other languages. Participants' names will not appear in the subtitles, only the numbers “Speaker 1”, “Speaker 2”. The bot will not start without the internet: it is a cloud service, and recognition runs on Potok's servers in Russia. Other ways to transcribe recordings are in the comparison of transcription services and in the article why meeting transcription is harder than ordinary dictation.
Frequently asked questions
Both formats store text with timecodes, but VTT is made for the web and starts with the line WEBVTT, while SRT is an older format that almost all video players and editing programs understand.
Yes: under the transcript in the Potok bot, the “Other format” button lets you export SRT, VTT and other formats (TXT, DOCX, Markdown, PDF) from the same recording.
If you want to compare for yourself
Take one of your own tasks and dictate it in Potok. The first 14 days have no limits and need no card. Potok is a cloud service: speech is recognized on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet.
Download PotokOne subscription, two tools: dictation in any program on your computer and @potok_now_bot in Telegram, which transcribes voice messages, audio and video.
Primary sources: yandex.ru · vc.ru · speech2text.ru · audio-2-text.ru