Video to SRT: Generate an SRT File from a Video

To generate an SRT from a video, send the video to the Potok bot on Telegram and export the transcript as SRT. Each cue is a number, a time range and a short text. Videos up to 2 GB are accepted, and the file works with most players and editors.

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 subtitles can be added to most video players and editors, which makes the format the safest default.
Each cue holds a number, a time range and one or two lines of text, followed by an empty line.
The file is plain text and can be read in any editor, which makes it simple to proofread.
VTT exports are available for web players that expect that format.

How to do it

Finish the edit first. Subtitle times follow the exact video you send, so do not trim it afterwards.
Open the bot. Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram.
Send the video. Attach it as a file. If it is large, up to 2 GB, use the Upload button of the mini app.
Wait for the text. A short transcript appears in the chat. A long one comes as a file.
Export SRT. Choose SRT. TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF and VTT remain available for the same transcript.
Open the SRT and read a few cues. Check the numbers, the times and the line breaks. Fix any word that looks wrong.
Attach the file. Import the SRT in your editor, or place it next to the video under the same name.

What the result looks like

Example: a cooking clip as subtitle lines

[00:00] Speaker 1: First, chop the onion into small, even pieces.
[00:04] Speaker 1: Then let the pan warm up before you add any oil.

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.

What Potok can do
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

Common mistakes and how to fix them
Mistake	What happens	Fix
Cutting the video after generating the SRT	All cues shift away from the speech by the length of the cut.	Generate the file from the final cut.
Deleting the empty line between cues	Players may fail to read the file or merge two cues into one.	Keep one empty line after every cue.
Putting four long lines into a cue	Viewers have no time to read it, and the text covers the picture.	Split the cue so each holds one or two lines.
Skipping the check of proper names	Names of people and products are the words most often misheard.	Search the file for those names and correct them in one pass.

See the full list of languages, the tools and the glossary.

Frequently asked questions

What does an SRT file contain?

It contains numbered cues. Each has a time range and one or two lines of text.

Which players read SRT?

Most players and editors accept it. Some web platforms also take it in the upload form.

Can I export VTT instead?

Yes. VTT is available beside SRT, TXT, MD, DOCX and PDF.

Do the subtitles include speaker names?

Only numbers such as Speaker 1 if you switch labels on. Real names are not known to the bot.

Will the SRT be in another language?

No. It stays in the language of the speech and is not translated.

Sources

Each source was opened by hand on the date shown. Pages change, so open the source if a detail matters to you.

SubRip and the .srt format (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked 2026-10-18
MP4 file format, MPEG-4 Part 14 (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked 2026-10-18

Try it on your own recording