Selecting appropriate captions is not merely a technical matter, it is a crucial component of improving the accessibility, discoverability, and engagement of your videos. Nowadays, people are more likely to view social media without sound, and search engines use text to determine the purpose of your content. Using the right caption file format ensures your subtitles display correctly on each platform and saves you hours of troubleshooting down the line. The following guide will help you understand SRT, VTT, and plain transcripts so that you might choose the most appropriate file for YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels, and every other time you publish.
1. The Significance of Proper Text Format and Captions
After browsing through their feeds for a few seconds, viewers decide to keep watching. A video is usually skipped when it begins silently and no text is visible. The majority of social algorithms rely on appropriate captions as key cues because they attract viewers, make it easier for them to follow along in noisy or crowded environments, and keep them watching for a long time. Furthermore, captions ensure that your videos meet accessibility guidelines for viewers who are Deaf or hard of hearing and give search engines access to your spoken words, making your videos more discoverable.
Just as crucial as adding captions in the first place is selecting the appropriate caption file. Some platforms only accept certain formats, timing can drift in conversion tools, and styling options vary. Invest a few minutes now to pick the format that works best for each channel, and your uploads will go smoothly every time.
2. The Three Main Caption Formats
SRT, VTT, and plain transcripts (TXT or JSON) are the three caption file types that every creator encounters. Here is a straightforward examination of each.
1. SubRip Subtitle (SRT)
The most widely used caption format is SRTIt’s a plain-text file where each block shows a sequence number, start and end time codes (with commas for milliseconds), and the subtitle text. YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, the majority of smart TV players, and even TikTok's desktop uploader accept SRT files because of their lightweight design and wide range of compatibility. To edit an SRT in Notepad, simply fix a typo and save it; no other tools are required.
The primary disadvantage is that you can’t add any styling information, the platform selects the font, color, and placement.
Example:
00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:02,500
Welcome to our caption guide.00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:04,300
2. VTT (WebVTT – Web Video Text Tracks)
VTT is similar to SRT except it has a header (WEBVTT), , uses dots instead of commas in the time codes, and allows CSS-style blocks for fonts, colors, and onscreen positioning. VTT is popular among corporate training portals, OTT apps, and modern HTML5 video players like Vimeo because it lets you define speaker labels and chapter cues in addition to brand styles.
The drawback is that manually editing VTT by hand can feel a bit like editing CSS, and some older players ignore the extra styling blocks.
Example:
WEBVTT
STYLE
::cue { color:#00FFC8; font-family: Inter; }
00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:02.500
Welcome to our <b>caption</b> guide.
00:00:02.600 --> 00:00:04.300
3. Plain Transcript (TXT / JSON)
A plain transcript is simply the full text of your video’s audio, either as a .txt file or detailed word-level JSON from a speech-to-text tool. While you can’t upload a raw transcript as subtitles, having it on hand is pure SEO gold. You can simply paste your transcript underneath your video, or include it within a bold write-up which gives the search engines the ability to index your content word for word. JSON transcripts are also used by developers to create karaoke-style text highlights or interactive captions.To turn a transcript into actual subtitles, you’ll need to convert it to SRT or VTT with an editor or an AI tool.
3.One-Click Caption Exports with Modern AI Tools
You may have previously struggled with timecode drift when switching formats. Today, services like Typei let you upload a video (or even drop in a YouTube/TikTok link), auto-transcribe it, and then export in any format you need:
SRT for universal support
VTT for styled captions and metadata
TXT/JSON for blog posts and internal search
Burn-in (open captions) for silent autoplay feeds
Because everything uses the same master transcript, you can avoid copy-paste mistakes and maintain precise timing.
4.Which File to Use on Each Platform
Different platforms have different requirements. Here is a brief summary of the top platforms:
YouTube: YouTube accepts SRT or VTT files. Both will work, but VTT allows for styling if you use YouTube’s advanced caption features. You can also paste a plain transcript into your video description that can be read and indexed by search engines, which is a great SEO hack.
TikTok (desktop): TikTok recognizes SRT for its closed-caption toggle. Make sure your text is visible to all mobile viewers by including open captions.
Instagram Reels: Instagram doesn’t accept sidecar files, so To ensure visibility, always use open captions (burn-in).
Vimeo OTT and corporate LMS: VTT is perfect for branding styles and speaker labels. If you need a fallback, you can duplicate your file as an SRT for older players.
Blog-embedded videos or podcast clips: Add SRT/VTT to your embedded player for on-screen subtitles, and include a plain TXT transcript for accessibility and SEO.
5. Common Caption Mistakes & Quick Fixes
Even experts make mistakes. Here are some common problems and easy fixes:
Commas in VTT timecodes: Replace commas with dots (e.g.,
00:00:02.500).Lines too long: To prevent awkward wrapping on small screens, take a break at 35–40 characters.
Text hidden by UI:Re-export captions that are burned in just above the lower 20% of the image.
Low contrast: Add a black outline or shadow behind white text to meet WCAG contrast standards.
Wrong language tags: Name your file
en_US.srtfor US English ores_ES.vttfor Spanish Spain to ensure proper locale support.
6. Best Practices for Caption Styling
Captions that are well-written are simple to read and never distract from your content.For phone screens, choose a simple, sans-serif font (such as Roboto or Inter).Never separate subjects from verbs; instead, keep line breaks at organic pauses. Use VTT's <v Speaker> tags to identify each voice if you have more than one speaker. Maintaining a consistent style not only keeps your audience interested in your message, but it also looks professional.
Summary
SRT = safest universal option.
VTT = extra styling and metadata.
TXT/JSON = great for blog SEO or custom interactive players.
Tools like Typei export all formats in one pass, so you never have to choose early and regret later.
Combine open captions for silent-scroll attention with a proper SRT or VTT for accessibility and SEO.
Make a wise decision once, and your content will reach a wider audience without requiring additional filming.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. If I can only download one caption file, which should it be?
Select SRT. It is simple to edit and functions nearly everywhere.
Q2. My SRT has commas; YouTube shows errors. What’s wrong?
Nothing, commas are accepted on YouTube. Errors typically indicate an additional blank line or a missing timecode arrow -->.
Q3. Does uploading both SRT and VTT confuse platforms?
Most platforms choose one. If both files have the same language tag, the system may ignore the second. Upload only the format you need, or give them different language codes (e.g., en vs. en-us).
Q4. Is burning captions (open captions) bad for accessibility?
Not if the contrast is good, but viewers can’t resize or switch language. Pair open captions with closed-caption files for full coverage.
Q5. Can I turn a plain transcript into SRT?
Yes. Typei and other caption tools can auto-segment lines and export as SRT/VTT.
Q6. Do captions slow down playback or hurt video quality?
Sidecar files (SRT/VTT) have zero effect on video quality. Burn-in captions add no extra load if you export at a reasonable bitrate (8–10 Mb/s for 1080p).
Q7. Which file meets ADA or WCAG rules?
Closed captions (SRT or VTT) tick the box because users can toggle and enlarge them.
Featured Blogs
#1 CAPTIONS GENERATOR
Captions
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#1 CAPTIONS GENERATOR
Captions
On
Command
Time-saving
Team-ready features
East to start
#1 CAPTIONS GENERATOR
Captions On
Command
Time-saving
Team-ready features
East to start
Selecting appropriate captions is not merely a technical matter, it is a crucial component of improving the accessibility, discoverability, and engagement of your videos. Nowadays, people are more likely to view social media without sound, and search engines use text to determine the purpose of your content. Using the right caption file format ensures your subtitles display correctly on each platform and saves you hours of troubleshooting down the line. The following guide will help you understand SRT, VTT, and plain transcripts so that you might choose the most appropriate file for YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels, and every other time you publish.
1. The Significance of Proper Text Format and Captions
After browsing through their feeds for a few seconds, viewers decide to keep watching. A video is usually skipped when it begins silently and no text is visible. The majority of social algorithms rely on appropriate captions as key cues because they attract viewers, make it easier for them to follow along in noisy or crowded environments, and keep them watching for a long time. Furthermore, captions ensure that your videos meet accessibility guidelines for viewers who are Deaf or hard of hearing and give search engines access to your spoken words, making your videos more discoverable.
Just as crucial as adding captions in the first place is selecting the appropriate caption file. Some platforms only accept certain formats, timing can drift in conversion tools, and styling options vary. Invest a few minutes now to pick the format that works best for each channel, and your uploads will go smoothly every time.
2. The Three Main Caption Formats
SRT, VTT, and plain transcripts (TXT or JSON) are the three caption file types that every creator encounters. Here is a straightforward examination of each.
1. SubRip Subtitle (SRT)
The most widely used caption format is SRTIt’s a plain-text file where each block shows a sequence number, start and end time codes (with commas for milliseconds), and the subtitle text. YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, the majority of smart TV players, and even TikTok's desktop uploader accept SRT files because of their lightweight design and wide range of compatibility. To edit an SRT in Notepad, simply fix a typo and save it; no other tools are required.
The primary disadvantage is that you can’t add any styling information, the platform selects the font, color, and placement.
Example:
00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:02,500
Welcome to our caption guide.00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:04,300
2. VTT (WebVTT – Web Video Text Tracks)
VTT is similar to SRT except it has a header (WEBVTT), , uses dots instead of commas in the time codes, and allows CSS-style blocks for fonts, colors, and onscreen positioning. VTT is popular among corporate training portals, OTT apps, and modern HTML5 video players like Vimeo because it lets you define speaker labels and chapter cues in addition to brand styles.
The drawback is that manually editing VTT by hand can feel a bit like editing CSS, and some older players ignore the extra styling blocks.
Example:
WEBVTT
STYLE
::cue { color:#00FFC8; font-family: Inter; }
00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:02.500
Welcome to our <b>caption</b> guide.
00:00:02.600 --> 00:00:04.300
3. Plain Transcript (TXT / JSON)
A plain transcript is simply the full text of your video’s audio, either as a .txt file or detailed word-level JSON from a speech-to-text tool. While you can’t upload a raw transcript as subtitles, having it on hand is pure SEO gold. You can simply paste your transcript underneath your video, or include it within a bold write-up which gives the search engines the ability to index your content word for word. JSON transcripts are also used by developers to create karaoke-style text highlights or interactive captions.To turn a transcript into actual subtitles, you’ll need to convert it to SRT or VTT with an editor or an AI tool.
3.One-Click Caption Exports with Modern AI Tools
You may have previously struggled with timecode drift when switching formats. Today, services like Typei let you upload a video (or even drop in a YouTube/TikTok link), auto-transcribe it, and then export in any format you need:
SRT for universal support
VTT for styled captions and metadata
TXT/JSON for blog posts and internal search
Burn-in (open captions) for silent autoplay feeds
Because everything uses the same master transcript, you can avoid copy-paste mistakes and maintain precise timing.
4.Which File to Use on Each Platform
Different platforms have different requirements. Here is a brief summary of the top platforms:
YouTube: YouTube accepts SRT or VTT files. Both will work, but VTT allows for styling if you use YouTube’s advanced caption features. You can also paste a plain transcript into your video description that can be read and indexed by search engines, which is a great SEO hack.
TikTok (desktop): TikTok recognizes SRT for its closed-caption toggle. Make sure your text is visible to all mobile viewers by including open captions.
Instagram Reels: Instagram doesn’t accept sidecar files, so To ensure visibility, always use open captions (burn-in).
Vimeo OTT and corporate LMS: VTT is perfect for branding styles and speaker labels. If you need a fallback, you can duplicate your file as an SRT for older players.
Blog-embedded videos or podcast clips: Add SRT/VTT to your embedded player for on-screen subtitles, and include a plain TXT transcript for accessibility and SEO.
5. Common Caption Mistakes & Quick Fixes
Even experts make mistakes. Here are some common problems and easy fixes:
Commas in VTT timecodes: Replace commas with dots (e.g.,
00:00:02.500).Lines too long: To prevent awkward wrapping on small screens, take a break at 35–40 characters.
Text hidden by UI:Re-export captions that are burned in just above the lower 20% of the image.
Low contrast: Add a black outline or shadow behind white text to meet WCAG contrast standards.
Wrong language tags: Name your file
en_US.srtfor US English ores_ES.vttfor Spanish Spain to ensure proper locale support.
6. Best Practices for Caption Styling
Captions that are well-written are simple to read and never distract from your content.For phone screens, choose a simple, sans-serif font (such as Roboto or Inter).Never separate subjects from verbs; instead, keep line breaks at organic pauses. Use VTT's <v Speaker> tags to identify each voice if you have more than one speaker. Maintaining a consistent style not only keeps your audience interested in your message, but it also looks professional.
Summary
SRT = safest universal option.
VTT = extra styling and metadata.
TXT/JSON = great for blog SEO or custom interactive players.
Tools like Typei export all formats in one pass, so you never have to choose early and regret later.
Combine open captions for silent-scroll attention with a proper SRT or VTT for accessibility and SEO.
Make a wise decision once, and your content will reach a wider audience without requiring additional filming.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. If I can only download one caption file, which should it be?
Select SRT. It is simple to edit and functions nearly everywhere.
Q2. My SRT has commas; YouTube shows errors. What’s wrong?
Nothing, commas are accepted on YouTube. Errors typically indicate an additional blank line or a missing timecode arrow -->.
Q3. Does uploading both SRT and VTT confuse platforms?
Most platforms choose one. If both files have the same language tag, the system may ignore the second. Upload only the format you need, or give them different language codes (e.g., en vs. en-us).
Q4. Is burning captions (open captions) bad for accessibility?
Not if the contrast is good, but viewers can’t resize or switch language. Pair open captions with closed-caption files for full coverage.
Q5. Can I turn a plain transcript into SRT?
Yes. Typei and other caption tools can auto-segment lines and export as SRT/VTT.
Q6. Do captions slow down playback or hurt video quality?
Sidecar files (SRT/VTT) have zero effect on video quality. Burn-in captions add no extra load if you export at a reasonable bitrate (8–10 Mb/s for 1080p).
Q7. Which file meets ADA or WCAG rules?
Closed captions (SRT or VTT) tick the box because users can toggle and enlarge them.
Featured Blogs
#1 CAPTIONS GENERATOR
Captions
On
Command
Time-saving
Team-ready features
East to start
Selecting appropriate captions is not merely a technical matter, it is a crucial component of improving the accessibility, discoverability, and engagement of your videos. Nowadays, people are more likely to view social media without sound, and search engines use text to determine the purpose of your content. Using the right caption file format ensures your subtitles display correctly on each platform and saves you hours of troubleshooting down the line. The following guide will help you understand SRT, VTT, and plain transcripts so that you might choose the most appropriate file for YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels, and every other time you publish.
1. The Significance of Proper Text Format and Captions
After browsing through their feeds for a few seconds, viewers decide to keep watching. A video is usually skipped when it begins silently and no text is visible. The majority of social algorithms rely on appropriate captions as key cues because they attract viewers, make it easier for them to follow along in noisy or crowded environments, and keep them watching for a long time. Furthermore, captions ensure that your videos meet accessibility guidelines for viewers who are Deaf or hard of hearing and give search engines access to your spoken words, making your videos more discoverable.
Just as crucial as adding captions in the first place is selecting the appropriate caption file. Some platforms only accept certain formats, timing can drift in conversion tools, and styling options vary. Invest a few minutes now to pick the format that works best for each channel, and your uploads will go smoothly every time.
2. The Three Main Caption Formats
SRT, VTT, and plain transcripts (TXT or JSON) are the three caption file types that every creator encounters. Here is a straightforward examination of each.
1. SubRip Subtitle (SRT)
The most widely used caption format is SRTIt’s a plain-text file where each block shows a sequence number, start and end time codes (with commas for milliseconds), and the subtitle text. YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, the majority of smart TV players, and even TikTok's desktop uploader accept SRT files because of their lightweight design and wide range of compatibility. To edit an SRT in Notepad, simply fix a typo and save it; no other tools are required.
The primary disadvantage is that you can’t add any styling information, the platform selects the font, color, and placement.
Example:
00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:02,500
Welcome to our caption guide.00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:04,300
2. VTT (WebVTT – Web Video Text Tracks)
VTT is similar to SRT except it has a header (WEBVTT), , uses dots instead of commas in the time codes, and allows CSS-style blocks for fonts, colors, and onscreen positioning. VTT is popular among corporate training portals, OTT apps, and modern HTML5 video players like Vimeo because it lets you define speaker labels and chapter cues in addition to brand styles.
The drawback is that manually editing VTT by hand can feel a bit like editing CSS, and some older players ignore the extra styling blocks.
Example:
WEBVTT
STYLE
::cue { color:#00FFC8; font-family: Inter; }
00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:02.500
Welcome to our <b>caption</b> guide.
00:00:02.600 --> 00:00:04.300
3. Plain Transcript (TXT / JSON)
A plain transcript is simply the full text of your video’s audio, either as a .txt file or detailed word-level JSON from a speech-to-text tool. While you can’t upload a raw transcript as subtitles, having it on hand is pure SEO gold. You can simply paste your transcript underneath your video, or include it within a bold write-up which gives the search engines the ability to index your content word for word. JSON transcripts are also used by developers to create karaoke-style text highlights or interactive captions.To turn a transcript into actual subtitles, you’ll need to convert it to SRT or VTT with an editor or an AI tool.
3.One-Click Caption Exports with Modern AI Tools
You may have previously struggled with timecode drift when switching formats. Today, services like Typei let you upload a video (or even drop in a YouTube/TikTok link), auto-transcribe it, and then export in any format you need:
SRT for universal support
VTT for styled captions and metadata
TXT/JSON for blog posts and internal search
Burn-in (open captions) for silent autoplay feeds
Because everything uses the same master transcript, you can avoid copy-paste mistakes and maintain precise timing.
4.Which File to Use on Each Platform
Different platforms have different requirements. Here is a brief summary of the top platforms:
YouTube: YouTube accepts SRT or VTT files. Both will work, but VTT allows for styling if you use YouTube’s advanced caption features. You can also paste a plain transcript into your video description that can be read and indexed by search engines, which is a great SEO hack.
TikTok (desktop): TikTok recognizes SRT for its closed-caption toggle. Make sure your text is visible to all mobile viewers by including open captions.
Instagram Reels: Instagram doesn’t accept sidecar files, so To ensure visibility, always use open captions (burn-in).
Vimeo OTT and corporate LMS: VTT is perfect for branding styles and speaker labels. If you need a fallback, you can duplicate your file as an SRT for older players.
Blog-embedded videos or podcast clips: Add SRT/VTT to your embedded player for on-screen subtitles, and include a plain TXT transcript for accessibility and SEO.
5. Common Caption Mistakes & Quick Fixes
Even experts make mistakes. Here are some common problems and easy fixes:
Commas in VTT timecodes: Replace commas with dots (e.g.,
00:00:02.500).Lines too long: To prevent awkward wrapping on small screens, take a break at 35–40 characters.
Text hidden by UI:Re-export captions that are burned in just above the lower 20% of the image.
Low contrast: Add a black outline or shadow behind white text to meet WCAG contrast standards.
Wrong language tags: Name your file
en_US.srtfor US English ores_ES.vttfor Spanish Spain to ensure proper locale support.
6. Best Practices for Caption Styling
Captions that are well-written are simple to read and never distract from your content.For phone screens, choose a simple, sans-serif font (such as Roboto or Inter).Never separate subjects from verbs; instead, keep line breaks at organic pauses. Use VTT's <v Speaker> tags to identify each voice if you have more than one speaker. Maintaining a consistent style not only keeps your audience interested in your message, but it also looks professional.
Summary
SRT = safest universal option.
VTT = extra styling and metadata.
TXT/JSON = great for blog SEO or custom interactive players.
Tools like Typei export all formats in one pass, so you never have to choose early and regret later.
Combine open captions for silent-scroll attention with a proper SRT or VTT for accessibility and SEO.
Make a wise decision once, and your content will reach a wider audience without requiring additional filming.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. If I can only download one caption file, which should it be?
Select SRT. It is simple to edit and functions nearly everywhere.
Q2. My SRT has commas; YouTube shows errors. What’s wrong?
Nothing, commas are accepted on YouTube. Errors typically indicate an additional blank line or a missing timecode arrow -->.
Q3. Does uploading both SRT and VTT confuse platforms?
Most platforms choose one. If both files have the same language tag, the system may ignore the second. Upload only the format you need, or give them different language codes (e.g., en vs. en-us).
Q4. Is burning captions (open captions) bad for accessibility?
Not if the contrast is good, but viewers can’t resize or switch language. Pair open captions with closed-caption files for full coverage.
Q5. Can I turn a plain transcript into SRT?
Yes. Typei and other caption tools can auto-segment lines and export as SRT/VTT.
Q6. Do captions slow down playback or hurt video quality?
Sidecar files (SRT/VTT) have zero effect on video quality. Burn-in captions add no extra load if you export at a reasonable bitrate (8–10 Mb/s for 1080p).
Q7. Which file meets ADA or WCAG rules?
Closed captions (SRT or VTT) tick the box because users can toggle and enlarge them.
Featured Blogs
#1 CAPTIONS GENERATOR
Captions
On
Command
Time-saving
Team-ready features
East to start
Selecting appropriate captions is not merely a technical matter, it is a crucial component of improving the accessibility, discoverability, and engagement of your videos. Nowadays, people are more likely to view social media without sound, and search engines use text to determine the purpose of your content. Using the right caption file format ensures your subtitles display correctly on each platform and saves you hours of troubleshooting down the line. The following guide will help you understand SRT, VTT, and plain transcripts so that you might choose the most appropriate file for YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels, and every other time you publish.
1. The Significance of Proper Text Format and Captions
After browsing through their feeds for a few seconds, viewers decide to keep watching. A video is usually skipped when it begins silently and no text is visible. The majority of social algorithms rely on appropriate captions as key cues because they attract viewers, make it easier for them to follow along in noisy or crowded environments, and keep them watching for a long time. Furthermore, captions ensure that your videos meet accessibility guidelines for viewers who are Deaf or hard of hearing and give search engines access to your spoken words, making your videos more discoverable.
Just as crucial as adding captions in the first place is selecting the appropriate caption file. Some platforms only accept certain formats, timing can drift in conversion tools, and styling options vary. Invest a few minutes now to pick the format that works best for each channel, and your uploads will go smoothly every time.
2. The Three Main Caption Formats
SRT, VTT, and plain transcripts (TXT or JSON) are the three caption file types that every creator encounters. Here is a straightforward examination of each.
1. SubRip Subtitle (SRT)
The most widely used caption format is SRTIt’s a plain-text file where each block shows a sequence number, start and end time codes (with commas for milliseconds), and the subtitle text. YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, the majority of smart TV players, and even TikTok's desktop uploader accept SRT files because of their lightweight design and wide range of compatibility. To edit an SRT in Notepad, simply fix a typo and save it; no other tools are required.
The primary disadvantage is that you can’t add any styling information, the platform selects the font, color, and placement.
Example:
00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:02,500
Welcome to our caption guide.00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:04,300
2. VTT (WebVTT – Web Video Text Tracks)
VTT is similar to SRT except it has a header (WEBVTT), , uses dots instead of commas in the time codes, and allows CSS-style blocks for fonts, colors, and onscreen positioning. VTT is popular among corporate training portals, OTT apps, and modern HTML5 video players like Vimeo because it lets you define speaker labels and chapter cues in addition to brand styles.
The drawback is that manually editing VTT by hand can feel a bit like editing CSS, and some older players ignore the extra styling blocks.
Example:
WEBVTT
STYLE
::cue { color:#00FFC8; font-family: Inter; }
00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:02.500
Welcome to our <b>caption</b> guide.
00:00:02.600 --> 00:00:04.300
3. Plain Transcript (TXT / JSON)
A plain transcript is simply the full text of your video’s audio, either as a .txt file or detailed word-level JSON from a speech-to-text tool. While you can’t upload a raw transcript as subtitles, having it on hand is pure SEO gold. You can simply paste your transcript underneath your video, or include it within a bold write-up which gives the search engines the ability to index your content word for word. JSON transcripts are also used by developers to create karaoke-style text highlights or interactive captions.To turn a transcript into actual subtitles, you’ll need to convert it to SRT or VTT with an editor or an AI tool.
3.One-Click Caption Exports with Modern AI Tools
You may have previously struggled with timecode drift when switching formats. Today, services like Typei let you upload a video (or even drop in a YouTube/TikTok link), auto-transcribe it, and then export in any format you need:
SRT for universal support
VTT for styled captions and metadata
TXT/JSON for blog posts and internal search
Burn-in (open captions) for silent autoplay feeds
Because everything uses the same master transcript, you can avoid copy-paste mistakes and maintain precise timing.
4.Which File to Use on Each Platform
Different platforms have different requirements. Here is a brief summary of the top platforms:
YouTube: YouTube accepts SRT or VTT files. Both will work, but VTT allows for styling if you use YouTube’s advanced caption features. You can also paste a plain transcript into your video description that can be read and indexed by search engines, which is a great SEO hack.
TikTok (desktop): TikTok recognizes SRT for its closed-caption toggle. Make sure your text is visible to all mobile viewers by including open captions.
Instagram Reels: Instagram doesn’t accept sidecar files, so To ensure visibility, always use open captions (burn-in).
Vimeo OTT and corporate LMS: VTT is perfect for branding styles and speaker labels. If you need a fallback, you can duplicate your file as an SRT for older players.
Blog-embedded videos or podcast clips: Add SRT/VTT to your embedded player for on-screen subtitles, and include a plain TXT transcript for accessibility and SEO.
5. Common Caption Mistakes & Quick Fixes
Even experts make mistakes. Here are some common problems and easy fixes:
Commas in VTT timecodes: Replace commas with dots (e.g.,
00:00:02.500).Lines too long: To prevent awkward wrapping on small screens, take a break at 35–40 characters.
Text hidden by UI:Re-export captions that are burned in just above the lower 20% of the image.
Low contrast: Add a black outline or shadow behind white text to meet WCAG contrast standards.
Wrong language tags: Name your file
en_US.srtfor US English ores_ES.vttfor Spanish Spain to ensure proper locale support.
6. Best Practices for Caption Styling
Captions that are well-written are simple to read and never distract from your content.For phone screens, choose a simple, sans-serif font (such as Roboto or Inter).Never separate subjects from verbs; instead, keep line breaks at organic pauses. Use VTT's <v Speaker> tags to identify each voice if you have more than one speaker. Maintaining a consistent style not only keeps your audience interested in your message, but it also looks professional.
Summary
SRT = safest universal option.
VTT = extra styling and metadata.
TXT/JSON = great for blog SEO or custom interactive players.
Tools like Typei export all formats in one pass, so you never have to choose early and regret later.
Combine open captions for silent-scroll attention with a proper SRT or VTT for accessibility and SEO.
Make a wise decision once, and your content will reach a wider audience without requiring additional filming.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. If I can only download one caption file, which should it be?
Select SRT. It is simple to edit and functions nearly everywhere.
Q2. My SRT has commas; YouTube shows errors. What’s wrong?
Nothing, commas are accepted on YouTube. Errors typically indicate an additional blank line or a missing timecode arrow -->.
Q3. Does uploading both SRT and VTT confuse platforms?
Most platforms choose one. If both files have the same language tag, the system may ignore the second. Upload only the format you need, or give them different language codes (e.g., en vs. en-us).
Q4. Is burning captions (open captions) bad for accessibility?
Not if the contrast is good, but viewers can’t resize or switch language. Pair open captions with closed-caption files for full coverage.
Q5. Can I turn a plain transcript into SRT?
Yes. Typei and other caption tools can auto-segment lines and export as SRT/VTT.
Q6. Do captions slow down playback or hurt video quality?
Sidecar files (SRT/VTT) have zero effect on video quality. Burn-in captions add no extra load if you export at a reasonable bitrate (8–10 Mb/s for 1080p).
Q7. Which file meets ADA or WCAG rules?
Closed captions (SRT or VTT) tick the box because users can toggle and enlarge them.
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