How to Download a YouTube Transcript as SRT or VTT
For when you need timestamped subtitles, not just plain text.
CaptionFetch guides · About the publisher
A plain-text transcript is fine for reading, but if you are editing video, uploading subtitles to another platform, or building an accessible caption track, you need timestamps attached to each line. That is what the SRT and VTT formats are for.
SRT vs VTT — which one do you need?
SRT (SubRip) is the most widely supported subtitle format — most desktop video editors (Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut) and media players accept it directly. VTT (WebVTT) is the format the web uses natively, via the HTML <track> element, and is what most website video players and some upload workflows expect. If you are not sure which one you need, SRT is the safer default for editing software, and VTT is the safer default for embedding subtitles on a webpage.
Steps
- Paste the YouTube video URL into the CaptionFetch transcript tool.
- Choose the caption language if the video has more than one.
- Select SRT or VTT as the export format.
- Download the timestamped file and check it against playback. Exports use the caption track’s timing; cue boundaries may be adjusted for readability and still need review.
What you get
The export starts from the source track’s text and timing. It does not prove that the track was correctly synchronized. An edited version of the video, a removed introduction, or different playback speed can shift subtitles even when the original caption data was correct.
A note on auto-generated captions
Auto-generated captions are usually accurate for timing but can contain recognition errors in the text, especially for technical terms, names, or heavy accents. If precision matters — legal, medical, or broadcast use — read through the SRT file before publishing it.
The same original cue in two formats
This example was written for the guide. Both files show “Check the soil before watering.” from 1.2 to 4.8 seconds. SRT uses a numbered cue and a comma before milliseconds:
1
00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:04,800
Check the soil before watering.
VTT begins with its file header and uses a decimal point:
WEBVTT
00:00:01.200 --> 00:00:04.800
Check the soil before watering.
Renaming a TXT file to .srt does not create timestamps. Renaming SRT to .vtt does not add the header or change timestamp punctuation. Export the required format or use a converter that understands the file structure.
A playback check before delivery
Check the opening, middle, and end of the exact video you will publish. If every cue is late by the same amount, investigate an offset introduced by an edit. If the drift grows through the video, check whether the media speed or duration changed. Watch for overlapping cues, sentences cut off too early, and text that disappears before it can be read.
Correct recognition errors while preserving what the speaker said. Keep an untouched source export so you can compare revisions, and only publish subtitles for material you are authorized to reuse.