Use the subtitle format your destination asks for. SRT is a common choice for video editors and uploads that accept SubRip files. WebVTT is designed for timed text on the web, including HTML video. CapSub can export either after you generate your captions.
The differences that matter
Both carry timed text. Neither is the video itself. A separate subtitle file needs a player or platform that loads it alongside the matching video. See the Library of Congress’s SRT description and MDN’s WebVTT reference for the underlying formats.
| Detail | SRT | VTT |
|---|---|---|
| File extension | .srt | .vtt |
| Header | No WEBVTT header | Starts with WEBVTT |
| Milliseconds | Comma: 00:00:01,000 | Period: 00:00:01.000 |
| Choose it when | Your editor or upload accepts SRT | Your web player or upload asks for VTT |
The same caption in each format
These examples describe the same line, appearing from one second to three seconds. They are illustrative file text, not screenshots of generated app output.
1
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,000
Here is the first tip.
WEBVTT
00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:03.000
Here is the first tip.
Export an SRT or VTT file from CapSub
Use the same video version you captioned. If you later trim the opening or change the clip’s order in another editor, the original subtitle times may no longer match. Update the captions for the final edit instead of assuming the file will adjust itself.
- Import your recording and generate the captions.
- Review the wording and timing in the editor.
- Open the subtitle export menu.
- Choose Export SRT File or Export VTT File.
- Save or share the file, and import it into the tool that requested it.
Will the style travel with the file?
Do not rely on a separate subtitle file to reproduce CapSub’s visual presets, highlighted words, or animations. The destination player decides how its subtitle track looks, and support differs between tools.
If you want the exact caption appearance to remain visible, export the video with captions embedded. That creates a different deliverable from SRT or VTT: the words become part of the video picture. You may want both a styled video and a separate file for different publishing destinations.
If an upload rejects the file
Changing .srt to .vtt in the filename does not convert its contents. The header and timing syntax need to match the format too.
- Check which extension the destination accepts.
- Export that format directly instead of only renaming the file.
- Check that the text matches the final video and its timing.
- Confirm that the destination supports a separate subtitle track.
Official references
Put it into practice.
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