How to Make VTT (WebVTT) Captions for a Web Video
What a .vtt file is, how it differs from SRT, how to make one from a recording, and how to attach it to an HTML video.
The Scriptorium team ·
Transcribe the recording, fix the text, and export as VTT with audio to VTT. WebVTT (.vtt) is the caption format of the HTML video element, so it is the one to use for video on your own web page.
VTT versus SRT
They carry the same idea, timed lines of text, with slightly different syntax. A VTT file starts with the word WEBVTT and writes times with a full stop before the milliseconds; SRT numbers its cues and uses a comma. Players and platforms vary in which they accept, so export both when unsure.
Attaching it to a video on a web page
Add a track element inside the video element, pointing at your file, with kind set to captions and a language code. The browser then offers the captions in the player's controls. The file must be served from your own site or with the right cross-origin headers.
Before you publish
- Read the captions from start to finish with the sound on.
- Correct names and any number that matters.
- Remember a transcript is a draft: automatic recognition makes mistakes.