Transcripts vs. Captions vs. Subtitles: What's the Difference?

Transcript, captions, subtitles, SRT, VTT — these words get used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. Knowing the difference helps you ask for the right output and pick the right export format. Here is the plain-English version.

Transcript

A transcript is the full text of what is said in a video or audio recording. In its simplest form it is just the words, often as continuous prose. A transcript may or may not include timestamps. It is meant to be read on its own, separate from the video — think of it like the script of what was spoken.

Captions

Captions are text synced to the video, designed primarily for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing. Because of that, true "closed captions" often include non-speech information like [music playing] or [applause]. Captions assume the viewer cannot hear the audio, so they aim to convey everything meaningful on the soundtrack, not just the dialogue.

Subtitles

Subtitles are also text synced to the video, but they traditionally assume the viewer can hear the audio and mainly need the words — often a translation into another language. In everyday use, especially on YouTube, "subtitles" and "captions" are used almost interchangeably, but the technical distinction is that subtitles focus on dialogue while captions cover all audio.

SRT and VTT: the file formats

SRT (SubRip) and VTT (WebVTT) are not types of text — they are file formats for storing timed captions or subtitles. Each entry has a start time, an end time, and a line of text. SRT is the long-standing standard supported by virtually every video editor. VTT is the web-native format used by HTML5 video players and supports a bit more styling. If an editor or player asks for a subtitle file, it almost always wants one of these two.

• Transcript → the words, for reading (TXT or Markdown).
• Captions/subtitles → timed text overlaid on video.
• SRT / VTT → the file formats that hold timed text.

Which one do you actually need?

If you want to read, quote, search, or repurpose what was said, you want a transcript — export it as TXT or Markdown. If you are editing video or adding captions to a player, you want a subtitle file — export SRT or VTT. The convenient part is that a good transcript tool can produce all of these from the same video, so you do not have to choose up front.