SRT vs VTT: Which Subtitle File You Actually Need

One-minute answer

Use SRT for video editors, YouTube Studio, and most social uploaders. Use VTT for HTML5 players and the web. Use TXT when someone only needs a script. Use JSON when another tool will re-time or re-render the cues. If you are not sure, export SRT first — it is the most widely accepted subtitle file.

What a real SRT cue looks like

1
00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:09,840
Today we are looking at the setup

2
00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:14,200
and the first thing you need is…

1. 1
   Index, timecode, text. Each cue is a number, a start --> end range with comma milliseconds, and one or more text lines.
2. 2
   Why commas matter. SRT uses 00:00:04,120. VTT uses 00:00:04.120. Pasting the wrong decimal style is a common import failure.

SRT vs VTT side by side

When not to use subtitles at all

If the deliverable is a blog post, show notes, or a quote sheet, TXT or Markdown beats a subtitle file. If a downstream tool will rebuild timing, hand over JSON segments instead of forcing a round-trip through SRT.

Export checklist before you ship

1) Proofread names and product terms. 2) Keep cues under ~2 lines. 3) Watch for orphaned words on line breaks. 4) Confirm the decimal style matches the target player. 5) If you translate, fix the source language first.