SRT vs TXT: Subtitle File or Plain Transcript?
An SRT file is timed — it tells a player when to show each line. A TXT file is plain text with no timing. Use SRT for video playback; use TXT for reading, summarizing, or content repurposing.
Quick Answer
Use SRT when subtitles need to appear in sync with a video. Use TXT when you only need the words — for reading, publishing a blog post, feeding into an AI summarizer, or creating show notes.
Use SRT when…
- Playing subtitles in sync with video
- Uploading to YouTube, Vimeo, or any platform
- Using with an HTML5 video track
- Distributing subtitle files with a video
Use TXT when…
- Publishing a readable transcript
- Feeding subtitle text into AI or NLP tools
- Writing a blog post from video content
- Removing timing noise before text analysis
SRT vs TXT Comparison Table
| Feature | SRT .srt | TXT .txt |
|---|---|---|
| Contains timing | ✅ | ❌ |
| Works as video subtitles | ✅ | ❌ |
| Human-readable transcript | Noisy (numbers, timestamps) | ✅ Clean |
| AI / NLP processing | Noisy input | ✅ Clean input |
| SEO / search indexing | ✅ (platforms read caption text) | ✅ |
| Blog post / show notes | Too noisy | ✅ |
| Convert to other subtitle format | ✅ | Only if timing is added |
Common Workflows
- SRT → TXT: Use the SRT to TXT tool to strip all timing, numbers, HTML tags, and hearing-impaired labels.
- TXT → SRT (with YouTube timestamps): Use the YouTube Transcript to SRT converter.
- TXT → SRT (no timing): Open the SRT Editor and add timestamps manually.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I upload a TXT file as subtitles?
Not directly. Platforms require timed formats like SRT or VTT — a plain TXT has no timing data.
How do I convert a transcript to SRT?
If it has YouTube-style timestamps, use the YouTube Transcript to SRT tool. For plain text, use the SRT Editor to add timestamps manually.
Can I remove timestamps from SRT?
Yes — use the SRT to TXT tool.
Does SRT contain video?
No. SRT is text-only. It works alongside a video file; the player synchronizes the text display.