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Video to VTT

Video to VTT, any video into WebVTT

Turn any video file into a WebVTT caption file on your own computer, with no upload and no per-minute billing. If you know your format, there is a dedicated guide for it - links below.

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Generate VTT locally, nothing uploaded

No account · Nothing uploaded

Convert a video to a VTT caption file

VTT is the caption format the web runs on: the HTML5 video element reads .vtt files natively, and YouTube accepts them for manual caption upload. If the video is going on a web page, VTT is the output you want. SnailText transcribes the speech in the video and writes a phrase-level VTT, all locally.

The result is a standard .vtt file sitting next to your video, ready to reference from a track element or upload as a caption track. Nothing is burned into the picture.

How to convert a video to VTT

  1. Open the Transcribe files screen in SnailText. Video formats need a one-time codec pack, which the app downloads for you on first use.
  2. Add your video (MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM, AVI or M4V) or a folder of them.
  3. Choose VTT as the output before you run it.
  4. Run it. The .vtt file is saved next to your video.

Try it on your own files

Download for Mac

Generate VTT locally, nothing uploaded

Which video format are you starting from?

The steps are the same whichever container you have, and SnailText reads the audio track out of it for you. If you want the specifics for your file, each format has its own page: MP4 to VTT, MOV to VTT, MKV to VTT, WebM to VTT, AVI to VTT and M4V to VTT.

Every video format needs a one-time codec pack that SnailText downloads on first use; audio formats such as MP3 and WAV do not. After that it runs offline and the video stays on your computer, which matters if the cut is unreleased.

If you need SRT rather than WebVTT, see video to SRT. For a plain transcript with no timestamps, the video to text page covers that.

Video to VTT FAQ

Which video formats can become a VTT?
MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM, AVI and M4V all work, and the steps are identical for each. Each one also has its own page with the specifics: MP4 to VTT, MOV to VTT, MKV to VTT, WebM to VTT, AVI to VTT and M4V to VTT.
Should I pick VTT or SRT for a video?
VTT if the video is going on a web page, because the HTML5 video element reads WebVTT natively. SRT if it is going into a media player or an editor, which is the wider-supported route. Both come from the same transcription with the same phrase-level timing, so the choice is about the target, not the quality.
Can I upload the VTT to YouTube?
Yes. YouTube accepts WebVTT files for manual caption upload, so once SnailText has written the .vtt from your video you can attach it as a caption track directly. Choose VTT as the output before the run, since the format is picked up front rather than converted afterwards.
Will the subtitles be burned into the video, or is the VTT a separate file?
No. SnailText writes a separate VTT file and does not hardcode captions into the video. That keeps the subtitles editable and lets you attach them in any player or editor. If you want them burned in, overlay the file in a video editor afterward.

More ways to transcribe and caption

All formats

Subtitle generator →

Turn any audio or video file into an SRT or VTT subtitle file. Automatic subtitles generated from the speech itself, on your own computer, with no upload, no per-minute billing and no watermark.

Same format, other output

Video to SRT →

Guides by format

Subtitle hubs

All transcription formats →

Generate a VTT from your video

Free local subtitle generation, no account needed. VTT files on Mac and Windows.

Download for Mac Or for Windows →