Choosing the Right Transcript Format: TXT, SRT, VTT, or JSON?

When you receive your AI-generated transcript from BrassTranscripts, you have four powerful format options: TXT, SRT, VTT, and JSON. But which one should you choose? The answer depends entirely on how you plan to use your transcript. Let's break down each format's strengths and ideal use cases to help you make the best decision.

For more advanced techniques on maximizing your transcripts' value, check out our guide on getting the most accurate AI transcription results.

Understanding the Four Transcript Formats

TXT - The Universal Text Format

What it is: Plain text containing only the spoken words, cleaned and formatted for easy reading.

Structure:

Hello, and welcome to today's podcast. My name is Sarah, and I'm here with Dr. Johnson to discuss the latest developments in renewable energy.

Thank you for having me, Sarah. It's great to be here.

Let's start with solar technology. What's the most exciting advancement you've seen recently?

Best for:

• Content creation - Blog posts, articles, and written content
• Document editing - Easy copy/paste into Word, Google Docs, or any text editor
• Translation work - Clean text for human translators
• Accessibility - Screen readers and assistive technology
• SEO content - Search engine optimization and content marketing

Need help improving your original audio quality? Our audio quality guide shows you how to get the best possible transcription results.

Why choose TXT:

• Smallest file size
• Compatible with every device and application
• No technical complexity
• Perfect for content that doesn't need timing information

SRT - The Standard for Video Subtitles

What it is: SubRip Text format, the most widely supported subtitle format for videos.

Structure:

1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,320
Hello, and welcome to today's podcast.
My name is Sarah, and I'm here with Dr. Johnson

2
00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:07,800
to discuss the latest developments
in renewable energy.

3
00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:10,240
Thank you for having me, Sarah.
It's great to be here.

Best for:

• YouTube videos - Native support for SRT subtitle uploads
• Video editing software - Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve
• Social media content - Instagram, TikTok, Facebook video subtitles
• Educational content - Online courses and training materials
• Broadcasting - Television and streaming platforms

Why choose SRT:

• Universal compatibility across video platforms
• Automatic subtitle synchronization
• Improved accessibility compliance
• Better viewer engagement (80% more engagement with subtitled videos)
• Essential for international audiences

Technical note: SRT uses precise timestamps (hours:minutes:seconds,milliseconds) to ensure perfect synchronization with your video timeline.

VTT - The Modern Web Standard

What it is: Web Video Text Tracks format, designed specifically for HTML5 video players and modern web applications.

Structure:

WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.320
Hello, and welcome to today's podcast.
My name is Sarah, and I'm here with Dr. Johnson

2
00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:07.800
to discuss the latest developments
in renewable energy.

NOTE This segment introduces our guest expert

Best for:

• Web-based video players - HTML5, Video.js, JW Player
• Interactive content - Educational platforms with clickable transcripts
• Advanced styling - Custom fonts, colors, and positioning
• Accessibility compliance - WCAG 2.1 AA standards
• Modern streaming - Progressive web apps and responsive design

Why choose VTT:

• Advanced styling capabilities with CSS
• Support for metadata and chapters
• Better positioning control than SRT
• Future-proof web standard (W3C specification)
• Enhanced accessibility features

Reference: Learn more about VTT capabilities in the official W3C WebVTT specification.

JSON - The Developer's Choice

What it is: Structured data format containing detailed transcript information, timestamps, confidence scores, and speaker identification.

Structure:

{
  "transcript": [
    {
      "start": 0.0,
      "end": 4.32,
      "text": "Hello, and welcome to today's podcast.",
      "speaker": "Speaker 1",
      "confidence": 0.95,
      "words": [
        {"word": "Hello", "start": 0.0, "end": 0.5, "confidence": 0.98},
        {"word": "and", "start": 0.6, "end": 0.8, "confidence": 0.99}
      ]
    }
  ],
  "metadata": {
    "duration": 1847.2,
    "language": "en",
    "speaker_count": 2
  }
}

Best for:

• Custom applications - Building your own video player or platform
• Data analysis - Confidence scores, speaker analytics, timing analysis
• API integration - Connecting transcripts to other software systems
• Advanced workflows - Automated content processing pipelines
• Quality control - Identifying low-confidence sections for manual review

Why choose JSON:

• Complete metadata preservation
• Word-level timing precision
• Speaker identification data
• Confidence scoring for quality assessment
• Maximum flexibility for custom processing

Making the Right Choice: Decision Matrix

For Content Creators

For Developers & Technical Users

For Business & Educational Content

Pro Tips for Maximum Efficiency

1. Download Multiple Formats

BrassTranscripts provides all four formats with every transcription. Download what you need now and keep the JSON file as your "master copy" for future use.

2. Quality Indicators

Use the JSON format to identify sections with low confidence scores that might need manual review:

"confidence": 0.72  // Consider reviewing sections below 0.85

3. Speaker Identification

For multi-speaker content, JSON format provides the most detailed speaker information, while TXT format offers the cleanest reading experience after speaker separation. Learn more about our automatic speaker diarization capabilities in our getting started guide.

4. File Size Considerations

• TXT: ~50KB for 1-hour content
• SRT: ~80KB for 1-hour content
• VTT: ~85KB for 1-hour content
• JSON: ~200KB for 1-hour content (includes all metadata)

Integration Workflows

Content Marketing Workflow

1. Start with TXT for blog posts and articles
2. Use SRT for social media video versions
3. Keep JSON for future automation and analysis

E-Learning Workflow

1. Use VTT for modern LMS platforms
2. Fallback to SRT for legacy systems
3. Use JSON for student engagement analytics

Broadcast Workflow

1. Primary: SRT for maximum compatibility
2. Secondary: VTT for web delivery
3. Archive: JSON for future repurposing

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Wrong Format Choices

• Using TXT for video subtitles (no timing information)
• Using JSON for simple blog content (unnecessary complexity)
• Using SRT for web players that support VTT (missing modern features)

❌ Ignoring Platform Requirements

• YouTube: Accepts SRT and VTT, but SRT is more reliable
• Vimeo: Prefers VTT for better styling options
• Instagram: Requires SRT for automatic captions

❌ Not Planning for Future Use

Always download the JSON format even if you don't need it immediately. It preserves the most information for future projects and changing requirements.

Conclusion

The right transcript format can significantly impact your workflow efficiency and final output quality. TXT excels for content creation, SRT dominates video platforms, VTT leads in modern web applications, and JSON provides maximum flexibility for custom solutions.

Our recommendation: Start with your immediate need, but always keep the JSON file as your source of truth. As your projects evolve, you'll appreciate having access to the complete dataset.

🤖 Try This AI Prompt

Still unsure which format is right for your project? Use this prompt with any AI assistant to get personalized recommendations:

Copy and paste this prompt:

I need to choose the right transcript format for my project. Please refer to this comprehensive guide for context: https://brasstranscripts.com/blog/choosing-the-right-transcript-format-txt-srt-vtt-json

My use case is: [describe your project - e.g., "creating YouTube videos with subtitles" or "building a podcast website"]

My target platform is: [e.g., YouTube, website, mobile app, LMS platform]

My technical skill level is: [beginner/intermediate/advanced]

My primary goal is: [content creation/accessibility/video production/data analysis/API integration]

Based on this information and the format guide, recommend the best transcript format (TXT, SRT, VTT, or JSON) and explain why it's optimal for my specific needs.

This prompt will help you make an informed decision based on your unique requirements and the detailed format analysis above.

Ready to see these formats in action? Upload your first file and explore how each format serves your specific workflow needs. With BrassTranscripts' accurate WhisperX large-v3 transcription, you'll get professional-quality results in all four formats.

For even more ways to maximize your transcripts with AI assistance, don't miss our upcoming guide on powerful LLM prompts for transcript optimization.

Having trouble choosing the right format for your specific use case? Our support team is here to help you optimize your transcript workflow for maximum efficiency.