Someone sent you a transcript file, or you exported one, and now you are staring at an extension you do not recognize. This is a plain glossary for that moment: what each format actually is, what opens it, and what it is (and is not) good for. If you are instead trying to decide which format to export for a job you are planning, the transcript format guide is written for that decision. This one is written for the file already sitting in your downloads folder.
TXT
What it is: A plain text file. No formatting, no timing data, nothing but words and line breaks, plus whatever speaker labels the tool typed in as text.
Extension: `.txt`
Opens with: Any text editor. Notepad, TextEdit, VS Code, or you can paste the contents straight into Word, Docs, or an email.
Why you have one: Most transcription tools default to TXT for a fast readable draft. It is the lowest-common-denominator format, everything can open it, nothing renders any styling.
What it cannot do: Show timed captions on a video, or hold formatting like bold speaker names or page breaks. If you need either of those, you need a different format from the original recording, not a converted TXT.
DOCX
What it is: A Microsoft Word document with real formatting: bold text, page breaks, comments, and track changes support.
Extension: `.docx`
Opens with: Microsoft Word, Google Docs (upload or open directly), Apple Pages, and most modern word processors.
Why you have one: Someone wanted an editable, shareable document, usually for a report, a client deliverable, or a writeup that needs another person's comments or edits before it is final.
What it cannot do: Play back synced to a video or drive a caption track. It is a document format, not a timed-media format.
What it is: A fixed-layout file that renders identically everywhere and cannot be quietly edited by whoever opens it.
Extension: `.pdf`
Opens with: Any PDF reader, most browsers now open PDFs natively with no extra software.
Why you have one: Usually the final, locked version of a transcript delivered to a client, archived for a record, or shared where the sender does not want the content silently altered.
What it cannot do: Serve as a working draft. If you need to make edits, ask for the DOCX or TXT version instead, PDF is meant to be the last step, not the editing copy.
SRT
What it is: A SubRip caption file. Plain text, but structured differently than TXT: broken into numbered blocks, each with a start time, an end time, and a short line of dialogue underneath.
Extension: `.srt`
Opens with: Any text editor for a quick look, but its real job is inside a video player or editor: YouTube Studio, Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut, VLC, and most other software that plays video.
Why you have one: Someone needs captions or subtitles synced to a video. SRT is the most widely supported caption format, so it is the default most tools export when a platform just says "send captions" without naming a specific format.
What it cannot do: Function as a readable document the way TXT or DOCX can. Fast, chopped-up cue lines are built for on-screen reading in short bursts, not for quoting in an article or reading top to bottom as prose. Full explainer: what is an SRT file.
VTT
What it is: A WebVTT caption file, the same job as SRT, different syntax. Starts with a `WEBVTT` header line, followed by timed cue blocks.
Extension: `.vtt`
Opens with: Any text editor for inspection, but built for HTML5 video players using the `<track>` element, and accepted by many of the same editors and platforms that take SRT.
Why you have one: A web player, CMS, or learning platform specifically documented WebVTT as the caption format it expects, or you needed a second caption flavor alongside an existing SRT.
What it cannot do: Anything meaningfully different from SRT in practice for most viewers, the two formats solve the same problem and many platforms accept either. Full explainer: what is a VTT file.
Quick lookup table
`.txt`
- Format name
- Plain text
- Timed
- No
- Editable
- Yes, any editor
- Typical source
- Fast transcript draft
`.docx`
- Format name
- Word document
- Timed
- No
- Editable
- Yes, Word/Docs
- Typical source
- Reports, client writeups
`.pdf`
- Format name
- Portable Document Format
- Timed
- No
- Editable
- No (locked)
- Typical source
- Final delivery, archives
`.srt`
- Format name
- SubRip caption
- Timed
- Yes
- Editable
- Yes, plain text
- Typical source
- Video captions, editors, YouTube
`.vtt`
- Format name
- WebVTT caption
- Timed
- Yes
- Editable
- Yes, plain text
- Typical source
- HTML5 web players, some LMS platforms
Can I convert between these formats?
TXT, DOCX, PDF (documents): Yes, converting between these is usually painless since none of them carry timing data to lose. Paste TXT into Word to make a DOCX, or export a DOCX as PDF when it is final.
SRT and VTT (captions): Yes, these convert into each other easily since both are timed cue formats with the same underlying structure, just different syntax. Most video editors and many free online converters handle this directly.
Document to caption, or caption to document: This is the conversion that actually breaks. A TXT file has no start and end times to give an SRT, so "converting" it does not create real captions, it just renames the extension and leaves the timing missing. If you need both a document and captions from the same recording, transcribe the original audio or video once and export both formats from that single timed source. Full walkthrough: how to export SRT from any transcript.
FAQ
What is the most common transcript file format?
TXT for quick readable drafts, and SRT for video captions. Between the two, most transcription jobs need one or the other, and occasionally both from the same recording.
Can I open an SRT or VTT file in Word?
Yes, technically, since both are plain text. It will look unusual (numbered blocks and timestamps interrupting the dialogue) because Word is not rendering it as captions, just as text. Open caption files in a video player or editor instead.
Why did I get a VTT file instead of an SRT?
Depends on the source. Some web platforms and meeting tools default to WebVTT-style exports. If your destination wants SRT specifically, most editors and converters handle a quick VTT-to-SRT swap without issue.
Does File Transcribe export all five formats?
Yes. TXT is available on guest uploads. DOCX, PDF, SRT, and VTT unlock once you sign in free. Confirm current limits on pricing.
Get any of these formats from one upload
Upload the audio or video once on File Transcribe, fix the draft in the segment editor, then export whichever of these five formats the job actually calls for. No separate tool needed for the document version and the caption version.
Related: Transcript format guide: which to pick · What is an SRT file · What is a VTT file · SRT vs TXT
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