# Make VTT (WebVTT) subtitles from audio or video

AudioPod turns a recording into a WebVTT (.vtt) caption file: upload the audio or video (or paste a YouTube link), let it transcribe, then download the transcript as VTT — timed cues with speaker names and up to five distinct speaker colours. Transcription costs 220 credits a minute.

Canonical URL: https://audiopod.ai/transcription/vtt-subtitles
Last updated: 2026-10-14

## The facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Timestamp format | HH:MM:SS.mmm — a full stop before the milliseconds |
| Header | The file starts with WEBVTT, then a STYLE block |
| Speaker colours | Up to five distinct speaker colours, set by cue classes in the STYLE block; with more speakers, colours repeat |
| Speaker names | Written in brackets at the start of each cue ([Speaker 1]) |
| Web playback | The format the HTML <track> element reads, so it plays in any browser video player |
| Encoding | UTF-8, so every language and script survives |

## What AudioPod's .vtt looks like

```
WEBVTT

STYLE
::cue(.speaker0) { color: #2E86AB; }
::cue(.speaker1) { color: #A23B72; }

00:00:01.120 --> 00:00:04.380
<c.speaker0>[Speaker 1] Welcome back to the show.</c>

00:00:04.900 --> 00:00:07.250
<c.speaker1>[Speaker 2] Thanks for having me.</c>
```

## Where the file goes next

- HTML5 <video>: Reference the file with <track kind="captions" src="captions.vtt">.
- YouTube Studio: Subtitles → Upload file → With timing; accepts .vtt.
- Vimeo: Upload under Distribution → Subtitles; accepts .vtt.
- Course platforms: Most LMS video players take WebVTT captions.

## How it works

1. Add the recording — Upload up to 10 files at once (up to 1 GB each) or paste a YouTube link.
2. Turn on speaker labels — With more than one voice, speaker labels give up to five speakers distinct caption colours in the VTT file.
3. Fix the text — Correct names and terms in the transcript editor and save before you export.
4. Download .vtt — Open the download menu on the finished transcript and choose VTT.

## FAQ

**Why choose VTT over SRT?**
Browsers only read WebVTT through the HTML <track> element, so VTT is the format for captions on your own site. AudioPod's VTT also carries a STYLE block with up to five distinct speaker colours, which SRT cannot express.

**Do the speaker colours work everywhere?**
Browsers that support WebVTT styling show them. Platforms that re-render captions in their own style, such as YouTube, keep the text and timing but drop the colours.

**How much does a VTT file cost?**
The caption file is free — you pay for the transcription, at 220 credits per minute of audio. The Basic plan's free monthly credits cover about 22 minutes; $1 of pay-as-you-go credit covers about 34 minutes.

**Can I get VTT through the API?**
Yes. Create a transcription job, then request the finished transcript with format=vtt. The same call returns txt, json, srt, docx, pdf or html.

## Related

- [Speech to Text](https://audiopod.ai/features/speech-to-text)