A Comprehensive Guide to Creating a VTT File

80% of businesses are now making videos to captivate a larger audience. With lots of businesses making videos, you need to be different.

As more videos pop up on platforms like YouTube and Vimeo, the demand for captions and subtitles has increased. Captioning is turning audio content into text and displaying it on screen. This is helpful when the sound is muted, unavailable, or for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing. There are different file formats for captions, with SRT and VTT being the most popular for the web.

In its early days, WebVTT (Web Video Text Tracks) largely depended on the SRT format. It was created based on SRT files and was even referred to as the WebSRT with the extension .srt. But with time, WebVTT built on its format and became better optimized for HTML5 functioning than its predecessor, SRT.

Creating a VTT file might seem hard, but this guide will make it easy. Follow the steps, and you'll learn how to create VTT files. This will help more people watch and understand your videos. Let’s get started.

Everything You Need to Know About VTT File

A VTT file is a shortened name for WebVTT. It is a kind of subtitle file made for putting captions on videos. The Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group made it in 2010.

At first, VTT files were a lot like SRT files. They even used the same ".srt" ending. But as time passed, VTT files got better at working with HTML5 than SRT files. They became more optimized for it.

This VTT file is a special text file for adding captions and subtitles to videos. Essentially, it's like a script that contains the text you want to display on your video at specific times. VTT files help more people understand videos by providing text explanations.

Here are its main benefits:

• The main purpose of a VTT file is to generate videos that are more accessible to a wider audience by providing text-based explanations of what's being said or shown.
• They let viewers who may be deaf or hard of hearing comprehend the dialogue and sounds in a video.
• They can also be used by individuals who speak different languages or watch videos in noisy places where the sound may be difficult to hear.

One notable aspect of VTT files is that they are compatible with text editors, such as Notepad. This means you can easily view, edit, or create VTT captions using simple text editing software that is pre-installed on most computers.

How To Create A Vtt File Using Notepad?

This file format is compatible with almost all major online video players, social media platforms, and editing software that accept sidecar caption files. To create a VTT file using Notepad, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Notepad in Windows. If you can't find it, search in the start menu.

Step 2: Write WEBVTT and press Enter twice for blank lines.

Note: Always leave a blank line between each subtitle block.

Step 3: Each block, called a cue, has:

• An optional identifier for the organization.
• A time code showing hours, minutes, seconds, and millisecond. Write the time like this: "minutes: seconds. milliseconds." Use three digits for milliseconds. Use --> between the start and end time.
• The actual text to display. Keep this short. Write only around 32 characters, so it's easy to read.

For example:

WEBVTT

1
00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:10.000
Ducks are cute!
2
00:00:12.500 --> 00:00:17.500
Small ducks are cute, too.
3
00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:25.000
They are all cute.

Press Enter twice before each new step if your audio is longer.

Note: Each cue in the VTT file can have optional settings that change styling or placement. You can add these settings next to the cue time code. They let you specify text alignment, adjust text area width, or make the font bold ( or underlined). Remember, every break and punctuation mark matters for displaying captions correctly on the screen.

For example:

WEBVTT
1
00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:10.000
Ducks are cute!
2
00:00:12.500 --> 00:00:17.500
Small ducks are cute, too.
3
00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:25.000
They are all cute.

Step 5: Save and export your text file after typing the cues in the right format. To save the document:

• Click File in the top left, then Save as.

• Type the Image name with .vtt at the end.

Step 6: Now it's ready to use as a captions file on YouTube, Vimeo, social media, or as a sidecar file in editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro.

How to Add Captions to Videos Conveniently?

Now you know how to create and add a VTT file to your video. Creating one can take time, especially when it involves creating VTT files manually. But with Wondershare DemoCreator, you can focus on your content while we handle your captions. It is a reliable tool designed to simplify adding captions to your videos without manual intervention.

Wondershare DemoCreator offers a range of key features, making it an ideal choice for generating auto-captions for your videos. It can do the following easily:

• Automatically generates subtitles in multiple languages using AI technology for wider accessibility for your audience.
• Saves time by automatically creating captions based on spoken content.
• It easily transcribes audio and places captions accurately in your video with its smart algorithm.
• Transcribes and translates content in over 90 languages, including English, German, Chinese, Indian, and Spanish.
• Personalize subtitles by selecting various text styles, colors, and fonts to match your preferences.

With Wondershare DemoCreator, making captions for your video files is now easy. You'll get your desired captions or subtitles without needing to make VTT files yourself. Try out the automated captioning feature in Wondershare DemoCreator today. Find out more about AI subtitles and the AI auto-caption function here.

Conclusion

Creating VTT (WebVTT) files is significant for adding captions to videos which can be accessible to more people. We've covered the process, including format and timing. While manual creation takes time and skill, tools like Wondershare DemoCreator use AI to make it easier. With features like AI subtitles, it's a fast and professional option. So, for those wanting a quicker way to make VTT files, Wondershare DemoCreator is a top choice.