What Is a VTT File: Key Facts and Practical Tips

What Is a VTT File is easier to understand when the main concepts, benefits, limitations, and real-world uses are considered together.

This guide organizes the essential information into clear sections and adds practical context so you can make a more informed decision.

What Is a VTT File?

�This file type contains information about the video (such as metadata) and is one of the most popular file formats used in video subtitles today.

Subtitles are used as a way to translate speech into text for videos, movies, etc. so that people in other countries can understand the content. Subtitles are typically displayed at the bottom center of the screen, although they can be moved so as not to overlap text already in the video, for example, people's names and business titles.

VTT files are very similar to SRT files, also known as SubRip Subtitle files.

Examples of SRT and VTT Files

The following is an example of a VTT file.

Examples of SRT and VTT Files illustration

And here is an example of an SRT file.

Examples of SRT and VTT Files illustration 2

Note When Translating VTT Files

As with SRT files, there are a few things to consider when translating VTT files.

VTT Document

If you have a VTT file for the original video, SimulTrans can translate the text in this file without changing the timestamp.
If you don't have a VTT file, SimulTrans can create a VTT file by transcribing the spoken audio from the video and adding timestamps. The VTT file will then be reviewed by a second person to ensure that everything has been entered correctly and the timestamp is correct. The VTT file can then be sent to you for review.

Font

Since fonts can be defined in the VTT file, if there is a specific font that needs to be used for subtitles, you should let your translation partner know.

Text Wrapping

For subtitle text to be legible, the font size should be at least 60. Therefore, it is recommended to use a maximum of two lines per subtitle.
Having 3 or more lines for any subtitle will result in a large portion of the video being used for subtitle text, which is not attractive.

Soft Subtitles and Hard Subtitles

Soft subtitles are subtitles stored in a VTT file (or similar). For subtitle text to appear in the video, both the video file and the subtitles need to have the same name and be stored in the same folder.
Hard subtitles are subtitles that are permanently merged into the video.

Today, VTT files are quickly becoming the most popular file format used in video subtitles.

FAQ

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