How do I turn video files into transcripts and SRT captions?

You can turn video files into transcripts and SRT captions in a few ways, depending on whether you want a simple GUI tool, an API, or a fully local workflow.

Easiest options

1. Use a transcription service

Services like:

• OpenAI Whisper-based tools
• Descript
• Rev
• Otter
• VEED
• Kapwing

Usually let you upload a video and export:

• plain transcript
• SRT
• sometimes VTT / DOCX / TXT

Local / DIY option with Whisper

If you want to do it yourself on your computer, Whisper is the most common approach.

Step 1: Install Whisper

You’ll need Python and ffmpeg.

pip install -U openai-whisper

Install ffmpeg:

• Mac: brew install ffmpeg
• Ubuntu: sudo apt install ffmpeg
• Windows: install ffmpeg and add it to PATH

Step 2: Transcribe a video

whisper your_video.mp4 --model medium --output_format txt srt

This creates:

• a .txt transcript
• a .srt subtitle file

You can also choose models:

• tiny = fastest, least accurate
• base
• small
• medium
• large = best accuracy, slower

Example:

whisper your_video.mp4 --model large --output_format srt

Using Python

If you want transcripts and captions in a script:

import whisper

model = whisper.load_model("medium")
result = model.transcribe("your_video.mp4")

print(result["text"])

To make an SRT file, use Whisper’s subtitle output or a library like srt.

If you want timestamps

SRT captions need timestamps, so the transcription tool must return word/segment timing. Whisper does this automatically.

Typical workflow

1. Extract audio from video automatically
2. Run speech-to-text transcription
3. Export:
   • TXT for transcript
   • SRT for captions

Best choice depending on your goal

• Fastest and easiest: a web transcription service
• Private/local: Whisper on your machine
• Automated at scale: Whisper API or a Python pipeline

If you want, I can give you:

1. a step-by-step setup for Windows/Mac/Linux, or
2. a Python script that converts a folder of videos into TXT + SRT automatically.