Video Transcript: What It Is, the Format and an Example
A video transcript is the text version of a video: everything that is said, who says it and the sounds that matter, so people can read the video instead of watching or hearing it. A descriptive transcript also describes what is shown on screen. Most transcripts sit right under the video as plain text paragraphs; timestamps are optional.
Make one from MP4, MOV, MKV or a link · speaker names and timestamps · TXT free, DOCX and PDF on paid plans
Speakers named, sounds in brackets
[Upbeat music]
Today we’re making flatbread with four ingredients.
Four? I count five bowls. [laughs]
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Types of Video Transcript
The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative separates transcripts by what they cover. Captions are included for comparison, because a transcript is often made from them.
| Type | What it contains | Who relies on it | Required by WCAG? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic transcript | Speech and the non-speech sounds needed to follow the content, with speakers identified | People who are deaf or hard of hearing, or have trouble processing audio | For audio-only media at Level A; for video with sound at Level AAA |
| Descriptive transcript | Everything in a basic transcript plus a description of the visual information | People who are both deaf and blind, and readers who take in text better than video | For video with no sound at Level A (or an audio description instead); for video with sound at Level AAA |
| Interactive transcript | The caption text shown next to the player, highlighting as the video plays; click a phrase to jump there | Anyone searching or skimming a long video | Not required: it is a player feature built from the captions file |
| Captions | The same speech and sounds, timed to appear on the video | Viewers watching with the sound off or who cannot hear it | Required for prerecorded video with sound at Level A |
Levels as summarised by W3C WAI for prerecorded media, checked on 9 November 2026. Live media has different rules.
Sources: W3C WAI: Transcripts · Understanding WCAG 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only · Understanding WCAG 1.2.8 Media Alternative
Video Transcript Example
A descriptive transcript of the first minute of a two-person cooking video, laid out as a table. Read only the middle column and you have the basic transcript.
| Time | Audio: what is said and heard | Visual: what is shown |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00 | [Upbeat music] | Title card: “Bread in an Hour, Episode 4”. |
| 0:04 | Lena Park: Hi, I’m Lena, and today we’re making flatbread with only four ingredients. | Lena stands at a kitchen counter with flour, water, salt and yeast in small bowls. |
| 0:12 | Sam Diaz: Four? I count five bowls. | Sam leans into the frame and points at an empty bowl. |
| 0:15 | Lena: That one’s for mixing. [Sam laughs] | Lena slides the empty bowl to the centre. |
| 0:19 | Lena: Three hundred grams of flour first. | On-screen text: “300 g flour”. She pours the flour onto a kitchen scale. |
An illustrative example written for this page. Sounds go in square brackets; speakers are named in full the first time, then by first name.
Video Transcript Format: What to Include
There is no single required layout. These are the conventions the W3C guidance describes, and what a transcript from BlaBlaScribe gives you as a starting point.
Speakers
Name who is speaking
Put the name before each paragraph, or only when the speaker changes. Turn on speaker recognition before transcribing and rename Speaker 1 and Speaker 2 once.
Sounds
Note the sounds that matter
Laughter, music, applause or a door slamming go in square brackets when they change the meaning. Add them in the editor; the transcript does not describe sounds by itself.
Visuals
Describe what is only on screen
Text in the frame, names in lower thirds and actions without words belong in a descriptive transcript. Speech recognition cannot see them, so you add them while watching.
Paragraphs
Write paragraphs, not caption lines
Caption lines are cut for the screen. Export with paragraphs of 15 to 30 seconds and the transcript reads like text.
Timestamps
Keep timestamps only if they help
A time in front of each paragraph helps on long videos and for checking quotes. Elsewhere it is clutter; switch timecodes off when you export.
Placement
Put it right under the video
Paste the text below the player or link to it from there. A short summary and headings at the top help readers find their part.
How to Make a Video Transcript
From the video file to a transcript under the player.
Upload an MP4, MOV or MKV up to 8 GB, or paste a YouTube or Vimeo link, with speaker recognition on for interviews and panels.
Fix words and names, rename the speakers, and add sounds in square brackets where they matter.
Export TXT or DOCX with paragraphs and the timecodes you want, paste it under the video, and add descriptions of anything shown but not said.