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VTT File to Transcript on Mac

This article explains how to convert a VTT caption file into a readable transcript using the Text Edit program on a Mac, by removing timecodes, arrows, and formatting—ideal for pop-on captions but not compatible with roll-up captions.

This article will cover how to convert a VTT caption file into a regular transcript using the Text Edit program that comes standard with a Mac computer. This works with pop-on captions only and does not work with roll up captions. Roll up captions will have the same line multiple times in the VTT file.

NOTE: This is not a CASTUS program and is subject to change. For now, we thought this information would be useful to our caption customers who are looking to convert their caption file to a transcript.

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  1. Download your VTT caption file.
    1. On your server, select the dropdown to the left of the file name and select file > download OR
    2. On the cloud, head to the captions tab of your captioned video and select download captions.

  2. Open your VTT file in Text Edit on your Mac computer. This is likely the default program for opening VTT files.

  3. Delete the WEBVTT header.

  4. Press command + F on your keyboard to open the find function and select replace on the far right of the menu to bring up the find and replace dialogue box.

  5. Erase the timecodes:

    1. Put your cursor in the find box and select the magnifying glass to the left.

    2.  

      VTTtoTranscript_InsertPatternChoose Insert Pattern and then Digits.
    3. Add a colon via your keyboard.
    4. Repeat b and c so you have “digit:digit:digit,” being sure to select the gray “digit” and not the new colored digit options at the bottom.
    5. Add a period via your keyboard.
    6. Add one more digit via step b.
    7. All of your timecodes in your transcript should now be highlighted.
      VTTtoTranscript_HighlightedTimecodes
  6. Delete the arrows between the timecodes.
    1. Erase your digit sequence and replace with -->.
    2. All of your arrows should now be selected.
    3. Select all to the right of replace to delete all of the arrows.
      VTTtoTranscript_Arrow
  7. Now we’ll erase the line breaks using a similar method to #5.
    1. Erase your arrow sequence and select the magnifying glass to the left of the “find” box.
    2. Choose Insert Pattern and then Line Break.
    3. In the replace line, add one space.
    4. Select all to the right of replace to replace all of the line breaks with a space.

  8. Finally, we can clean up our transcript by erasing spots where there are multiple spaces in a row.

    1. Erase your line break and replace with two spaces by pressing the spacebar on your keyboard twice.

    2. Select all to the right of replace to replace all of the double spaces.

    3. Repeat step b until all of your double spaces are removed.

You now have something much more resembling a transcript than a caption file.