How to Download Vimeo Transcriptions:A Step-by-Step Guide

Want to download a transcription from a Vimeo video? Whether you're a content creator, educator, or professional, downloading captions or transcriptions can make your videos more accessible, searchable, and repurposable. In this guide, we’ll show you three easy ways to download Vimeo transcriptions — including using the built-in subtitles feature or a tool like HappyScribe.

📌 Quick answer: How do I download a transcription from Vimeo?

To download a transcription from a Vimeo video:

Open the Vimeo video with subtitles enabled.
Click the Settings (gear icon) on the video player.
Choose Subtitles/CC and select the language you want.
Right-click and open the VTT or SRT file in a new tab.
Save the file to your device.

If the video has no subtitles, use an online tool like HappyScribe to generate and export them.

Why download transcriptions from Vimeo?

Here are four key reasons to download or generate transcriptions::

Accessibility: Reach a broader audience, including those with hearing impairments.
Content Repurposing: Turn spoken words into blog posts, newsletters, or social media snippets.
SEO Benefits: Search engines can crawl and index text content, improving visibility.
Translation & Localization: Make your content available to non-English speakers.

👉 Tip: Try HappyScribe’s “Localize” product to create multilingual subtitles.

Transcriptions improve accessibility

Transcriptions make video content more inclusive and usable for all viewers. According to the Web Accessibility Initiative, captions and transcripts support people with hearing loss, auditory processing issues, or those watching videos silently in public.

They also benefit non-native speakers by allowing them to read along, helping them better absorb and retain the content.

Transcriptions in education

Transcriptions are invaluable in educational contexts. They help students review, retain, and understand material more effectively.

📚 In a nationwide study by Oregon State University, 98.6% of students found captions helpful, and 85% used transcripts to support learning. Students reported improved focus and comprehension, particularly when dealing with complex or unclear audio.

By making videos fully accessible, transcription also ensures equitable access for deaf or hard-of-hearing learners.

In summary, transcription enhances both the accessibility and engagement of videos on Vimeo. Whether you're a content creator aiming to reach a wider audience or a viewer seeking a more inclusive experience, subtitles and captions make a meaningful difference. They allow creators to make their content understandable to all, regardless of hearing ability or language proficiency.

Step-by-step: Downloading Vimeo transcriptions

Method 1: Download from Vimeo

Step 1: Check if subtitles are available

Not all Vimeo videos come with subtitles or captions. To check:

Play the video.
Click on the Settings (gear) icon in the bottom-right corner.
Look for a Subtitles/CC menu. If it's there, you’re good to go.

Step 2: Download subtitles from Vimeo

If subtitles are enabled:

Click on the Settings icon.
Select the subtitle language under Subtitles/CC.
Open the subtitle file (usually a .vtt format) in a new browser tab by right-clicking the language link.
Save the file to your computer.

💡 Tip: Use a tool like HappyScribe to convert VTT to SRT, TXT, or DOCX.

Method 2: Use third-party apps

If subtitles aren’t available, or if you want a cleaner, editable transcript, tools like HappyScribe make it easy.

How to transcribe a Vimeo video with HappyScribe:

Create a free account on HappyScribe.com.
Click “Create” > “Transcript”, then upload your Vimeo file or paste a video URL.
Wait for the automatic transcription to finish (usually a few minutes).
Edit the text in the built-in editor if needed.
Export the transcript in your preferred format (SRT, TXT, DOCX, etc.).

📝 For maximum accuracy, consider using HappyScribe’s human transcription service, which delivers 99% accuracy.

Method 3: Use a transcript generator

Many third-party tools use AI speech recognition to transcribe videos quickly. HappyScribe is one of the most trusted video to text options as it supports a wide range of formats.

It offers:

Automatic transcription with editing tools
Export options in multiple formats
Subtitle conversion
Support for over 120 languages
Expert proofreading

Learn more about their full features here.

🙋 Frequently Asked Questions

Can I download subtitles from any Vimeo video? Only if the video creator has uploaded or enabled captions.
What format are Vimeo captions in? Typically .vtt (WebVTT), but HappyScribe allows conversion to SRT, TXT, and more.
Is there a free way to transcribe Vimeo videos? Yes, if captions are already available. If not, use tools like HappyScribe.