What are timestamps?
Timestamps mark the moment each line, scene or topic happens in a recording, written in hours, minutes and seconds, like 00:14:32. They show up in transcripts, paper edits, YouTube chapters and review notes, and they let anyone jump straight to a moment without watching everything again.
Also called: time markers, time codes in transcripts
A transcript with timestamps
Each line starts with the time it was said. With that, the editor knows where the client's favorite quote is without hunting through the timeline.
Why timestamps matter
Without timestamps, a transcript is just text. With them, it becomes a map of the recording: the journalist quotes with the time, the editor builds the paper edit, the social media manager finds the moment for a clip.
Precision changes the use. To find a line, seconds are enough. To cut on the exact frame, the editor switches to timecode, which goes down to the frame.
Timestamps in FilmScribe
We transcribe with the timing of every word, and every line shows the timestamp where it starts, on every plan. Click a sentence and the player jumps right to it. Chapters come with timestamps in YouTube's format, and when you download TXT or PDF you can choose to include each line's timestamp.
Interview transcript example A full interview with speakers and a timestamp on every line, with the TXT and SRT to download. See the example →Writing timestamps people can use
- 01
Pick one format
Choose 00:14:32 or 14:32 and use it throughout. Mixed formats break sorting in spreadsheets and slow down anyone matching notes to the video.
- 02
Say where zero is
State whether times count from the start of the file or from a timeline that begins at 01:00:00:00. Otherwise every timestamp can be off by an hour when the editor looks it up.
- 03
Update them after the edit
Timestamps from the raw recording stop matching once you trim the intro or cut a section. Take them from the final export before you publish chapters or send notes.
- 04
Paste them as text
Spreadsheets may read 14:32 as a time of day and display it differently. Format the column as text before pasting, so every timestamp stays exactly as written.
Related terms
See all terms →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between timestamps and timecode?
Timestamps usually stop at seconds, like 00:14:32. Timecode goes down to the frame, like 00:14:32:08, and depends on the frame rate. To find lines, timestamps are enough; to cut, editors use timecode.
How do I add timestamps to a video transcript?
By hand, you watch and write down the time of each moment. With a timed transcript, every line already has its timestamp, and you just mark what matters.
Are timestamps and chapters the same thing?
Chapters are timestamps by topic, with a title for each part. A transcript's timestamps are finer, line by line.
Captions, clips and paper edits. All in one place.
Upload a video or paste a YouTube link. We transcribe every word with its timing, and you take the result to social media or to your editor.
See the result on your own recording before adding a card.