What is the fastest way to get a transcript?

Paste the link into the box at the top of this page and press the button. The transcript appears with a timestamp on every line, and you can copy it or download it from there. There is no account step and nothing to install.

Why does no transcript appear?

In order of likelihood: the video has captions disabled, it is private or unlisted, it is age-restricted, or it has no speech in it. In all of those cases there is no caption track to read, which is different from the tool failing.

The transcript is wrong in places — can that be fixed?

If the video uses auto-generated captions, some errors are inherent to them; the recogniser mishears names and technical terms in particular. Reading the captions rather than re-listening is what makes this fast, and that speed is paid for in those errors.

Which download format should I choose?

TXT if you are going to read, search, or paste the text somewhere. SRT or VTT if the text is going back onto a video as subtitles. The timestamped TXT when you need the timecodes kept but not the subtitle structure.

Can I get a transcript for a video in another language?

Yes, if the video carries a caption track in that language. Where a video has several tracks you can choose between them; where it has one, that is what you get.

Is there a limit on how many videos I can do?

No. There is no account, no quota, and no charge. Each video is fetched on demand and nothing is stored afterwards.

How to get a transcript of a YouTube video

A short, practical walkthrough.

The short version

Open the video on YouTube, copy the URL, paste it into the box on this page and press Generate Transcript. The transcript appears with a timestamp on every line.

If you want it as a file

Use the TXT button for reading, SRT or VTT for subtitles, or the timestamped TXT if you need the timecodes preserved. All four are generated server-side, so nothing is lost to copy-paste.

When no transcript appears

The video may have captions disabled, may be private, or may be age-restricted. Those cases cannot be transcribed from the caption track — the audio would have to be transcribed instead.

Getting a transcript is usually a two-minute job, and the only reason it ever feels longer is not knowing which of the several possible obstacles you have hit. This page walks through the whole thing: what to do first, what to do when the text looks wrong, and what the different download formats are actually for.

The short version is that the transcript already exists — YouTube generates or stores captions for most spoken-word videos, and reading them is far quicker than listening to the audio again. Everything below is about the cases where that goes sideways.

Related tools

Frequently asked questions

What is the fastest way to get a transcript?: Paste the link into the box at the top of this page and press the button. The transcript appears with a timestamp on every line, and you can copy it or download it from there. There is no account step and nothing to install.
Why does no transcript appear?: In order of likelihood: the video has captions disabled, it is private or unlisted, it is age-restricted, or it has no speech in it. In all of those cases there is no caption track to read, which is different from the tool failing.
The transcript is wrong in places — can that be fixed?: If the video uses auto-generated captions, some errors are inherent to them; the recogniser mishears names and technical terms in particular. Reading the captions rather than re-listening is what makes this fast, and that speed is paid for in those errors.
Which download format should I choose?: TXT if you are going to read, search, or paste the text somewhere. SRT or VTT if the text is going back onto a video as subtitles. The timestamped TXT when you need the timecodes kept but not the subtitle structure.
Can I get a transcript for a video in another language?: Yes, if the video carries a caption track in that language. Where a video has several tracks you can choose between them; where it has one, that is what you get.
Is there a limit on how many videos I can do?: No. There is no account, no quota, and no charge. Each video is fetched on demand and nothing is stored afterwards.