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Transcription & subtitle tools

YouTube to Text Converter

Turn a public YouTube video or Short into an editable transcript. This AI YouTube transcript generator transcribes spoken audio, including videos without captions. Paste an individual video link, review the words and export text or timed subtitles for study notes, interviews and your own creator workflows.

Paste a YouTube video or Short

YouTube videos require public access. Availability depends on the source platform.

Saved transcripts

Explore a demonstration

How to convert YouTube videos to text online

  1. 1.

    Paste an individual public YouTube video or Short URL and sign in.

  2. 2.

    Choose the spoken language or automatic detection, then queue the recording.

  3. 3.

    Review the transcript against the recording, correct terminology and export text or subtitles.

YouTube lectures, podcasts and interviews to text

Create searchable notes from a lecture or tutorial, check quotations in an interview, or turn a YouTube podcast into a text draft. Keep the original URL for reference and review names, technical terms and speaker changes manually.

Export a YouTube transcript as TXT, SRT or VTT

Download TXT when you want plain text without caption timing. Choose SRT or VTT when you need a YouTube transcript with timestamps or subtitles for a video player. Review the transcript and cue timing before publishing.

Use public, individual videos

Private, age-restricted and password-protected content may be inaccessible. Playlist import is not available; use one video link at a time.

Get speech, then review it

Import and transcription depend on the source platform being accessible. Verify names, numbers and quotations before using them in notes or publishing captions.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a transcript of a YouTube video?

Open the public video, copy its URL and paste it into the YouTube link field above. Sign in, choose the spoken language and queue transcription. Review the generated transcript, then download text or subtitles.

Can I transcribe a YouTube video without subtitles or captions?

Yes, when its spoken audio can be imported. This workflow generates a new transcript from speech; it does not require or download an existing YouTube caption track. A silent video has no spoken words to transcribe.

Can I convert YouTube Shorts to text?

Yes. Paste the URL of an individual public Short and follow the same language, transcription and review steps. Music, fast speech and short clips can make recognition harder; check important words against the recording.

How do I download a YouTube transcript with or without timestamps?

Export SRT or VTT to keep machine-readable start and end times. Export TXT for plain transcript text without caption timestamps. The original video must be accessible and you must complete transcription first.

Does a YouTube transcript extractor copy the video's existing captions?

Some tools described as transcript extractors retrieve an existing caption track. This tool uses AI audio transcription instead. Existing YouTube captions and newly recognized speech can have different wording and timing.

Can I download a YouTube video as MP3 here?

No. This workspace converts YouTube speech to text and subtitle files. It does not provide YouTube-to-MP3 audio downloads.

Can I paste a YouTube playlist?

No. Use the URL of an individual public video or Short. Playlist and channel imports are not supported.

Can I try transcription for free?

Sign in to use the Free plan: 30 transcription minutes per month, with a maximum of 15 minutes per recording. Paid plans provide higher allowances. Your available quota is checked before processing.

Which exports are available?

Review the completed transcript, then download TXT, SRT or VTT. You can correct words and timestamps before exporting. DOCX export and automatic speaker separation are not currently available.

How long does processing take?

Time depends on the recording duration, upload speed and processing queue. A 5 GB upload limit is not a promise that every plan accepts an unlimited recording duration.

Related tools

Practical guides

Start with a short recording on the Free plan, then choose a plan that fits your recording length and monthly volume.

See transcription plans and limits