Paste the Video Link
Any YouTube link works: a watch link, a youtu.be short link, a Shorts link, or just the video ID.
Free
No Sign-Up
3
Export Formats
30 min
Without Captions
Any
Video Length with Captions
How It Works
Get a YouTube Transcript in 3 Steps
Get the Transcript
We read the video's captions in about a second. If it has none, we transcribe the audio, which takes a minute or two.
Copy or Download
Switch between timestamps and paragraphs, search the text, copy it, or download TXT, SRT or VTT.
Capabilities
Everything You Need to Turn a YouTube Video Into Text
Full Transcript
The whole video as text, read from the captions on the video — the creator's own when they exist, YouTube's automatic ones otherwise
No Captions? Still Works
When a video has no captions at all, the audio is transcribed instead, for videos up to 30 minutes
Clickable Timestamps
Every line carries its time; click it to open the video at that exact moment
Search Inside the Video
Type a word and see every line where it is said, with the matches highlighted
TXT, SRT and VTT
Copy with or without timestamps, or download plain text or ready-to-use subtitle files
Other Caption Languages
If the video carries captions in several languages, switch between them from the result
On this page
Updated · 3 min read
Where a YouTube Transcript Comes From#
A YouTube transcript generator does not invent the text. It reads one of three things, and knowing which one you got tells you how much to trust it. The result above always names its source.
| Feature | Creator captions | Automatic captions | From the audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who made it | The channel | YouTube | This tool |
| Checked by a person | Yes | No | No |
| Made with speech recognition | No | Yes | Yes |
| Used by this tool when | They exist | No creator captions | No captions at all |
How to Get the Transcript of a YouTube Video#
You do not need an extension or an account to turn a YouTube video into text. The steps are the same for a long interview and a one-minute Short.
- Copy the video link from YouTube. A watch link, a
youtu.belink, a Shorts link or the bare video ID all work. - Paste it into the box at the top of this page and click Get transcript.
- Read it as Timestamps (one line per moment, each time clickable) or as Paragraphs (clean text for reading or quoting).
- Use the search box to find where a word is said, then click the timestamp to open the video at that moment.
- Click Copy, or Download a
.txt,.srtor.vttfile.
If the video carries captions in more than one language, a language list appears under the transcript so you can switch. That list only shows what is already on the video; the tool does not translate.
Why a YouTube Video Has No Captions#
Not every video has a YouTube video transcript waiting for you. YouTube's automatic captions cover many languages, but its Help Center lists several reasons a video can end up without them: the language is not supported, the audio is complex and still being processed, the sound quality is poor, the video is very long, it opens with a long silence, or several people talk over each other.
30 min
audio transcription limit
The longest video we transcribe when there are no captions
3
audio transcriptions a day
Per visitor; videos with captions are not counted
24 h
kept ready
A finished transcript opens instantly for a day
15
new videos a day
Per visitor, across both kinds
When there are no captions, this tool listens to the audio instead. That takes a minute or two rather than a second, which is why it is limited. Private, age-restricted and removed videos cannot be read at all, and a live stream only gets a transcript after it has ended.
Transcript, SRT or VTT: Which File Do You Need#
The same words can leave this page in three shapes. Pick by what you will do with them next.
| Feature | TXT | SRT | VTT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contains timestamps | Optional | Yes | Yes |
| Reads like normal text | Yes | No | No |
| Works as a subtitle file | No | Yes | Yes |
| Typical use | Notes, quotes, articles | Video editors | Web video players |
If the subtitle file is the goal — you want to fix lines, translate them, or upload captions to your own video — use the SRT generator instead; it adds editing and translation. If the text is the goal and the video is yours, the SEO Wizard turns the same transcript into titles, a description and chapters.
Get the transcript of any YouTube video
Paste a link — it takes about a second when the video has captions.
FAQ
YouTube Transcript Generator FAQ
Turn any YouTube video into text
Free, no sign-up. Timestamps, search, and TXT, SRT or VTT downloads.
Get a Transcript