YouTube videos,
turned into text.
Paste a link and get a clean, timestamped transcript you can read, search, copy or download in seconds.
Everything you need from a transcript
Timestamped lines
Every line keeps its position, and clicking it opens the video at that second.
Every caption language
Switch between all caption tracks a video offers, including auto-generated ones.
Search inside
Find any sentence instantly instead of scrubbing through the video.
Copy or export
One click to the clipboard, or download as .txt or .srt subtitles.
No account, no tracking
No sign-up, no personal data stored. Transcripts are cached anonymously to stay fast.
Instantly fast
Popular videos are served from cache, so results appear almost immediately.
How to get a YouTube transcript
- 1
Copy the link of the YouTube video you want to transcribe.
- 2
Paste it into the box above and press Transcribe.
- 3
Read the timestamped transcript, search it, or switch caption language.
- 4
Copy the text or download it as a .txt or .srt file.
Where transcripts come from
Every transcript here is read from the video's own caption track. YouTube stores two kinds: captions uploaded by the creator, which are usually punctuated and accurate, and automatic captions produced by speech recognition, which are good but occasionally misspell names and technical terms. If a video has both, the uploaded track is the one worth reading, and you can switch between all available tracks after generating.
What you can do with the text
- • Skim a long interview or lecture in a fraction of the time.
- • Search for the exact sentence you remember and jump to that second.
- • Quote a source accurately in an article, essay or research note.
- • Translate, summarise, or feed the text into your own notes.
- • Reuse the timings as .srt subtitles for your own edit.
When a transcript is not available
Some videos genuinely have no captions — music videos, silent footage, private or age-restricted uploads, and livestreams that have not been processed yet. In those cases no tool can produce a transcript from the caption track, because there is nothing to read.
Frequently asked questions
What is a YouTube transcript?
A YouTube transcript is the written version of everything spoken in a video, taken from its caption track. Each line is tied to the moment it is said in the video.
Does every YouTube video have a transcript?
Only videos with captions do. Most videos in widely supported languages get automatic captions from YouTube, and many creators upload their own.
Is reading a transcript faster than watching?
Usually far faster. A 40-minute talk is typically 5,000 to 7,000 words, which most people can skim in a few minutes.
Is this YouTube transcript generator free?
Yes. You can generate, read, search, copy and download transcripts for free, with no account and no limits for normal personal use.
Which videos can be transcribed?
Any public YouTube video that has captions — either uploaded by the creator or generated automatically by YouTube. Private, deleted or caption-free videos cannot be transcribed.
Do transcripts include timestamps?
Yes. Every line keeps the timestamp of the moment it is spoken, and you can switch to a clean paragraph view with one click.
Can I download the transcript?
Yes, as a plain .txt file or as an .srt subtitle file. The file name includes the video title and its view count.
Learn more about how YouTube transcripts work, or read the full FAQ.
Scribeflow — Free YouTube transcript generator