Scribeify

Convert YouTube Video to Text — Free Transcript

Paste any YouTube URL and get an accurate text transcript in minutes. Better than YouTube's auto-captions, with 99+ languages and timestamps.

How to use Convert YouTube Video to Text — Free Transcript in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Paste the YouTube URL

    Copy the URL of any public YouTube video — short-form (Shorts), regular, or livestream replay. Playlists not supported.

  2. 2

    Choose language

    Auto-detect works well, or pick from 99+ supported languages. Speaker separation for multi-person interviews.

  3. 3

    Read, edit, export

    Transcript appears with clickable timestamps. Edit inline, then export as TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT, or VTT.

Why choose Convert YouTube Video to Text — Free Transcript

  • All public YouTube formats

    Standard videos, Shorts, livestream replays — any public URL works.

  • More accurate than YouTube auto-captions

    Our AI outperforms YouTube's own captions on accuracy, especially for accented speech and technical vocabulary.

  • 99+ languages

    Transcribe videos in any major world language — with auto-detect.

  • No downloading needed

    We fetch the audio server-side at data-center bandwidth. Just paste and go.

  • SRT and VTT for re-upload

    Export clean SRT/VTT files to upload back to YouTube as closed captions — faster than typing your own.

Who uses Convert YouTube Video to Text — Free Transcript

  • Content repurposing

    Turn a YouTube video into a blog post, Twitter thread, or newsletter in minutes.

  • Caption creators

    Generate higher-accuracy captions than YouTube's auto-captions and upload them back to your channel.

  • Research and quoting

    Quote interviews, press conferences, or keynotes with exact timestamps — no scrubbing through video.

  • Language learning

    Download the transcript of a native-speaker video and read along to improve comprehension.

Trusted by creators worldwide

4.8 / 5 based on 1,200+ users

Frequently asked questions

Does this work for private or unlisted YouTube videos?
No. Only publicly accessible videos are supported. For private videos, download the file and upload it to our Video to Text tool.
Is transcribing YouTube videos legal?
Transcribing publicly available content for personal research, commentary, or fair use is generally allowed. Check YouTube terms and applicable law for your specific use case.
How long can the YouTube video be?
Up to 2 hours on the free tier. Longer videos are automatically split. Pro users process up to 10 hours per month.
What if YouTube already has auto-captions?
Our AI transcription is usually more accurate, especially for non-English or accented speech. Auto-captions on YouTube sometimes mis-hear technical terms.
Can I get timestamps?
Yes — word-level timestamps are included by default and embedded in SRT/VTT exports.
Do you save my YouTube URL history?
Only for your own account history (if signed in). We do not share URLs with third parties. Transcripts auto-delete after 24 hours unless saved.

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