YouTube to Text — Free Transcript & Caption Extractor
Paste a YouTube link and get the full transcript instantly. Copy it or download as TXT, SRT, or VTT.
Works with videos that have captions enabled. No audio downloaded — we fetch text only.
3/day · 10 lifetime without sign-in. Sign in free for 5/day · 25 lifetime. Pro gives you 50/day.
How it works
Paste the link
Any YouTube URL — youtube.com/watch, youtu.be, Shorts, or a raw video ID.
Captions extracted
We fetch existing captions — auto-generated or manually uploaded by the creator.
Copy or download
Get plain text, or download as SRT/VTT for use in video editors.
💡 One thing to know
This tool extracts captions that already exist on a video — it does not generate a transcript from audio. Most popular English videos (lectures, interviews, podcasts, news clips) have auto-generated captions enabled by YouTube. Music videos, older uploads, and some non-English content often don't.
No captions? Download the audio and use our AI transcription instead →
Who uses this
Students
Turn lecture recordings and tutorial videos into searchable notes — no manual typing.
Content creators
Repurpose your own video content into blog posts, newsletters, or social captions.
Journalists & researchers
Extract quotes from press conferences, interviews, and documentaries in seconds.
Language learners
Read along with videos to improve comprehension and vocabulary in any language.
Teachers & educators
Pull transcripts from educational videos to create lesson plans, quizzes, or handouts.
Podcasters
Get a text version of YouTube podcast episodes for show notes or articles.
Video editors
Download SRT or VTT captions to import directly into Premiere, DaVinci, or Handbrake.
Researchers
Analyse transcripts from interviews, talks, or conference recordings for qualitative research.
FAQ
Is this free?
3 per day (10 lifetime) without an account. Sign in free for 5/day and 25 lifetime extractions.
Does it work on all YouTube videos?
It works on any video that has captions enabled — auto-generated or manually uploaded. Most popular English videos (lectures, podcasts, interviews, news) do. Music videos, very short clips, and some non-English content may not. If captions aren't available, we'll say so and point you to our audio upload tool.
Is this against YouTube's terms of service?
No. We only fetch existing captions that YouTube already makes publicly available. We do not download audio or scrape any private data.
What export formats are available?
Plain text (TXT), SubRip subtitles (SRT with timestamps), and WebVTT (VTT with timestamps). SRT and VTT work with most video editors and players.
What if the video is not in English?
We return captions in whatever language is available on the video, and show all available languages in the result.
How do I get a transcript from a YouTube video?
Paste the YouTube URL into the box above and click Extract. The full transcript appears in seconds — no account, no software, no download needed.
Can I download the transcript as an SRT file?
Yes. After extracting, switch to the SRT tab and click Download. The SRT file includes timestamps and works with Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Handbrake, and most video editors.
Does this work on YouTube Shorts?
Yes — paste a Shorts URL just like any other YouTube link. If the Short has captions, the transcript will be extracted normally.