YouTube video transcript

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Meridian Media › YouTube transcript

A transcript is the full text of a video taken from its subtitles. It appears right on the page: you can read it, copy it or download it as a file.

How to get a transcript

Copy the link to a YouTube video or Short.
Paste it into the field above and click “Get transcript”.
Copy the text or download it as TXT or SRT. Timestamps can be hidden with the switch.

What a transcript is good for

Notes for a lecture or webinar: it is easier to find the right spot in text than in a recording.
Quotes and facts for an article or a talk — timestamps show the moment they were said.
Language learning: you can read the text alongside the video and look up unfamiliar words.
Accessibility: for those who cannot listen to the audio, the text replaces the voice track.

What to do with the finished text

Copy the text with the copy button and paste it into a document or notes.
Download TXT if you need plain text.
Download SRT if you need subtitles with timestamps for a player or for editing.
Turn the timestamps off with the switch to get continuous text without numbers.

How accurate the text is

Automatic subtitles are generated by YouTube itself: it makes mistakes in names and terms and when the sound is poor. Subtitles uploaded by the author are usually more accurate. If the list has both, pick the author’s and reread the important parts.

Where does the text come from?

From the video's subtitles: uploaded by the author or automatic ones created by YouTube. Automatic ones may contain errors in names and terms.

Can I choose the language?

Yes, the list has every language of the author's subtitles, the automatic subtitles in the video's language and YouTube auto-translation into other languages.

What if there is no text?

Then the video has no subtitles: the author turned them off or YouTube hasn't created automatic ones yet.

Does the transcript work for Shorts?

Yes: paste a link to a Short — if the video has subtitles, the text appears just as for a regular video.

Is there a limit on the video length?

No: the text comes from ready-made subtitles, so the length of the video does not matter.

Need a subtitle file for a player or editing? Open the YouTube subtitles page — it has SRT and VTT. The video itself can be downloaded on the YouTube page.