Transcribe any YouTube video to text

Yes. Our AI generates a YouTube video transcript directly from the audio track, even when the creator hasn't added captions. Accuracy depends on audio clarity. When a video does have a caption track, the tool can use it for a near-instant result; when it doesn't, AI speech-to-text takes over automatically — you paste the same link either way and always get a complete, readable transcript.

Our YouTube transcript generator supports videos up to 3 hours, covering everything from Shorts to full-length documentaries and live streams. That range matters on YouTube specifically: it's the platform where people transcribe podcasts, lectures, and interviews rather than short clips, and a 3-hour ceiling comfortably covers a feature-length recording. For anything longer, transcribe it in sections.

Your first YouTube transcripts are free with no signup. After the free allowance it's 1 credit per video — signed-in users get 3 free videos every month. Credits come in one-time packs starting at $1.99 for 25, stay valid for 12 months, and a failed transcription never consumes one. There's no subscription and no card required to try it.

You can copy the full YouTube video transcript directly from the tool and paste it into any document, note, or content editor, or export it as a TXT or SRT file — TXT for clean readable prose, SRT when you need subtitles with timing. With a free account, every transcript is also saved to your history so you can search and reopen it later.

Most YouTube transcripts generate in under 10 seconds. Longer videos may take up to 30 seconds. The tool processes in real time and displays results as they're ready. Videos with an existing caption track return fastest, since the text can be fetched rather than generated; caption-less videos run through AI speech-to-text and still finish within the same range for typical lengths.

Yes — our YouTube transcript generator works with YouTube Shorts, regular videos, and live stream recordings. Any public YouTube URL, including youtu.be short links, is supported. Paste whichever form of the link you have — a full watch URL, a Shorts URL, or a share link copied from the mobile app — and the tool resolves it to the same transcript.

The YouTube transcription tool works with any publicly accessible YouTube URL. For unlisted videos, the link must be reachable for our system to transcribe YouTube video audio — unlisted means anyone with the URL can view it, and the tool accesses it the same way. Private and members-only videos that require a signed-in session can't be fetched and won't transcribe.