How to Download YouTube Subtitles in Multiple Languages

Downloading YouTube subtitles in multiple languages is straightforward: use NoteLM.ai's Subtitle Downloader, select each language from the available options, and download separately. This guide covers finding videos with multilingual subtitles, downloading each language, and combining them for your projects.

Key Takeaways

• YouTube supports 100+ subtitle languages on videos with manual captions
• Auto-generated captions available in major languages (English, Spanish, etc.)
• Download each language separately using online tools like NoteLM.ai
• Check available languages in YouTube's CC settings before downloading
• Use cases: language learning, localization, accessibility, research

Finding Videos with Multiple Language Subtitles

How to Check Available Languages

On YouTube:

1. 1.Play the video
2. 2.Click the gear icon (⚙️)
3. 3.Select Subtitles/CC
4. 4.View all available language options

Language types shown:

• Native captions - Uploaded by creator in original language
• Translated captions - Manual translations by creator/community
• Auto-generated - AI-generated in source language
• Auto-translate - Machine translation (not downloadable)

Videos Most Likely to Have Multiple Languages

Channels Known for Multilingual Subtitles

• TED - Community-translated into 100+ languages
• Khan Academy - Educational content in many languages
• Google - Official content with professional translations
• Major music labels - Popular songs with fan translations

Downloading Subtitles in Multiple Languages

Method 1: NoteLM.ai Subtitle Downloader

• Select next language
• Download
• Name files clearly (e.g., video_es.srt, video_fr.srt)

Method 2: yt-dlp Command Line

Download all available subtitles at once:

# Download all subtitle languages
yt-dlp --all-subs --skip-download "VIDEO_URL"

# Download specific languages
yt-dlp --write-sub --sub-lang en,es,fr,de --skip-download "VIDEO_URL"

# Download auto-generated and manual subtitles
yt-dlp --write-sub --write-auto-sub --sub-lang en,es --skip-download "VIDEO_URL"

Output files:

Video Title [VIDEO_ID].en.vtt
Video Title [VIDEO_ID].es.vtt
Video Title [VIDEO_ID].fr.vtt
Video Title [VIDEO_ID].de.vtt

Method 3: Browser Extensions

Some extensions support multilingual downloads:

1. 1.Install subtitle downloader extension
2. 2.Go to YouTube video
3. 3.Select "Download all languages" option (if available)
4. 4.Or download each language individually

YouTube Subtitle Language Codes

Common Language Codes

Regional Variants

Organizing Multilingual Subtitle Files

Naming Convention

Consistent naming makes files easier to manage:

VideoTitle_en.srt    (English)
VideoTitle_es.srt    (Spanish)
VideoTitle_fr.srt    (French)
VideoTitle_de.srt    (German)
VideoTitle_ja.srt    (Japanese)

Or with full language names:

VideoTitle_English.srt
VideoTitle_Spanish.srt
VideoTitle_French.srt

Folder Structure

For multiple videos:

📁 Project_Subtitles/
├── 📁 Video1/
│   ├── Video1_en.srt
│   ├── Video1_es.srt
│   └── Video1_fr.srt
├── 📁 Video2/
│   ├── Video2_en.srt
│   ├── Video2_es.srt
│   └── Video2_fr.srt
└── 📁 Video3/
    └── ...

Use Cases for Multilingual Subtitles

Language Learning

Method:

1. 1.Download subtitles in target language (learning)
2. 2.Download subtitles in native language (reference)
3. 3.Compare side-by-side while watching

Example setup:

Target: Spanish (es)
Reference: English (en)

Watch video → See Spanish subtitles → Check English for unclear parts

Video Localization

For content creators:

1. 1.Download your video's auto-generated English captions
2. 2.Translate to target markets
3. 3.Upload translated versions to YouTube

Priority languages by market:

• North America: English, Spanish
• Europe: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian
• Asia: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi
• Latin America: Spanish, Portuguese

Academic Research

For multilingual studies:

• Compare translations across languages
• Analyze subtitle localization choices
• Study language use in media

Accessibility Projects

Creating accessible content:

1. 1.Download existing translations
2. 2.Verify quality and accuracy
3. 3.Edit and improve as needed
4. 4.Distribute to relevant audiences

Auto-Translate vs. Native Subtitles

Quality Comparison

When to Use Each

Use native subtitles when:

• Available in your target language
• Need professional quality
• Content will be published/shared
• Accuracy is critical

Use auto-translate when:

• No native subtitles available
• Only need general understanding
• Quick personal reference
• Casual viewing

Improving Auto-Translate Quality

If you need a language only available via auto-translate:

1. 1.Download source subtitles (highest quality available)
2. 2.Use DeepL or ChatGPT for translation
3. 3.Review and edit the output
4. 4.You now have a downloadable translated version

Batch Processing Multiple Languages

Using yt-dlp for Batch Downloads

Download from multiple videos:

Create urls.txt:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO3

Run command:

yt-dlp --write-sub --sub-lang en,es,fr --skip-download -a urls.txt

Automation Script Example

import subprocess

videos = [
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO1",
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO2",
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO3",
]

languages = ["en", "es", "fr", "de", "ja"]

for video in videos:
    for lang in languages:
        subprocess.run([
            "yt-dlp",
            "--write-sub",
            f"--sub-lang", lang,
            "--skip-download",
            video
        ])

Troubleshooting Multilingual Downloads

"Language Not Available"

Causes:

• Video doesn't have that language's subtitles
• Only auto-translate available (not downloadable)
• Regional restriction

Solutions:

• Check available languages on YouTube first
• Use source language + translation tool
• Try different videos with more languages

Downloaded File Is Empty

Causes:

• Processing error
• Language code mismatch

Solutions:

• Try downloading again
• Verify correct language code
• Use alternative tool

Mixed Quality Across Languages

Explanation:

Different languages may have different sources:

• English: Professional manual captions
• Spanish: Community contribution (lower quality)
• German: Auto-generated (variable quality)

Quick process:

1. 1.Check available languages in YouTube CC settings
2. 2.Use NoteLM.ai or yt-dlp to download each language
3. 3.Organize files with clear naming conventions
4. 4.Use for your project

For languages not available as downloads:

1. 1.Download source language subtitles
2. 2.Translate using DeepL or AI tools
3. 3.Review and edit for quality

Start with NoteLM.ai Subtitle Downloader for individual languages, or yt-dlp for batch multilingual downloads.

Download Subtitles in Any Language →

Related Resources:

• YouTube Auto Translate Subtitles: Complete Guide
• Using YouTube Subtitles for Language Learning
• YouTube Subtitle Downloader: Complete Guide