How to Get Podcast Transcripts from YouTube [2026]

YouTube has become a major platform for podcasts—from Joe Rogan to Lex Fridman to countless others. Getting transcripts from these long-form conversations requires special techniques due to their length and format.

Popular Podcasts on YouTube

Challenges with Podcast Transcripts

Challenge 1: Long Duration

Podcasts create massive transcripts:

Typical transcript length:
- 1-hour podcast: ~10,000 words
- 2-hour podcast: ~20,000 words
- 3-hour podcast: ~30,000 words

Challenge 2: Multiple Speakers

Podcasts feature conversations:

• Host + guest(s) talking
• Auto-captions don't label speakers
• Can be confusing without context

Challenge 3: Conversational Style

Natural speech patterns:

• Interruptions and cross-talk
• "Um," "uh," filler words
• Incomplete sentences
• Off-topic tangents

Challenge 4: Technical Terms

Specialized discussions include:

• Jargon and technical vocabulary
• Names and proper nouns
• Scientific terminology
• Lower caption accuracy on these

Method 1: NoteLM.ai for Podcasts

NoteLM.ai handles long podcast transcripts effectively.

Steps

1. 1.Copy podcast video URL
2. 2.Open NoteLM.ai
3. 3.Paste URL
4. 4.Click "Get Transcript"
5. 5.Download as TXT or SRT

Benefits for Podcasts

• Handles multi-hour content
• Includes timestamps
• Clean text formatting
• Download entire transcript

Method 2: YouTube Built-in Transcript

Steps

1. 1.Open podcast video on YouTube
2. 2.Click three-dot menu
3. 3.Select "Show transcript"
4. 4.Copy manually or use select-all

Limitations for Podcasts

• Manual copying is tedious for 3+ hour episodes
• No bulk download option
• Timestamps in separate column

Method 3: yt-dlp for Long Episodes

For 3+ hour podcasts, command-line tools work well:

# Download auto-generated captions
yt-dlp --write-auto-sub --sub-lang en --skip-download "VIDEO_URL"

# Download manual captions if available
yt-dlp --write-sub --sub-lang en --skip-download "VIDEO_URL"

Convert to Text

# Remove timing from SRT to get clean text
sed '/^[0-9]*$/d; /-->/d; /^$/d' captions.srt > transcript.txt

Organizing Podcast Transcripts

Episode Database Template

# Podcast Transcript Database

## [Podcast Name]

### Episode: [Title]
- **Guest:** [Guest Name]
- **Date:** [Air Date]
- **Duration:** [Length]
- **URL:** [Link]
- **Topics:** [Tags]

### Key Timestamps
- [0:00] Introduction
- [5:00] Guest background
- [15:00] Main topic 1
- [45:00] Main topic 2
- [1:30:00] Rapid fire questions

### Full Transcript
[Transcript content...]

### Notable Quotes
> "Quote 1" - [Timestamp]
> "Quote 2" - [Timestamp]

### My Notes
[Your insights and takeaways]

Folder Structure

📁 Podcast Transcripts
├── 📁 By Show
│   ├── 📁 Joe Rogan Experience
│   ├── 📁 Lex Fridman
│   └── 📁 Huberman Lab
├── 📁 By Guest
│   ├── 📁 Elon Musk
│   └── 📁 Naval Ravikant
└── 📁 By Topic
    ├── 📁 AI & Technology
    ├── 📁 Health & Fitness
    └── 📁 Business

Adding Speaker Labels

Auto-captions don't include speaker identification. Add them manually:

Method 1: Pattern Recognition

ORIGINAL:
so what do you think about AI
well I think it's transformative

LABELED:
JOE: so what do you think about AI
GUEST: well I think it's transformative

Method 2: Timestamp Reference

Listen to first occurrence of each speaker, note their patterns:

• Speech style
• Topics they address
• Questions vs answers

Method 3: AI Assistance

Use ChatGPT or Claude to help identify speakers:

Prompt: "This is a transcript from a podcast with [Host] and [Guest]. 
Please add speaker labels based on context:"
[paste transcript section]

Working with Long Transcripts

Splitting by Time

Break 3-hour podcast into chunks:

# Episode Title - Part 1 (0:00 - 1:00:00)
[First hour transcript]

# Episode Title - Part 2 (1:00:00 - 2:00:00)
[Second hour transcript]

# Episode Title - Part 3 (2:00:00 - 3:00:00)
[Third hour transcript]

Splitting by Topic

Use chapter markers or create your own:

# [Episode Title]

## Introduction (0:00 - 5:30)
[Transcript section]

## Guest's Background (5:30 - 15:00)
[Transcript section]

## Topic: Artificial Intelligence (15:00 - 45:00)
[Transcript section]

## Topic: Future of Work (45:00 - 1:15:00)
[Transcript section]

Creating a Summary Document

For reference, create a summary alongside full transcript:

# [Episode Title] - Summary

## Episode Info
- Host: [Name]
- Guest: [Name]
- Date: [Date]
- Duration: [Length]

## Main Topics Discussed
1. Topic A (timestamps X-Y)
2. Topic B (timestamps X-Y)
3. Topic C (timestamps X-Y)

## Key Takeaways
- Insight 1
- Insight 2
- Insight 3

## Best Quotes
1. "Quote" - [Speaker] at [timestamp]
2. "Quote" - [Speaker] at [timestamp]

## Action Items / Recommendations
- [ ] Book mentioned
- [ ] Technique to try
- [ ] Resource to check

## Full Transcript
[Link to full transcript document]

Searching Within Podcasts

Text Search

Once you have transcripts:

• Ctrl+F in document
• Search for topics, names, or phrases
• Navigate directly to relevant sections

Building a Searchable Database

Use tools like:

• Notion database
• Google Docs + Drive search
• Local text files + grep
• Personal knowledge base apps

Common Podcast Use Cases

Research

• Find expert opinions on topics
• Gather quotes for articles
• Track discussions over time

Learning

• Study complex topics explained conversationally
• Create flashcards from key points
• Build personal knowledge base

Content Creation

• Find inspiration for your content
• Extract quotes for social media
• Create summaries or clips

Reference

• Bookmark specific timestamps
• Quickly review past episodes
• Search for mentioned resources

Transcript Accuracy for Podcasts

Expected Accuracy

Common Errors to Watch

• Names spelled wrong (especially guests)
• Technical jargon misheard
• Homophones confused
• Numbers transcribed incorrectly

Verification Tips

• Spot-check important quotes
• Verify names and proper nouns
• Listen to segments you'll reference
• Note obvious errors for context

Workflow for podcast transcripts:

1. 1.Copy episode URL
2. 2.Extract via NoteLM.ai
3. 3.Download full transcript
4. 4.Add speaker labels (optional)
5. 5.Create summary with timestamps
6. 6.Organize by show/topic

Start building your searchable podcast library today!