YouTube Transcript Generator
Extract subtitles and transcripts from any YouTube video instantly. Download in SRT, VTT, TXT formats with support for 100+ languages.
Last updated: January 2026 • Direct extraction from YouTube
Key Takeaways: YouTube Transcript Generator
NoteLM.ai|YouTube Transcript GeneratorNo Video Loaded
Paste a YouTube URL above to generate transcripts
Ready to Generate
Enter a YouTube URL above to generate subtitles, transcripts, and captions in any language.
How to Get YouTube Transcript
Follow these simple steps to extract transcripts and download subtitles from any YouTube video.
Copy YouTube URL
Copy the video or playlist URL from YouTube. Works with regular videos, Shorts, and live recordings.
Generate Transcript
Paste the URL into our generator and click "Generate Transcript" to extract all available subtitles.
Select Language
Choose from manual subtitles, auto-captions, or translated versions in 100+ languages.
Download or Copy
Export as TXT, SRT, VTT, or other formats. Copy text or share timestamped links.
YouTube Subtitle Format Comparison
Choose the best format for your use case. All formats include accurate timestamps.
📊 Subtitle Format Comparison Table
| Format | Best For | Timestamps | Compatible With |
|---|---|---|---|
| .txt | Reading, studying, text analysis | Optional | All text editors, Word, Google Docs |
| .srt | Video editing, most popular format | Yes | Premiere Pro, DaVinci, Final Cut, VLC |
| .vtt | HTML5 video, web applications | Yes | HTML5 <video>, browsers, web players |
| .md | Documentation, notes, blogs | Yes | Notion, Obsidian, GitHub, any MD editor |
| .ttml | Broadcast, streaming services | Yes | Netflix, Amazon, broadcast systems |
| .json3 | Development, YouTube native format | Yes | YouTube API, custom applications |
Everything You Need for YouTube Transcripts
Generate, download, search, and export YouTube subtitles with our comprehensive toolkit.
Manual Subtitles
Download creator-uploaded subtitles with full accuracy. These are typically 100% accurate and professionally transcribed.
Auto-generated Captions
Access YouTube's speech recognition captions (ASR) even when manual subtitles aren't available. 85-95% accuracy for clear speech.
100+ Languages
Get translated subtitles in over 100 languages. Supports all YouTube-supported languages including regional variants.
9 Export Formats
Export as TXT, MD, SRT, VTT, TTML, JSON3, SRV1, SRV2, SRV3 - compatible with all major video editors and platforms.
Transcript Search
Search within transcripts to find specific words or phrases. Click timestamps to jump to that exact moment in the video.
Playlist Support
Batch process YouTube playlists up to 10 videos. Download all transcripts as a single organized ZIP file.
Who Uses YouTube Transcript Generator?
Discover how different professionals use our tool for their work.
🎓 Students & Educators
- • Convert lecture videos to searchable notes
- • Create study materials from educational content
- • Translate foreign language lectures
- • Reference specific timestamps for citations
📹 Content Creators
- • Repurpose video content into blog posts
- • Create social media snippets with quotes
- • Generate subtitles for video accessibility
- • Analyze competitor video content
🔬 Researchers & Journalists
- • Conduct content analysis on video data
- • Fact-check statements with timestamps
- • Extract quotes for articles and papers
- • Archive video content as text records
📊 SEO & Marketing
- • Research keywords from top-ranking videos
- • Analyze competitor content strategies
- • Extract video content for blog posts
- • Create transcripts for video SEO
💼 Business & Training
- • Create documentation from training videos
- • Generate meeting notes from recordings
- • Build searchable knowledge bases
- • Translate content for global teams
♿ Accessibility
- • Create text versions for hearing impaired
- • Add subtitles to videos without captions
- • Enable screen reader compatibility
- • Improve content accessibility compliance
Frequently Asked Questions About YouTube Transcripts
Everything you need to know about extracting, downloading, and using YouTube video transcripts.
What is a YouTube transcript?
A YouTube transcript is a text version of all spoken words in a video, including timestamps. It can be either manually uploaded by creators or auto-generated by YouTube's speech recognition. Transcripts make videos searchable, accessible, and easy to quote or study.
How do I get the transcript of a YouTube video?
To get a YouTube transcript: 1) Copy the video URL from YouTube, 2) Paste it into our transcript generator above, 3) Click "Generate Transcript", 4) Select your preferred language, 5) View, search, copy, or download in your preferred format (SRT, VTT, TXT). The whole process takes seconds.
What is the difference between subtitles, captions, and transcripts?
Subtitles are timed text displayed over video for translation. Captions (CC) include sound descriptions for accessibility. Transcripts are the full text extracted from captions. Our tool generates transcripts from YouTube's subtitle/caption data, giving you a complete text document with or without timestamps.
What subtitle formats can I download?
We support 9 formats: TXT (plain text), MD (Markdown with timestamps), SRT (SubRip - most compatible), VTT (WebVTT for HTML5), TTML (broadcast standard), JSON3 (YouTube native), and SRV1/SRV2/SRV3 (YouTube internal). SRT and VTT work with Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and most video editors.
How do I download YouTube subtitles as SRT?
To download YouTube subtitles as SRT: paste your video URL, click "Generate Transcript", then click the Export dropdown and select "SRT". The file downloads instantly with proper timestamps in the standard SubRip format (00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,000).
Can I convert YouTube subtitles to plain text?
Yes! Our tool converts YouTube subtitles to plain text automatically. After generating the transcript, click Export and select TXT format. You'll get a clean text file with just the spoken words, perfect for reading, studying, or text analysis.
Can I get auto-generated YouTube captions?
Yes! We extract both manual subtitles (uploaded by creators) and auto-generated captions (ASR - Automatic Speech Recognition). Auto-captions are available for most videos and appear with an "[auto]" label in our language selector. They're typically 85-95% accurate for clear English speech.
How many languages does the transcript generator support?
We support 100+ languages including all YouTube-supported languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), Arabic, Hindi, and many more. If a video has translations enabled, you can download transcripts in any available language.
Can I get translated transcripts?
Yes! When a video has auto-translate enabled, you can get transcripts in 100+ languages. YouTube automatically translates the original captions. Select your desired language from our dropdown - auto-translated options show in the "AUTO" section.
Can I search within a YouTube transcript?
Absolutely! Our tool includes built-in transcript search. Type any word or phrase in the search box, and matching segments are highlighted instantly. Click any timestamp to jump to that exact moment in the YouTube video - perfect for finding specific quotes or topics.
Can I click timestamps to jump to YouTube?
Yes! Every timestamp in the transcript is clickable. Click any timestamp to open YouTube at that exact moment. You can also copy timestamped links (e.g., youtu.be/VIDEO?t=123) to share specific moments from videos with others.
Does this work with YouTube playlists?
Yes! Paste any YouTube playlist URL to extract transcripts from multiple videos at once. We support batch processing up to 10 videos per playlist. After processing, download all transcripts as a single organized ZIP file.
Can I download multiple transcripts at once?
Yes, use our batch download feature for playlists. After processing a playlist, click "Download All as ZIP" to get all transcripts in one file. Each video's transcript is named with the video title for easy organization.
Which YouTube videos are supported?
Our tool works with any public YouTube video that has subtitles/captions enabled, including: regular videos, YouTube Shorts, live stream recordings, and premiere replays. Private videos, age-restricted content, and member-only videos have limited support.
Does this work with YouTube Shorts?
Yes! Just paste any YouTube Shorts URL and we'll extract the transcript. Shorts use the same subtitle system as regular videos. Auto-generated captions are usually available within 24-48 hours of upload.
Is this YouTube transcript generator free?
Yes, 100% free with no hidden costs! No signup, no API keys, no credit card, and no download limits. We built this for students, content creators, researchers, journalists, and anyone who needs YouTube transcripts for studying, accessibility, or content repurposing.
Why does a video show "No subtitles available"?
Some videos don't have subtitles because: 1) Creator hasn't uploaded captions, 2) YouTube hasn't auto-generated them yet (wait 24-48 hours for new uploads), 3) Audio is unclear or music-only, 4) Creator intentionally disabled captions, 5) Video is private or restricted.
How accurate are YouTube auto-generated transcripts?
Auto-generated transcripts are typically 85-95% accurate for clear English speech. Accuracy depends on audio quality, accents, background noise, speaking speed, and technical terminology. Manual subtitles (uploaded by creators) are usually more accurate. We label auto-generated vs manual in our interface.
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