Free YouTube transcript generator
Paste a public video link. We read the caption track YouTube already has. TXT and SRT free. No account.
Free · no account for first transcript · Timestamped text · TXT / SRT · Public / unlisted only
Open transcript generator — dedicated page with formats and limits.
One link in. Whatever you actually needed, out.
Every tool is its own page, free on the first run, and none of them ask you to sign up first.
Three steps, and the first one is the only one you have to think about.
Paste a link
Watch, Shorts, youtu.be, embed, mobile share: every URL format resolves to the same video.
Pick a format
TXT or SRT free, VTT, Markdown and JSON on Pro. Switching format re-exports instantly, no second run.
Copy or download
Both stay reachable while you read. Nothing is stored on our side once you have it.
The caption track, formatted for work.
Timestamped transcript
Every cue keeps its start time. Toggle timestamps off for reading copy, or leave them on for quotes and notes.
Copy or download
TXT and SRT are free. Switch format without running the extract again.
Pro exports
VTT, Markdown, and JSON when you need player files or a structured handoff to another tool.
Caption track in, text out. Nothing else is promised.
Works
Public and unlisted videos with a caption track — auto-generated or uploaded. Watch, Shorts, youtu.be, embed, and mobile share links all resolve.
Fails plainly
Private and members-only videos return nothing. No track means a clear miss, not invented speech.
Short clips
Music-only uploads and very short Shorts often have no track. The tool tells you instead of shipping an empty file.
Same track. Easier to search, copy, and export.
The watch-page transcript drawer scrolls inside YouTube. Pasting here gives you selectable text, SRT with in and out times, and a path to AI tools on the same page — without fighting the panel or screenshotting lines.
For a dedicated page with formats and limits spelled out next to the paste box, use the YouTube transcript generator. Need the timed file instead of reading copy? Try the subtitle downloader.
Free for the thing you came here for.
Transcripts are unlimited and free, with no account and no daily cap. You only pay for the AI tools, and only for what you run.
- Unlimited transcripts, no account needed
- TXT, SRT and PDF exports
- Every language the video has a track in
- VTT, Markdown and JSON exports
- Bulk playlist and channel export
- Saved history and collections
- Everything in Pro
- The best rate we do, $0.0043 a credit
- Same price whether you use text, images or voice
Questions, answered.
Is YouTube transcript free here?
Yes. Reading copy and downloads in TXT and SRT are free. The first transcript each day is complete without an account. Pro adds VTT, Markdown, JSON, and batch tools on top of the same caption track.
Do I need an account?
No for the first transcript. Sign in when you want saved history, collections, or Pro formats. The extract itself does not require Google or YouTube login.
Can I get SRT or timestamps?
Yes. SRT is free with correct in and out times. TXT is free with or without timestamps shown. Toggle timestamps on the result before you copy or download.
Do Shorts, youtu.be, and embed links work?
Yes. Watch, Shorts, youtu.be, embed, and mobile share URLs all resolve to the same video id. A Short with no caption track still returns a clear miss.
Does this work on private videos?
No. YouTubeScribe reads the same caption track your browser would receive, so a video has to be public or unlisted. Private and members-only videos return nothing, and no workaround is offered.
What if the video has no captions?
Then there is no transcript to extract. YouTube generates captions automatically for most uploads, but not all. Very short clips, music, and some languages get skipped. The tool says so plainly instead of returning an empty file.
Is there a length limit?
No hard cap. A three-hour video takes around twelve seconds and reports its progress in real cue counts while it runs. Playlists and whole channels are batched on Pro.
Which languages are supported?
125, wherever the video has a track in that language. Auto-generated and creator-uploaded tracks both work, and the language dropdown lists only the tracks the video actually has.
Can I download subtitles as SRT?
Yes, free, with correct in and out times. TXT and PDF are free too. VTT is a paid format because it is mostly used by teams shipping players. SRT covers everything else.
Do you store my transcripts?
Not unless you ask. Without an account the extraction happens in real time and the text goes straight to your browser, never to a database. A free account adds saved history and collections, and you can clear either at any time.
What does AI agent powered mean?
The scribe reads a caption track YouTube already has. It does not invent speech when there is no track. After the text is on the page, you can hand it to the same agent to summarise, rewrite, or answer a question about it.
What is an AI credit?
Transcripts never cost credits. Credits pay for the AI tools only, and each action costs what it costs us to run: 12 credits for a summary of a short video, 20 for a thumbnail. The price shows on the button before you spend it, and a run that fails is never charged. Your monthly allowance resets on the 1st. Credits you buy on top never expire.
One link is all it ever takes.
- No account
- Nothing stored
- 125 languages