YouTube Transcript Generator
A free YouTube transcript generator, no sign-up. Paste a YouTube link and get the full transcript with timestamps. It uses the video's own captions, so even a long video is instant, and listens to the sound when there are none.
Upload your file to get started. No account needed.
How it works
- 01
Copy the YouTube link
A normal video, a youtu.be link or a Short all work. The video must be public or unlisted.
- 02
Paste it and press Get transcript
We read the captions, or the sound when there are none. Most videos are done in a few seconds.
- 03
Copy, download or reuse
Copy it, save it as text or subtitles, or add a summary, five hooks or a post with one click.
What you get
Captions first, so it is instant
If the video has captions, manual or automatic, we use them. That is free, takes a second and works for videos of any length.
Listens when there are none
If a short video has no captions, the sound is turned into text with the Whisper model. That works up to 3 minutes.
Timestamps, SRT and VTT
Every line has its time. Copy the text or download .txt, .srt or .vtt for editing, subtitles or notes.
Who it's for
Students and researchers
Search a lecture or an interview for the one part you need, and quote it with its time.
Creators
Repurpose your own videos into posts, or study how a top video in your niche is paced.
Editors
Download an SRT of a video you have the rights to and start from real subtitles.
Ideas and uses
What the example shows
The example above is the real output of this tool for a 15 second ad made with Ziztu: a line for each phrase, with the time it starts. A YouTube video with captions returns its caption lines the same way, so a one hour talk becomes a searchable page of text in a second.
Captions or speech to text: which one you get
YouTube shows captions for most videos: the ones the creator wrote, or automatic ones. When they exist we use them. It is free for us and for you, it works for videos of any length, and the text is as good as the captions are. Automatic captions can have mistakes in names and jargon.
When a video has no captions at all, we download the smallest copy of its sound, read it with the Whisper large-v3 model and delete it. That is limited to videos up to 3 minutes and to 5 a day without an account. Live streams are not supported until they end.
Under the transcript are three more free steps. Summary gives the main point and the key points. 5 hooks writes five opening lines for a new video on the same topic, from five different angles. A post writes a caption you can post. Each one reads only the text you got, and each is free.
The last step is for a different kind of video. Turn this into a micro drama or anime script writes a short story idea from the topic and opens it in the free AI script writer or anime script generator. From there the same idea can become a real episode in the Ziztu studio.
More free transcript tools
The same tool for other sites: Instagram Reel transcript generator, TikTok transcript generator and Twitter (X) video transcript generator. To plan a video of your own, use the YouTube script generator.
Frequently asked questions
Is this YouTube transcript generator free?
Yes, with no sign-up. Videos that have captions are free and unlimited in practice. When a video has none, the sound is turned into text: 5 of those a day without an account, 20 with a free one.
How do I get the transcript of a YouTube video?
Copy the video link from the address bar or the Share button, paste it above and press Get transcript. The lines appear with their times. Use Copy, or Download for .txt, .srt and .vtt.
Can I get a transcript with timestamps?
Yes. Every line starts with the time it is said. Switch Times off for a plain block of text, or download the .srt or .vtt file, which carry the times for subtitle editors.
Does it work on YouTube Shorts?
Yes. Paste the Shorts link as it is.
How long can the video be?
A video with captions can be several hours long. A video without captions is read from its sound, which works up to 3 minutes.
Why does a video say it cannot be read?
Private and age-restricted videos need a login, and a deleted video has nothing to read. YouTube also sometimes refuses automated requests from servers. When that happens the message says so: try again in a few minutes.
Which languages work?
Captions come back in the language of the video. Speech to text recognizes the language by itself and works for many of them, including English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Hindi, Japanese and Arabic.
Can I use a transcript of someone else's video?
A transcript is the creator's own words, so treat it like any other copy of their work. Use it to read, search, take notes, make captions for a video you have the right to, or study how a good video is built. Do not republish it as your own. If you reuse the ideas, say where they came from.
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New accounts also get 400 free trial credits for the video tools. No credit card required.