Transcribe YouTube Videos
Paste a YouTube link and get an accurate, timestamped transcript in seconds.
99 languages, export to TXT, DOCX, SRT or VTT. No download needed.
The link must be publicly accessible.
Transcribe a YouTube video in three steps
No downloading, no screen recording — paste the link and SlayScribe fetches the audio and transcribes it for you.
- Step 1
Paste the YouTube link
Copy the video URL and paste it into the box. You don't need to download the video or install anything.
- Step 2
We fetch and transcribe it
The audio is pulled from the link and converted to punctuated, timestamped text. The spoken language is detected automatically.
- Step 3
Export text or captions
Read and edit the transcript, then export to TXT, DOCX, PDF, or SRT / VTT subtitles you can upload back to YouTube.
What creators and researchers use it for
A YouTube transcript is the fastest way to repurpose a video, caption it, or study what was said.
Repurpose content
Pull the full transcript of a video so you have the words to quote, edit, and reuse.
Add subtitles
Export SRT or VTT and upload your own accurate captions instead of relying on auto-generated ones.
Research & notes
Capture the text of tutorials, talks, and interviews to search and quote later.
Translate & localise
Transcribe in the original language, then translate the text to reach a wider audience.
Podcasts on YouTube
Get show notes and a searchable transcript from a podcast published as a video.
Fast and link-based
No download, no file wrangling — paste the URL and the transcript comes back.
Why transcribe a YouTube video
YouTube's auto-captions are often inaccurate, unpunctuated, and hard to export. SlayScribe transcribes straight from the link with OpenAI Whisper, returning clean, punctuated, timestamped text in 99 languages — ready to repurpose into articles and posts or to upload back as proper subtitles. Paste a link and skip the downloading, the screen recording, and the manual cleanup.
What a pasted link can and cannot be
- Platforms accepted
- YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Vimeo, Facebook, X, Telegram, plus Dropbox and Google Drive file links
- What is fetched
- The audio only — the video itself is never downloaded to your device
- Not supported
- Private videos, anything behind a login, and links that need an account to open
- Your own upload still works
- If a link is blocked, downloading the file yourself and uploading it transcribes normally
- Output
- The same timestamped transcript and SRT / VTT export you get from a file
- Nothing to install
- No downloader, no browser extension, no desktop app
Frequently asked questions
How do I transcribe a YouTube video?
Paste the video's link into the box. SlayScribe fetches the audio and returns a timestamped transcript — no download required.
Do I need to download the video?
No. Just paste the public link; the audio is fetched and transcribed for you.
Can I get subtitles for YouTube?
Yes — export SRT or VTT and upload them as your own captions for better accuracy and reach.
Is it more accurate than auto-captions?
Usually, yes. The transcript comes from OpenAI Whisper with punctuation added, and you can edit it before exporting.
Does it work with other platforms?
Yes — TikTok, Instagram, Vimeo and other public links work too.
Does transcribing a YouTube video cost anything?
Transcribing a YouTube video is free within a monthly minutes allowance; Pro adds long videos and unlimited transcriptions.
Long recordings and big files?
Go Pro to transcribe hours of audio and video, with more monthly minutes and unlimited uploads — accurate text in 99 languages.
See Pro plans