Free YouTube Transcript Generator

Paste a YouTube link and get the full transcript in seconds. Copy it with timestamps or download it as TXT or SRT.

How to get a YouTube transcript

1. Paste the video link

Copy the link from the address bar or the Share button on YouTube and paste it in the box above.

2. Pick a language

If the video has captions in more than one language, choose the one you want to read.

3. Copy or download

Copy the text with or without timestamps, or download it as a TXT, SRT or VTT file.

Transcript features

Timestamps that link back

Every line has its time. Click it to open the video at that moment.

Search the transcript

Type a word to see only the lines that mention it, with the word highlighted.

Copy in one click

Copy the whole transcript, with timestamps or as plain text.

TXT, SRT and VTT files

Download plain text for notes, or subtitle files for video editors and players.

Caption languages

Switch between the caption languages the video comes with.

Works on any device

No app and no extension. It runs in your browser on a phone or a computer.

Turn the transcript into notes, flashcards and quizzes

Gistr helps you learn, research and teach any topic.

Add the video to gistr to get notes with timestamps, ask questions about what was said, and make flashcards and quizzes to test yourself. Keep PDFs, articles and podcasts on the same topic next to it.

Who uses YouTube transcripts

Students

Read a lecture instead of watching it again. Find the part you missed and quote it in your notes.

Researchers

Pull quotes from interviews and talks, with the exact time to cite.

Teachers

Turn a video into a reading handout, or write questions from what was said.

Creators

Get subtitle files for your own videos, or reuse what you said in a post or newsletter.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. The tool is free to use. There is a fair-use limit per hour so it stays fast for everyone. Sign up for gistr if you need more.

Copy the video link from YouTube, paste it in the box at the top of this page and press Get transcript. The text shows up in a few seconds, ready to copy or download.

Yes. You can download a TXT file, an SRT subtitle file or a VTT subtitle file. The files are made in your browser.

Yes. Timestamps are on by default, and each one links to that moment in the video. Turn them off to copy plain text.

The free tool shows the caption languages the video already has. To translate a transcript into another language, open the video in gistr after a free sign-up.

The free tool reads the captions that come with the video. If a video has no captions, gistr can transcribe the audio for you after a free sign-up.

It is the same text as the video captions. Captions written by the creator are usually accurate. Auto-generated captions can get names, technical words and punctuation wrong.

There is no fixed limit, so long lectures and podcasts work. Very long transcripts show in parts on the page, but copy and download always include the full text.

Shorts work: paste the Shorts link like any other video. Playlists are not supported in the free tool, but you can add a whole playlist in gistr.

No. The tool only works with public videos. Private, removed and age-restricted videos cannot be read.

No. You can get, copy and download transcripts without an account. Sign up only if you want to save the video and make notes in gistr.

Using a transcript for personal study, notes and research is generally fine. The words still belong to the creator, so credit them when you quote and ask before you republish a transcript.

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