YouTube · Shorts, Lives, long-form

Free YouTube Transcript Generator — any video to text in 12s.

Paste any YouTube URL and get a frame-accurate, timestamped transcript in about twelve seconds — then summarize it, translate to 40 languages, or turn it into a thread.

No signup to try Free for 3 videos / month SRT · VTT · TXT · PDF

2.4M

Videos transcribed

41K

Active creators

98.7%

Accuracy benchmark

12s

Median turnaround

transcriptmagic.com/result/yo-7f2a

How to edit like a Netflix editor — MKBHD

Transcript Summary Repurpose

00:00:04 The secret to good editing isn't the cuts. It's what you don't show the viewer.

00:00:11 Most creators pad their timeline. They're terrified of losing attention so they shove in B-roll every two seconds.

00:00:19 Netflix editors do the opposite. They trust silence. They trust the face.

00:00:26 Cut your next video to 65% of its length without adding anything back.

Copied · transcript .srt .vtt .pdf .txt

What you get

Every format your editor expects.

Paste a URL — we handle the audio, the timestamps, and the export formats.

Instant results

Twelve seconds median, from paste to deliverable. Works on Shorts, long-form, and live replays.

Frame-accurate timestamps

Word-level timing ready for Premiere, Final Cut, or DaVinci — no re-aligning after the fact.

Every format

Export SRT, VTT, TXT, PDF, or JSON. Copy to clipboard in one click.

Workflow

From paste to export in three steps.

Paste, transcribe, export. First run is free — no signup to try.

Copy the YouTube URL

Copy the link to any YouTube video, Short, or completed live replay from your browser or the Share button.

Paste it into TranscriptMagic

Paste the URL into the box at the top of the page and click Transcribe. No signup or credit card is needed to start.

Copy or download the transcript

You get the full timestamped transcript in about twelve seconds — copy it, or export as SRT, VTT, TXT, or PDF. You can also summarize or translate it in the same tab.

Beyond the transcript

One URL. Every output you need.

Summarize, translate to 40 languages, or repurpose into eight content formats — same paste.

Download videos

Save the source clip in SD or HD right next to the transcript.

AI summaries

Two-sentence TL;DR plus chapter timestamps for show notes.

40-language translation

Keeps cue windows intact — your Spanish SRT drops straight in.

Repurpose to 8 formats

Threads, LinkedIn, blog drafts, newsletters — brand voice preserved.

Who this is for

Built for creators and editors.

Creators writing subtitles for their own uploads

Editors pulling quotes from interview footage

Students transcribing lectures and keynotes

Marketers turning a podcast into a blog post

Researchers indexing long-form for search

Translators delivering multi-language SRT packs

Deep dive

How our YouTube transcript generator works.

Built for creators, editors, and teams who need a reliable transcript for every kind of YouTube content — from a 30-second Short to a four-hour live replay.

Works with every YouTube URL format

Standard youtube.com/watch?v=…, vertical youtube.com/shorts/…, the youtu.be/… share format, and m.youtube.com mobile links all work — paste them as-is. Live replays are supported as soon as the captions track is published. Unlisted videos work with the full URL; private and members-only videos cannot be transcribed.

Frame-accurate timestamps for editors

Every line includes start and end times in milliseconds plus a human-readable timestamp, ready to drop into Premiere, Final Cut, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut, or any other NLE. SRT and VTT exports keep cue windows intact, so subtitle tracks burn in cleanly without re-aligning. YouTube is the only major platform we support that returns per-line timestamps natively — Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook return plain text only.

Auto-captions vs. manual captions

When the creator has uploaded a manual caption track, accuracy is essentially 100% — we serve those verbatim. When only YouTube auto-captions are available, accuracy matches YouTube's own ASR: very strong on clear speech, weaker on heavy background music or overlapping voices. The transcript metadata tells you which track was returned, and lists every available language so you can pick the source you want.

Repurpose with AI in the same tab

Once the transcript is generated you can summarize it in two sentences, translate it into 40+ languages, or turn it into a Twitter thread, LinkedIn post, blog draft, newsletter, Reddit post, or YouTube description — without leaving the page. The AI keeps your tone of voice and works from the full transcript, not a summary, so quotes are preserved exactly.

How to transcribe a YouTube video

Paste any YouTube link — a Short, a long-form upload, or a live replay — and TranscriptMagic transcribes the whole video into timestamped text you can copy, export as SRT, summarize, or translate. No download, no Chrome extension, and no signup to start: it's the fastest way to transcribe a YouTube video to text.

FAQ

YouTube transcript questions we get a lot.

How do I get a transcript from a YouTube video?

Copy the YouTube URL, paste it into the box at the top of this page, and click Transcribe. You get a full timestamped transcript in about twelve seconds — no signup needed for your first videos.

Does this work on YouTube Shorts and live replays?

Yes. Any public YouTube URL works — Shorts (youtube.com/shorts/…), long-form videos, completed live replays, and youtu.be share links are all accepted automatically.

Is the YouTube transcript generator free?

Your first videos are free with no signup or credit card. After that, paid plans start at a few dollars a month for the volumes most creators need. See the credits page for current pricing.

What formats can I download the transcript in?

SRT, VTT, TXT, PDF, or JSON. SRT and VTT keep frame-accurate cue windows for subtitle workflows; TXT and PDF are best for repurposing or archiving; JSON is best for downstream tools.

Does it work on age-restricted or private videos?

Unlisted videos work with the full URL. Age-restricted videos that require sign-in to view, private uploads, and members-only content cannot be transcribed — only publicly viewable captions can be fetched.

How accurate are the transcripts?

When the creator has uploaded manual captions, accuracy is essentially 100%. When only auto-captions exist, accuracy matches YouTube's own ASR — very good on clear speech, weaker on heavy background music.

Can I translate the transcript?

Yes — translate any YouTube video into 39 languages in one click, including Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, and Arabic. SRT translations preserve the original cue timing.

Is there an API for YouTube transcripts?

Yes — see the YouTube Transcript API for REST access with per-line timestamps, or the YouTube MCP server if you want Claude, ChatGPT, or Cursor to fetch transcripts directly inside chats.

How do I transcribe a YouTube video?

Paste the YouTube URL into the box at the top of this page and click Transcribe — you get the full spoken text with timestamps in about twelve seconds. Works on Shorts, long-form, and live replays, no signup needed to start.

Is this a YouTube transcript extractor too?

Yes — TranscriptMagic works as a YouTube transcript extractor: paste a URL and it pulls the full spoken text out of any public video so you can copy it or export as SRT, VTT, TXT, or PDF. Nothing to install, no signup to start.

What's the difference between a transcript, subtitles, and closed captions?

A transcript is the full spoken text of the video, as flowing text or timestamped lines. Subtitles are that text split into short, timed on-screen cues (SRT or VTT) meant to be read while watching. Closed captions (CC) are subtitles that also note non-speech audio like [music] or [applause]. You get the transcript here and can export subtitle files (SRT/VTT) from the same paste.

Is there a limit on how long the video can be?

No practical limit for most creators — Shorts, standard uploads, and multi-hour live replays all work. Longer videos simply take a little more time and use proportionally more credits. Your first videos are free to try.

Can I edit the transcript after it's generated?

Yes. The transcript is fully selectable text — copy it into any editor, or export to TXT, SRT, or VTT and edit there. You can also translate it or rewrite it into a thread, blog post, or summary right on the results page.

“I used to pay $90/mo for Descript just for YouTube transcripts. TranscriptMagic does it in twelve seconds and produces a full Twitter thread by the time my coffee's cold.”

Jess Lawrence

Creator · 340k YouTube subs

Paste a URL — accurate transcript in seconds.

Your first YouTube transcripts are on us. No credit card required.

Transcribe a YouTube video