YouTube has long been a staple for entertainment, education, and a myriad of other content. However, among this vast sea of videos, the need for clarity, accessibility, and efficiency often arises. Have you ever struggled to understand dialogue, faced language barriers, or wished to skim through a lengthy video to find specific information? This is where YouTube transcripts become invaluable—a feature that, while often overlooked, can significantly enhance your viewing experience.

Can You Get a YouTube Video Transcript?

The answer is yes, but there are a few factors to consider. YouTube provides transcripts for numerous videos but which ones—it depends on the uploader's settings. Not all videos have transcripts readily available. But given even that, third-party tools and services can assist in generating accurate transcriptions, ensuring that valuable information stays accessible.

Why YouTube Transcripts Matter

Transcripts cater to a wide audience, providing benefits that extend beyond simple convenience. For individuals with hearing impairments, transcripts make video content fully accessible. Transcripts are also an excellent resource for those learning new languages, aiding in comprehension and practice. They allow users to quickly navigate through content, extracting essential information without watching the entire video.

Students, professionals, and researchers can cite sources and gather information efficiently using transcripts.

Now you know that YouTube transcripts aren’t as useless as many think they are, let’s see how you can get a YouTube transcript from a clip.

How to Get YouTube Transcripts

On Desktop

Choose the video.

Open YouTube in your web browser and search for the specific video you’re interested in. Ensure that closed captions are enabled.

Find the transcript.

Scroll down to the video description. In 2024, the transcript is hidden there. Click on "Show Transcript."

Copy the transcript.

You can copy the transcript to use it elsewhere. Hide timestamps by pressing "Toggle Timestamps" for easier reading.

Tip: You can use special keyboard Shortcuts:

Mac: Command + Shift + V
Windows: Ctrl + Shift + V

On Mobile

Open the YouTube app on your iOS or Android device and find the video.
Scroll down to the video description.
Tap "Show Transcript" to reveal it. Use timestamps to jump to specific parts of the video.

Note: Directly copying the transcript on mobile is not supported; you might need to switch to a desktop for this function.

What If a Video Doesn’t Have a Transcript?

If a YouTube video lacks a transcript but you still need one, you have a couple of options available. Firstly, you can reach out to the creator or uploader of the video and inquire if they could provide a transcript. Many content creators are open to sharing transcripts upon request, particularly if it supports their efforts towards content accessibility.

Alternatively, you can use third-party transcription services or software,—thankfully, there are a lot. These services allow you to upload the video file or provide a link to the video, and they'll transcribe it into text for you.

There are also online tools offering automated transcription features. These solutions leverage AI technology to transcribe audio into text. While the accuracy of these automated transcripts may vary, they can serve as a quick and convenient option for generating a preliminary transcript.

Here are a few options:

Rev: Offers professional transcription services with guaranteed accuracy and quick turnaround.
Descript: Provides automated transcription along with audio and video editing features.
Otter.ai: An AI-powered tool that offers accurate automated transcriptions and allows for searching and editing.
Happy Scribe: Uses AI to deliver fast and customizable transcriptions.

How to Download YouTube Transcripts

Another way is to download YouTube subtitles. To do that, you can use tools like 4K Video Downloader Plus. Simply install the app on your PC, copy and paste the video URL, and choose the "Subtitles" option to download the transcript as an SRT file.

1. Launch 4K Video Downloader Plus. It's available for macOS, Windows, Linux and Android.

2. Copy the link to the subtitled YouTube video you want to download.

3. Click the Paste Link button in the downloader.

4. Toggle the Subtitles section. Pick one or multiple languages from the list.

5. Select the format, quality, and output folder.

6. Click Download.

Alternatively, you can find and download YouTube videos with subtitles through the in-app browser. This way you can browse YouTube without leaving the application and download content on the spot.