YouTube transcript tool
Paste a YouTube link, get the full transcript with timestamps in seconds. Read it, copy it, search it, or export as PDF, TXT, or Markdown.
No account needed to start. Works on web, iOS, Android, and the Chrome extension.
A YouTube transcript is the full text of everything said in a video. Spoken words turn into readable, searchable, copyable text with timestamps for every line. Whether you need a YouTube transcript for studying, research, content repurposing, or accessibility, having the full text makes it easy to find what you're after without rewatching the video.
YouTube has a built-in transcript viewer, but it's limited. It only works when captions are enabled, you can't easily copy or export the text, and there's no way to search within it. VidNotes fixes all of that by giving you the full YouTube transcript in a format you can actually use, with AI features layered on top.
Copy a link to any YouTube video (standard videos, Shorts, or playlist items) and paste it into VidNotes. Works on web, iOS, Android, and the Chrome extension.
VidNotes pulls the YouTube transcript in seconds. When captions exist, results land in under 3 seconds. No captions? Whisper AI transcription kicks in on its own.
Browse the timestamped transcript, tap any timestamp to jump to that moment, copy the text, or export as PDF, TXT, or Markdown. Add AI summaries and flashcards on top.
VidNotes gives you the YouTube transcript, then turns it into structured knowledge you can study, search, and share.
The complete text of any YouTube video with precise timestamps. Tap one to jump to that exact moment.
Transcripts load in under 3 seconds when captions are available. AI transcription for videos without captions wraps up in minutes, not hours.
More than the raw transcript. Summaries organized by topic, so you can spot the key takeaways without reading the whole thing.
Turn any YouTube transcript into a study deck. VidNotes builds question-and-answer flashcards from the transcript for spaced repetition learning.
Ask questions about the transcript and get answers with timestamp citations. Find specific info without scrolling through the whole text.
Get YouTube transcripts in English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, and 25+ more languages. Mixed-language videos work too.
The three most common ways to get a YouTube transcript, side by side.
| Feature | VidNotes | YouTube built-in | Manual copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $9.99/mo or $49.99/yr | Free | Free (your time) |
| Works without captions | |||
| Copy full transcript text | |||
| Export as PDF/TXT/Markdown | |||
| Searchable transcript | |||
| Clickable timestamps | |||
| AI summaries | |||
| Flashcard generation | |||
| AI chat with transcript | |||
| Mobile app | |||
| 30+ languages |
Most YouTube transcript tools fall over when a video doesn't have captions enabled. VidNotes uses a three-tier fallback so you always get the full text:
Students and learners
Pull the YouTube transcript of any lecture or educational video, then skim the AI summary and drill with auto-generated flashcards. A 2-hour lecture becomes a 5-minute read.
Content creators
Pull the transcript from any YouTube video to study structure, repurpose into blog posts, or build show notes. Export as Markdown and drop it straight into your CMS.
Researchers and professionals
Build a searchable library of YouTube transcripts from conference talks, interviews, and webinars. Use AI chat to query across them and get cited answers with timestamps.
Start with a free trial. Upgrade when you want unlimited YouTube transcripts and the full AI feature set.
Free trial
$0
Monthly
$9.99/mo
Annual
$49.99/yr
Save 58% vs monthly
Paste any YouTube URL into VidNotes and the full transcript shows up in seconds. Use the web app at app.vidnotes.app, the iOS or Android app, or the Chrome extension. VidNotes pulls existing captions when they're there and falls back to AI transcription when they're not.
Yes. VidNotes uses a three-tier system: it first checks for existing captions, then tries an alternative caption source, then transcribes the audio with OpenAI's Whisper AI model. You always get a transcript whether captions are enabled or not.
There's a free trial so you can convert YouTube videos to transcript text before subscribing. After the trial, plans start at $9.99/month or $49.99/year for unlimited transcriptions with AI summaries, flashcards, and export features.
Yes. Once VidNotes pulls the YouTube transcript, you can copy the full text, export it as PDF, TXT, or Markdown, and share it to any app. AI-generated summaries, flashcards, and action items can be exported alongside the transcript.
30+ languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, Portuguese, Korean, and many more. Videos where speakers switch between languages work too.
YouTube's built-in transcript only works when captions are enabled, and there's no way to export, search, or process the text. VidNotes gives you the full transcript even without captions, plus AI summaries, flashcards, action items, AI chat, and export to PDF/TXT/Markdown.
If you just want to go straight from YouTube to transcript with no extra steps, that's the dedicated page for it. For AI summaries instead of full text, try the YouTube video summarizer.
No account needed. Paste a YouTube link and get the full transcript in seconds.