YouTube video → text
Convert a YouTube video to text
Conversion here means the spoken track becomes plain text you can read, search, and paste. You do not get a new video file, and you do not get burned-in captions. The source is the public caption track on that video.
How to convert a YouTube video to text
Copy the video link
The watch URL is enough. Shorts and youtu.be links work the same way.
Paste and convert
Submit the form. The text opens as lines with timestamps, next to the player.
Take the text with you
Copy plain text into notes, or download TXT or Markdown. Use SRT only if you needed a subtitle file instead.
Text, not another video file
A document
Lectures, interviews, and explainers are easier to scan as text when you already know the claim you need.
Search inside the video
Find a name or a phrase, then click the line to hear it.
Paste into what you already use
Notes, a doc, or a model you pay for. The conversion step stops at the caption text.
Honest about the source
We convert captions to text. We do not listen to the audio and write a fresh transcript on our servers.
Conversions this page is for
Meeting-style recap
Turn a long upload into text, skip the intro, copy the rest.
Quote with a timestamp
Convert, search the phrase, copy Markdown so the quote still points at the video.
Feed another tool
Some apps want a transcript pasted in. This page is that paste.
Limits
Videos with no public captions cannot be converted here. On-screen text that was never spoken is not included. Private and age-restricted videos usually fail.
FAQ
Will this convert the video file itself?
No. You get the caption text. Audio and subtitle downloads are separate tools.
Is the text the full script?
It is the caption track, which usually follows the speech. Auto-captions can miss names and jargon.
Can I convert a Short?
Yes, when that Short has public captions.
Do timestamps survive the conversion?
On the page, yes. Copy with timestamps or download Markdown if you want them in the file. Plain copy is text only.
Is it free?
Yes. No account. Ads may appear around the tool.