How to Get a Transcript of a YouTube Video (Free Ways + AI)
Whether you are taking notes from a lecture, quoting an interview, or just want to skim a long video before watching, a YouTube video transcript saves time. Here are three ways to get one, including what to do when the video has no captions at all.
1. YouTube’s built-in transcript (free, desktop and mobile)
If the video has captions, uploaded or auto-generated, YouTube already has a transcript:
On desktop
- Open the video and expand the description under the title.
- Scroll to the bottom of the description and click Show transcript.
- The transcript appears on the right with timestamps. Use the ⋮ menu to toggle timestamps on or off, then select and copy the text.
On the mobile app
- Tap the video title to expand the description.
- Scroll down and tap Show transcript.
Limits: it only exists when captions exist, auto-generated captions can be inaccurate for accents, technical terms and languages other than English, and there is no export button, so you copy and paste.
2. Transcript for a video without captions (AI speech recognition)
When a creator did not upload captions and YouTube did not auto-generate them, the transcript panel is missing. The way around it is speech recognition: software listens to the audio and writes the text itself.
TranslateTube does this as part of translation. Turn on subtitles in the Chrome extension or the Android app and the video’s speech is recognized and shown as text as it plays, whether or not the video has CC. If you set the target language to the same language as the video, you get the original transcript; set it to another language and you get a translated one.
3. A translated transcript in your language
Often the real goal is not the transcript in the original language but the text in yours. Two options:
- YouTube transcript + a translator: copy the transcript from step 1 and paste it into a translation tool. Works for short videos, tedious for long ones.
- Translated subtitles while watching: TranslateTube shows subtitles in the language you choose, generated from the recognized speech, so you can read along or take notes without copying anything. Add AI voice dubbing if you would rather listen; see how to translate YouTube videos to English.
Which one should you use?
| You need | Use |
|---|---|
| Quick copy of an English video with captions | YouTube’s transcript panel |
| A video with no captions | Speech recognition (TranslateTube subtitles) |
| Text in another language | Translated subtitles or transcript + translator |
| To listen instead of read | AI dubbing |
Frequently asked questions
Is the YouTube transcript free? Yes, when the video has captions. The panel is part of YouTube.
Why does a video have no transcript? Either the creator disabled captions, or YouTube could not auto-generate them for that language or audio quality.
Can I get a transcript of a live stream? Not with TranslateTube; it works with uploaded videos.
Related: Best YouTube transcript generators compared.
Try it now: translate any YouTube video with AI dubbing and subtitles — Chrome extension or Android app. One subscription works in both.
Tips and updates: follow TranslateTube on Telegram for short guides on translating and dubbing YouTube videos.