YouTube Transcript Generator
Paste a YouTube link to get the full transcript with timestamps. It opens next to the video in YouMind, where you can translate it, download it and ask questions about the video.
What you'll get
An example of the transcript panel in YouMind. Your video's transcript appears there after you paste a link.
- Today I'm planning a whole week of videos in one afternoon.
- First, I write down every idea, even the small ones.
- Then I pick the three my viewers ask about most.
- For each one, I write the hook before anything else.
- If the hook doesn't work in one sentence, the video isn't ready.
- Next, I outline the middle in three short parts.
- Last, I make the thumbnails together so they look like a series.
What you get
A transcript you can work with, not just read
Timestamps that jump to the moment
Every line keeps its timestamp. Select one to play the video from there, or turn on auto scroll to follow along as it plays.
Line view or chapter view
Read caption by caption, or switch to chapter view, where AI adds punctuation, splits the text into paragraphs and labels each speaker.
Translate, save or download
Show a translation under each line, save the transcript as a document in your board, or download it as a TXT file with timestamps.
Where the text comes from
Captions first, AI when there are none
The transcript is built from the video's own captions, so it's usually ready within seconds of saving the video.
- Creator captions
- Written or uploaded by the creator. Usually the closest to word for word.
- Automatic captions
- Made by YouTube from the audio. Good for reading and searching, but names, numbers and technical terms can be wrong.
- No captions
- On a Pro or Max plan, YouMind can transcribe the audio with AI, for videos up to two hours long.
After you have the text
What people do with a YouTube transcript
- Study a lecture or tutorial
Keep the transcript next to the video, jump back to the parts that matter and keep your notes in the same board.
- Ask questions about the video
Ask YouMind to summarize it, find where a topic comes up or explain a part you missed.
- Turn a video into an article
Use the YouTube video to article tool to rewrite what was said as a structured blog post.
- Quote it accurately
Find the exact words and the moment they were said before you quote or cite a video.
A transcript is the creator's words. Link to the video when you quote it, and ask the creator before you republish it.
How it works
Get a YouTube transcript in three steps
Copy the video link
On YouTube, select Share and copy the link, or copy the address from your browser.
Paste it here
Select Get transcript. If you don't have a YouMind account yet, you'll create a free one first.
Read, translate or download
The video is saved to your board with its transcript beside it. Switch views, translate it or download it as a TXT file.
On YouTube
How to open a transcript on YouTube
YouTube can show the transcript of any video that has captions, right on the watch page.
- Open the video and expand its description.
- Select Show transcript in the description.
- Select any line to jump to that part of the video.
YouTube doesn't let you download the transcript of someone else's video. For your own videos, open Subtitles in YouTube Studio, select the video, select Edit next to the language, then choose Options and Download subtitles.
Sources: YouTube Help: View video transcripts, YouTube Help: Edit or remove captions.
YouTube transcript FAQ
Is this YouTube transcript generator free?
Yes. Create a free YouMind account, paste a link and the transcript opens in your board. Free accounts can keep a limited number of files, and each video counts as one. Paid plans have no file limit.
What if the video has no captions?
Then there's no transcript to fetch. On a Pro or Max plan, YouMind can transcribe the audio with AI for videos up to two hours long. If you already have a caption file, you can upload it as an SRT file instead.
Which languages does it support?
The transcript comes in the language of the video's captions. To read it in another language, select Translate in YouMind to show a translation under each line.
Can I download the transcript?
Yes. In YouMind, select Download to save it as a TXT file with timestamps. If you've translated it, the translation is included. You can also save it as a document in your board.
Does it work with YouTube Shorts?
Yes. Paste a Shorts link the same way as any other video. Some Shorts are mostly music or have very little speech, so they may not have captions.
Can I get the transcript of a private or members-only video?
No. It only works with videos anyone can watch. Private and members-only videos can't be read.
How accurate is the transcript?
It's as accurate as the video's captions. Captions written by the creator are usually close to word for word. YouTube's automatic captions can get names, numbers and technical terms wrong, so check a line against the video before you quote it.
Where is my transcript saved?
In your YouMind board, together with the video. You can come back to it any time and ask YouMind questions about it.
YouTube toolkit
More tools for your YouTube channel
Learn deeper. Create bolder.
Tell YouMind what you need from a video, like a summary or the key quotes. If you pasted a link above, it's included.