What is a YouTube transcript download?
A YouTube transcript is the written version of a video's speech, usually taken from the captions that already exist on the video. Downloading it saves those lines to a file you can read, search, translate or reuse in an editor. This page reads the existing captions — it does not create new captions for videos that have none.
How to download a YouTube transcript
- Copy the URL of the YouTube video.
- Paste it above and press Extract transcript.
- Download the result as plain text (.txt) or as timed subtitles (.srt).
Transcript or subtitles: which file do you need?
Choose .txt when you only need the words: notes, summaries, translation, or pasting into a document. Choose .srt when you need timestamps for a video editor or a caption file. Both files come from the same transcript; the SRT keeps the original timing. You can also strip timestamps from an existing SRT with the SRT to text converter, or read the transcript directly with the YouTube transcript generator.
Tips
- The tool reads captions that already exist on the video; it does not create new captions.
- If the uploader disabled captions, no transcript can be downloaded.
- Auto-generated captions may contain recognition errors; review names and numbers.
- Only download transcripts for content you own or have permission to use.
Frequently asked questions
How do I download a YouTube transcript?
Copy the video URL, paste it into the box, and press Extract transcript. The captions that already exist on the video are shown as text and as an SRT file.
Can I download the transcript as TXT or SRT?
Yes. After the transcript loads, press Download .txt for plain text or Download .srt for a file with the original timestamps.
What if the video has no transcript?
If the uploader disabled captions, there is nothing to download. You can try an audio transcription tool, but the result will be a new transcript.
Is downloading a YouTube transcript free?
Yes. The tool is free, does not require an account, and only reads captions that already exist on the video.
Related tools
- YouTube transcript extractor — full transcript as text.
- YouTube transcript generator — get the full transcript as text.
- SRT to text converter — remove timestamps.
- Subtitle converter — convert SRT, VTT and text.
- SRT to VTT and VTT to SRT — dedicated format converters.
- MP3 to text — transcribe an audio file.
- MP4 to text — transcribe a video file.
- YouTube transcript extractor — text from a video link.