A woman typing on a Macbook.

How to Get the Transcript of a YouTube Video

Michael Chen2022-09-132 mins

If you're reading this, you're probably a busy person that doesn't have time to watch a long YouTube video.  With a transcript, you can skim through it for the key points without having to watch the whole YouTube video. Having this information at your fingertips can be invaluable. 

Fortunately, getting the transcript of a YouTube video couldn't be easier if you use our tips!

How to Get the Transcript of YouTube Videos on Desktop

If you're on a desktop, here's how to find a transcript on YouTube:

Step 1: Go to YouTube and find the video you want to obtain a transcript from by searching or going to the user's channel.

youtube video algebra basics what are polynomials

Step 2: Click 'More' ('...') under the video description.

click more under the video description

Step 3: Click to open the transcript window.

show transcript

Step 4: You will then see the YouTube transcript generator show up on the right side of the video. Click on any timestamp to skip to that part of the video.

youtube video transcript timestamp

Step 5: Click the down arrow next to the language at the bottom. You can then translate the transcript into any available language.

select english as subtitle language

How to Get the Transcript of YouTube Videos on Mobile

Here’s how to get the transcript of a YouTube video on your iPhone or Android device:

Step 1: Pull up the video you want the transcript of on the YouTube app.

youtube-video-title

Step 2: Click on the arrow next to the description to bring up the video details.

Step 3: Scroll down and click ‘Show Transcript.’

show transcript option at the bottom of the screen

Step 4: You will then see the transcript pop up under the video. Clicking any of the timestamps will jump to that part of the video.

timestamp of the youtube video transcript

Step 5: Tap ‘More’ (‘...’) to select from the available languages to translate your transcript.

youtube video subtitle language

FAQ

Can I Download the YouTube Transcript?

Yes, click 'Show Transcript' under the video's description. Copy the text from the transcript and paste it wherever you need to download it. It will appear as text just like in any other word document.

Are There Any Other Ways to Get YouTube Transcripts?

Not every YouTube video has a 'Show Transcript' button. With these types of videos, you'll have to use other options. Another option to get the transcript of a YouTube video is to use the Notta Chrome extension. The extension transcribes any YouTube video in real-time. Then you can export into many file types, including:

● .TXT

● .DOCX

● .PDF

● .RTF

● and more

How Do I Copy a YouTube Transcript to Word?

To copy and paste the transcript of a YouTube video into Word, follow these steps:

1. Highlight the text in the transcript that you'd like to copy.

2. Press Control+C (Windows) or Command+C (Mac) to copy the text.

3. Go into Microsoft Word and press Control+V (Windows) or Command+V (Mac) to paste into the document. Select 'Plain Text' to make the text available for formatting.

Conclusion

With these tips, you will find that getting a transcript of any YouTube video is relatively easy. It's also simple to share with others. You can even try different methods to transcribe a YouTube video. However, for this case, the Notta extension can be a better choice for videos that don't have a transcript from the creator. This free chrome extension is highly accurate. It may even replace YouTube's algorithm in the future.

Michael is the head of growth at Notta and has a ton of professional hands-on experience in the technology field. He likes writing and experiences cool stuff, if you don't see him in the office discussing the most popular apps with colleagues, then he must be creating in the cafe.