Free online tool
YouTube transcript generator
Paste a YouTube link to read, search, copy, and export its transcript or subtitles.
Create your transcript
Start with a link. If captions are unavailable, continue with an upload.
Only use transcripts and subtitle files when you have permission to do so. Media files are processed temporarily and automatically deleted after 24 hours.
Link to transcript
Paste a YouTube link to get a clean, searchable transcript with timestamps for tutorials, lectures, interviews, and videos used by creator teams.
Subtitle exports
Download TXT, SRT, VTT, and JSON exports when captions or generated transcript output is available.
Upload when captions are missing
When captions are not reachable from a link, upload your video or audio file to generate a new transcript. Video uploads support files up to 1 GB and 3 hours, or 180 minutes. Files are processed temporarily and automatically deleted after 24 hours.
Reviewed guide
Can I get a YouTube transcript online?
A YouTube transcript generator turns spoken video content into readable text, subtitle files, or timestamped segments. MediaReady starts with a YouTube link because many public videos already have creator captions or automatic captions. When a caption track is available, the page gives you a searchable transcript you can copy or export. When captions are missing, private, region-blocked, or unavailable through the link path, MediaReady keeps the workflow moving. It asks you to upload the video or audio file you control. Uploaded video transcription supports common files up to 1 GB and 3 hours, while supported audio transcription can create TXT, SRT, VTT, and JSON outputs. Files are processed temporarily and automatically deleted after 24 hours. This makes the page useful for lectures, interviews, tutorials, webinars, podcasts, Shorts research, accessibility edits, and creator notes without requiring a full video editor.
| Option | Best for | Limit or output |
|---|---|---|
| Paste a YouTube link | Public videos with reachable creator or automatic captions. | Caption-first lookup with copy and export when a track is available. |
| Upload a video file | Videos you own when link captions are missing or blocked. | Common video files up to 1 GB and 3 hours. |
| Upload an audio file | Podcasts, lectures, interviews, and recordings saved as audio. | Supported audio outputs include TXT, SRT, VTT, and JSON. |
References: YouTube caption settings, YouTube automatic captions, YouTube Data API captions.
How it works
- 1Paste a public YouTube video link and choose Get transcript.
- 2MediaReady uses existing captions when available. If captions are missing, continue by uploading the video or audio file.
- 3Copy the transcript or download TXT, SRT, VTT, and JSON files.
Planned
YouTube channel caption import
A future version can let channel owners sign in, verify access to their own videos, and import private caption tracks through the official YouTube Data API.
Common uses
- Search tutorials, interviews, podcasts, and lectures without scrubbing the video.
- Create TXT notes or SRT and VTT subtitle files from spoken video content.
- Review spoken content as text for research, editing, and repurposing.