How to Easily Get Transcripts of YouTube Videos

ByJim Miller

The closed captions feature on YouTube is a useful tool, especially when watching videos in other languages or in environments with loud noise. However, there are some limitations with captions. They appear in real-time, which can be difficult to follow for some viewers, and not all YouTube videos have captions available. So, what can you do if you want to read captions at your own pace or if captions aren't available? In this article, we will show you how to easily get transcripts of YouTube videos.

How to Get YouTube Video Transcript on Desktop

If you find that captions are too fast or if you want to read the transcript of a YouTube video, you can easily switch to the transcript option on the YouTube web app. Here's how:

  1. Open YouTube on your browser and play any YouTube video.
  2. Click on the three-dot menu below the title of the video.
  3. Select the “Show transcript” option in the menu.
  4. The transcript box will open to the right of the video, displaying the captions along with their timestamps.
  5. The transcript will automatically scroll down in sync with the video. You can also click on any line in the transcript to quickly move to that part of the video.

How to Get YouTube Video Transcript on Android and iOS

YouTube has recently added the option to get transcripts for videos on Android and iOS devices. The process is similar on both platforms. Here's how to do it:

  1. Open the YouTube app on your Android or iOS device and play any video.
  2. While the video is playing, tap on the down-arrow beside the title of the video to open the video description.
  3. Scroll down to the bottom of the video and tap on the “Show Transcript” button.
  4. The transcript will open towards the bottom of the video.
  5. You can open the full-screen mode if you prefer. The transcript will be shown beside the video automatically.
  6. Just like on desktop, the transcript will scroll automatically along with the video. You can also tap on any line in the transcript to quickly move to that part of the video.

How to Get a Transcript of YouTube Videos Without Captions

While YouTube does a great job of providing captions for most videos, there may be exceptions where captions are not available, such as recently uploaded videos or longer videos. In such cases, you can turn to third-party apps to get the transcript. Here's how:

  1. Open the Type Studio web app and create an account by clicking on the “Signup for free” button at the top right.
  2. Login using your email or your Google, Apple, or Facebook account.
  3. Click on the “New project” option.
  4. On the next page, select the language of the video and paste the YouTube video link. Press Enter and wait a couple of minutes for the app to load the video.
  5. Once loaded, you will see a transcript beside the video.

Please note that while the transcript will scroll in sync with the video, you cannot click on the transcript to navigate to a specific part of the video. However, this is a small trade-off to watch YouTube videos without captions and transcripts.

Compared to YouTube, the subtitles or translations on Type Studio may not be perfect, but they are reliable for the most part. Type Studio is a text-based video editor app that offers options for editing and trimming videos. However, it can also be used for transcription purposes.

Transcript – Lyrics for YouTube Videos

Transcripts are not just subtitles; they offer additional benefits apart from displaying multiple lines at once. With transcripts, you can navigate through the entire YouTube video, copy specific parts of the transcript for note-taking purposes, and have a more comfortable viewing experience if you find captions to be too fast.

Now you know how to easily get transcripts of YouTube videos on desktop, Android, and iOS devices. Enjoy a more personalized and accessible viewing experience with transcripts!