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Whisper Web
Free YouTube Transcription

YouTube to Text — Transcribe YouTube Videos Free Online

For content you are authorized to save, use Whisper Web's first-party YouTube downloader to save a media file, then upload that file here for transcription. This page does not fetch a watch-page URL directly. Free local mode runs in your browser; Pro cloud transcription is available in the dashboard.

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Everything You Need to Transcribe YouTube Videos

Supported Common Media Formats

Works with common downloaded media formats such as MP4, WebM, and MKV when your browser supports them. Upload the saved file and Whisper Web extracts its audio for transcription.

Timestamps for Every Segment

Get a time-synced YouTube transcription with precise timestamps for every segment. Jump to any part of the video text instantly — perfect for creating show notes or study guides.

Transcribe YouTube Videos in 100+ Languages

Convert YouTube to text in any of 100+ languages with automatic language detection. Perfect for multilingual content creators, language learners, and global audiences.

Choose Local or Pro Processing

Free local mode processes the uploaded file in your browser when supported by your device. Pro cloud transcription is available in the dashboard for cloud workflows.

SRT & VTT Subtitle Export

Export your YouTube transcription as SRT or VTT subtitle files, ready to upload back to YouTube or any video platform. Also supports TXT and JSON formats.

Work Within File and Device Limits

Local transcription depends on browser memory, device performance, and the selected file. Pro cloud workflows have their own supported file and plan limits; neither mode is unlimited.

How to Convert YouTube Video to Text

1

Save Authorized Media

For media you own, public-domain or Creative-Commons material, or content you have permission to save, open the first-party localized downloader at /downloader/youtube/video and save a media file.

2

Upload to Whisper Web

Open Whisper Web and drag-and-drop or select the downloaded video file. The audio track is extracted automatically for transcription.

3

Transcribe the Uploaded File

Upload the saved media file to Whisper Web. Free local mode processes it in your browser; choose the dashboard for Pro cloud transcription when that workflow fits your needs.

4

Export as Text or Subtitles

Copy the full transcript, download as TXT or JSON, or export as SRT/VTT subtitle files for captions. Use your YouTube transcription anywhere.

Popular YouTube to Text Use Cases

Create blog posts and articles from YouTube video content
Generate captions and subtitles for YouTube accessibility compliance
Produce study notes and summaries from lecture videos on YouTube
Repurpose YouTube content into newsletters, social posts, and ebooks
Create SEO-friendly transcripts to boost video discoverability
Add closed captions for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers
Extract quotes and data from YouTube interviews and talks
Build vocabulary lists from YouTube for language learning

Authorized workflow

The authorized YouTube-to-text flow

Whisper Web transcribes a media file that you provide. It does not fetch a YouTube watch-page URL directly.

Start with Video to Text

Use the broader video transcription workflow when you already have an authorized media file.

Open Video to Text

Save permitted YouTube media

Use the first-party localized downloader only for content you own, public-domain or Creative-Commons material, or content you have permission to save.

Open the YouTube Downloader

Upload, then transcribe

Upload the saved media file here. Free local mode runs in the browser; Pro cloud transcription is available in the dashboard.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I transcribe an authorized YouTube video to text?
Only use content you own, public-domain or Creative-Commons material, or content you have permission to save. Open the localized first-party downloader at /downloader/youtube/video, save the media file, then upload that file to Whisper Web. This page does not fetch or transcribe a YouTube watch-page URL directly.
Is YouTube to text transcription really free?
Local transcription depends on browser memory, device performance, and the selected file. Pro cloud workflows have their own supported file and plan limits; neither mode is unlimited.
How accurate is the YouTube video transcription?
OpenAI Whisper achieves a 4.2% word error rate on standard benchmarks — comparable to professional human transcribers. On clear YouTube audio, accuracy typically exceeds 95% across 100+ languages. Selecting a larger model (Small or Medium) improves results on videos with background music or multiple speakers.
Can I get timestamps when I convert YouTube to text?
Yes. Every transcription includes precise timestamps for each segment, showing exactly when each passage was spoken. Export as JSON with timing data, or generate SRT/VTT subtitle files ready to upload back to YouTube or any video platform.
Does Whisper Web automatically detect the YouTube video language?
Yes. Whisper automatically identifies the spoken language in the video. You can also manually select the language before transcription for optimal accuracy. This works for 100+ languages including English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, French, German, and Arabic.
Where is my media processed?
Free local mode processes the uploaded file in your browser after the model is ready. Pro cloud transcription uploads the file for cloud processing through the dashboard, so choose the mode that matches your privacy and workflow requirements.

Continue with Pro cloud transcription

Open the dashboard for Pro cloud transcription, saved history, and batch workflows. Files selected there are uploaded for cloud processing.

Open the dashboard