Free YouTube tool
YouTube to Transcript
Convert a supported YouTube video's available captions into readable, timestamped text.
Free · No sign-up · Requires retrievable captions
From video link to readable text
Converting a video to text lets you search and skim the available caption track, find the part that matters, and jump straight to it.
It works with supported public YouTube videos when JumpWatch can retrieve a creator-provided or auto-generated caption track. Availability can vary with video restrictions, language, region, and temporary upstream conditions.
Uses existing captions
The conversion requests an existing caption track rather than re-processing the video's audio. Timing varies with caption availability and upstream conditions.
Readable formatting
Output is laid out for reading rather than dumped as one unbroken block of text.
Jump back to the video
Timestamps stay clickable, so the transcript works as an index into the video.
How to convert YouTube to a transcript
- 1
Copy the video link
Take the URL of a supported public YouTube video with captions.
- 2
Paste it above
Drop it into the field at the top of this page.
- 3
Read the transcript
When the caption track is retrievable, the converted timestamped text is ready to search or copy.
Who converts videos to text
Professionals
Catch up on webinars, earnings calls, and industry talks by searching or skimming their transcripts before deciding what to watch.
Students
Turn a long lecture into text you can search, quote, and revise from without scrubbing the video for one definition.
Researchers
Pull the actual argument out of a conference talk or interview, with timestamps you can cite, without watching the whole recording.
Creators
Mine podcasts and interviews for quotes, scripts, and references, or repurpose your own videos into blog posts and show notes.
YouTube to transcript FAQ
How do I convert a YouTube video to a transcript?
Paste a supported video's URL into the field above. JumpWatch requests the caption track and displays the retrieved text with timestamps.
How long does the conversion take?
Timing varies with caption availability and upstream conditions. The tool requests existing captions rather than re-transcribing the audio from scratch.
Does video length matter?
JumpWatch does not advertise a fixed duration limit, but longer videos can take longer and remain subject to service and upstream limits.
Do I need an account or an extension?
No account or extension is required for the public transcript tool, which is free and subject to rate and capacity limits. The JumpWatch Chrome extension is free to install; its AI summaries and chat require sign-in and follow your account's plan limits.
Keep the context
Take transcripts, summaries, and Ask onto YouTube.
Add the free extension for transcript search and assistant handoffs. Premium adds server-powered Brief and Ask on the video page.
Add to Chrome — FreeOr browse recent transcripts.