Original wording
Caption text is preserved instead of automatically summarized.
Free YouTube transcript generator
Turn a YouTube video into clean text.
Generate a searchable transcript from an accessible caption track. Keep the original wording, choose the right language, and switch between comfortable reading and timestamped output.
✓ Free transcript downloader✓ Creator captions preferred✓ Five export formats
Language selection
Review the available manual and automatic caption languages.
Searchable output
Find names, quotes, topics, and repeated phrases quickly.
Caption extraction or audio transcription?
A caption-based generator retrieves a transcript that already exists with the video. Audio transcription listens to the media and creates new text using speech recognition. Caption extraction is faster and preserves an uploaded source. Audio transcription is a fallback for videos without captions and should always be labeled as machine-generated.
Generate a transcript in three steps
Paste a public video URL on the homepage. YouTube Captionly finds the accessible caption tracks and prioritizes a creator-uploaded track in the requested language. When the workspace opens, read, search, copy, or export the transcript.
Readable paragraphs instead of one line per second
Raw captions often contain one- or two-second fragments designed for playback. Showing every fragment as a separate transcript line is tiring. YouTube Captionly combines nearby cues into sensible reading sections while retaining underlying timing for subtitle exports.
What can you do with the generated text?
Creators can reuse their own spoken material for descriptions and production notes. Students and researchers can find relevant passages and return to the timestamp for context. Editors can download SRT or VTT instead of rebuilding subtitle timing manually.
Frequently asked questions
What to know before downloading
Does the generator use AI?
Caption extraction does not require generative AI. It retrieves an accessible track and formats it for use.
Will it match the video exactly?
The result matches the selected caption track, so accuracy depends on how that track was produced and reviewed.
Can I generate a transcript without timestamps?
Yes. Disable timestamps before copying or exporting clean TXT.
Turn the next video into text you can use.
Creator-uploaded captions preferred. Clean reading and precise exports.
Download a transcript free →