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How to Convert a YouTube Video to Text: 5 Methods That Actually Work

youtube to textvideo to texttranscriptionconverter

Need to convert a YouTube video to text? Whether you are a journalist grabbing quotes, a student making notes, or a content creator repurposing material, there are several reliable ways to do it. Here are five methods that actually work in 2026.

Method 1: YouTube’s Built-in Transcript

The simplest method uses YouTube’s own feature.

Steps:

  1. Open the video on YouTube (desktop works best)
  2. Click the three dots below the video title
  3. Select “Show transcript”
  4. Click the three dots in the transcript panel and toggle off timestamps
  5. Select all text (Ctrl+A / Cmd+A in the panel) and copy

Pros:

  • Free, no tools needed
  • Available for most videos
  • Quick for short videos

Cons:

  • Does not work well on mobile
  • Auto-generated transcripts have errors
  • Formatting is basic
  • Some videos have transcripts disabled

Best for: Quick grabs from short videos when you are on desktop.

Method 2: AI-Powered Telegram Bots

The fastest method for most people. No software to install, works on any device.

Steps:

  1. Open Telegram
  2. Find a YouTube summary bot
  3. Paste the video URL
  4. Get the full transcript (and usually a summary too)

Pros:

  • Works on phone and desktop
  • No sign-up or installation
  • Handles videos without captions (processes audio)
  • Returns clean, formatted text

Cons:

  • Requires Telegram
  • Processing time for very long videos

Best for: Quick conversions on mobile, videos without captions, and when you want both transcript and summary.

Method 3: yt-dlp (Command Line)

For technical users who want maximum control. yt-dlp is a free, open-source command-line tool.

Steps:

# Download auto-generated English subtitles
yt-dlp --write-auto-sub --sub-lang en --skip-download VIDEO_URL

# Download manual subtitles if available
yt-dlp --write-sub --sub-lang en --skip-download VIDEO_URL

# Convert VTT to plain text
yt-dlp --write-auto-sub --sub-lang en --skip-download --convert-subs srt VIDEO_URL

Pros:

  • Completely free and open source
  • Batch processing (feed it a playlist)
  • Multiple output formats (SRT, VTT, JSON)
  • No rate limits or accounts needed

Cons:

  • Requires command-line knowledge
  • Only downloads existing captions (no speech-to-text)
  • Output needs cleanup (duplicated lines, timing artifacts)

Best for: Developers, researchers processing many videos, and automation workflows.

Method 4: Browser Extensions

Several Chrome extensions add a “copy transcript” button to YouTube.

Popular options:

  • YouTube Summary with ChatGPT
  • Glasp
  • Transcript Buddy

Steps:

  1. Install the extension from Chrome Web Store
  2. Open a YouTube video
  3. Click the extension’s button to copy or view the transcript

Pros:

  • One-click access
  • Integrates into your YouTube browsing
  • Some offer summarization too

Cons:

  • Chrome only (most of them)
  • Does not work on mobile
  • Extension permissions can be broad
  • Some have usage limits

Best for: Desktop Chrome users who convert videos to text regularly.

Method 5: Speech-to-Text APIs

For developers building applications or processing large volumes of videos.

Options:

  • Google Cloud Speech-to-Text: High accuracy, pay per minute
  • OpenAI Whisper: Open source, run locally or via API
  • AssemblyAI: Developer-friendly API with good accuracy

Workflow:

  1. Download the audio from the YouTube video
  2. Send it to a speech-to-text service
  3. Get the transcript back

Pros:

  • Highest accuracy (especially Whisper)
  • Full control over the process
  • Works on any audio, not just YouTube
  • Can add speaker identification, punctuation, etc.

Cons:

  • Requires programming skills
  • API costs for cloud services
  • Setup time

Best for: Developers, large-scale processing, and when accuracy is critical.

Comparing All Five Methods

MethodDifficultyCostMobileAccuracySpeed
YouTube transcriptEasyFreePoorMediumFast
Telegram botEasyFreeGreatGoodFast
yt-dlpHardFreeNoMediumFast
Browser extensionEasyFreeNoMediumFast
Speech-to-text APIHardVariesNoHighMedium

Tips for Cleaner Text Output

Regardless of which method you use, the raw transcript often needs cleanup:

  • Remove filler words: “um”, “uh”, “you know”, “like” (when used as filler)
  • Fix punctuation: Auto-generated transcripts often miss periods and commas
  • Correct proper nouns: Names, brands, and technical terms are frequently wrong
  • Add paragraph breaks: Raw transcripts are usually one giant block of text
  • Verify numbers and dates: These are common error points in auto-transcription

Some AI tools do this cleanup automatically, which saves significant time compared to manual editing.

A quick note on usage: transcribing a YouTube video for personal use (notes, research, accessibility) is generally fine. Republishing someone else’s content as your own is not. Use transcripts responsibly, and credit original creators when referencing their work.

Get Started Now

The quickest way to convert any YouTube video to text right now: send the link to Get Summary AI on Telegram. You will get clean text back in seconds, plus an AI summary as a bonus. No setup, no extensions, works on any device.

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