Creator captions come first
When accessible, a creator-provided caption track is retrieved directly. Human-edited captions may handle names and punctuation better, but quality depends on the author.
✳LESS SEEKING. MORE UNDERSTANDING.
YouTube Transcript From a Public Video
Keep the useful part of a talk, lesson, or how-to video. Get a YouTube transcript from a public link, with readable text and timestamps.
Sign in for a free trial
60 seconds free after signing in
Works with
YouTube
InstagramAudio & video files
YouTubeInstagramAudio & video filesFROM LINK TO LIGHTBULB
YouTube transcript in three steps
A simple workflow that gets out of your way.
01
Bring your recording
Paste a video URL or upload a file that you own, that is authorized or publicly accessible.
02
Let the words appear
We read available captions or transcribe the spoken audio of authorized or publicly accessible recordings only.
03
Make something of it
Review, copy, or export text and subtitles from your authorized or publicly accessible recording.
MORE THAN A WALL OF TEXTThe whole thought.
The whole thought.
Ready to work with.
Readable words. Useful timestamps. A starting point for whatever comes next.
- Find the moment
Search the words and keep their timestamps.
- Take it anywhere
Copy text, or export TXT, SRT, and VTT.
- Make it yours
Review and edit the draft before you use it.
Two ways a YouTube transcript can be made
Otherwise, a new transcript
We don't reuse YouTube's automatic captions, which lack punctuation and speaker turns. Without a creator track in the spoken language, we transcribe the public audio. The result identifies its source.
Public recordings only
Playlists, live streams, paid or members-only videos, age-gated content, and videos that require authentication are unsupported. Upload your authorized original if access is blocked.
Supported files: MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, WebM, MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC, OGG, AAC · 100 MB maximum. Free trial: 60 seconds total; credits: up to 60 minutes. Original-language transcription, with automatic language detection. Accuracy varies by language and recording.
THE BOUNDARIES, UP FRONT
What You Can Submit
- Supported links: public youtube.com/watch, youtu.be, and YouTube Shorts URLs. One video per job.
- Not supported: playlists, live streams, members-only, paid, private, or age-restricted videos.
- We only process publicly accessible videos and never use a signed-in YouTube session.
- Duration: 60 seconds on the free trial, up to 60 minutes with credits.
Text and subtitle files only — no media downloads. Read the acceptable use policy.
START SMALL. GO FURTHER.
Try it free. Top up when you need more.
No subscription to keep track of. Try one minute free, then add minutes when you need them.
| What’s included | Free trial To see the quality | Prepaid minutes For longer recordings |
|---|---|---|
| Allowance | One-time 60 seconds per user | Pay once for the minutes you use |
| Recording length | Up to 1 minute | Up to 60 minutes |
| Timestamps & exports | TXT, SRT, VTT | TXT, SRT, VTT |
| Sign-in | Required | Required |
| If a task fails | Allowance returned | No minutes used |
PAY ONCE · NO SUBSCRIPTION
Need more minutes? Top up once.
One credit covers one started minute of audio. Buy a pack once and use it whenever you like for 12 months.
100 minutesAbout 1.5 hours, or up to 100 short clips
$4.90one-time · 4.9¢ per minute
1,000 minutesAbout 16 hours of recordings
Best value for most$19.90one-time · 2.0¢ per minute
3,000 minutesAbout 50 hours of recordings
$39.90one-time · 1.3¢ per minute
- Recordings up to 60 minutes
- Timestamps, TXT, SRT and VTT
- Speaker labels when speech recognition runs
- Valid 12 months; a new top-up extends it
- Failed jobs never use minutes
Transcription output only. No media downloads. Prices in USD · Secure checkout with Stripe · Any applicable tax is shown at checkout before you pay. Sign in to buy. Manage wallet
THE LITTLE THINGS, EXPLAINED
A few good questions.
Clear answers before you press transcribe.
What kind of video links can I submit?+
Public, directly accessible links to videos you own, that are publicly accessible, or that you are authorized to process. We don't support links that require a login.
Do you keep or redistribute the original video?+
No. To transcribe a link or upload, we fetch the audio and process it temporarily. The media is queued for deletion when processing finishes; cleanup may take a few minutes, and we never offer it for download or redistribute it. You receive transcript text and subtitle files only.
Can I process private or login-protected videos?+
No. Private, login-protected, deleted, restricted, or otherwise inaccessible content is not supported.
Are you affiliated with Instagram or YouTube?+
No. textfromlink is an independent tool. Platform names are used only to describe compatible input types.
Does a YouTube transcript need captions on the video?+
No, but accessible captions are the fastest path. If no usable caption track is available and the public audio is accessible, speech recognition can generate a new transcript.
What is included in the free allowance?+
Sign in for a one-time 1-minute trial. Each user receives a cumulative 60-second allowance that does not reset each day, on another device, or after account deletion. Failed jobs release unused reservations.
How much do longer transcripts cost?+
Credit packs start at $4.90 for 100 credits. One credit covers one started minute of a completed recording, up to 60 minutes per recording. Failed tasks never cost credits.
How accurate is the transcript?+
Accuracy depends on audio quality, accents, and overlapping voices. Copy the text or export TXT, SRT, or VTT with timestamps, then review names, numbers, and timing before publishing.