"2024 Approved  How to Transcribe a YouTube Video for FREE"

"2024 Approved How to Transcribe a YouTube Video for FREE"

Thomas Lv13

Step Into the World of YouTube Transcription: A Comprehensive No-Fee Guide

How to Transcribe a YouTube Video for FREE

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you want to transcribe your videos to make the dialogs and speeches available in text format, you can use YouTube Transcribe feature that the streaming site offers for free. In this article, I’ll share with you a couple of methods to transcribe a YouTube video for free.

Part 1: How to Transcribe YouTube Video Automatically for Free [2 Ways]

Besides the basic video editing features on the YouTube platform, you can now quickly transcribe YouTube videos to the text as well. The good thing is, you can either use the automatic transcription feature that YouTube offers, or upload it manually while adjusting the timing as you go further.

Below are the two methods to transcribe your YouTube videos for free:

Method 1: Use the Automated Transcription Service on YouTube

As the name suggests, YouTube automatic transcription service works automatically. This means you don’t even have to click the ‘Transcribe’ button anymore to transcribe a YouTube video, and the website takes care of it on its own. All you need to do is, choose English as the language of the video when setting up subtitles. You can follow the instructions given below to do so:

Step 1 Upload a Video

Sign in to your YouTube account, click your profile picture from the top-right corner, and click YouTube Studio from the menu. Next, click CREATE from the upper-right corner, click Upload videos from the menu, and drag and drop a video from your computer to the Upload videos box that appears next.

Upload YouTube videos

Step 2 Select Transcription Language

On the Details page of the next box that appears, scroll down and click MORE OPTIONS, and select English in the Video language drop-down list under the Language, subtitles, and closed captions (CC) section.

Select Language on YouTube

Step 3 Publish the Video

Follow the on-screen instructions from this point to publish the video, and wait while YouTube automatically transcribes and adds the close captions to it.

Note: Depending on the duration of the clip, the time YouTube would take to transcribe may vary.

After YouTube has transcribed the video, you can download the transcription file in your preferred format. The instructions are given below explain how you can do so:

  1. Get to the Subtitles Window

While on the YouTube Studio page, click Subtitles from the left pane to go to the Channel subtitles page. And then click the video you want to modify.

  1. Get to Classic Studio

In the video subtitle page of the target video, hover mouse on the Published Automatic status under the Subtitles column, click the Options icon (with three vertical dots) that appears, and click Edit on Classic Studio.

YouTube Classic Studio

  1. Download Transcription File

Click and open the Actions drop-down list from the top-left corner of the left pane, click your preferred transcription format including .vtt, .srt and .sbv from the list, and save the file on your local hard disk.

YouTube videos transcription

Method 2: Get YouTube Transcription when Watching

In addition, if you are watching any other video, you can make YouTube transcribe that for you as well. You can follow the instructions given below to get the YouTube video to text transcription:

Step 1: Play the Video

Go to the video on YouTube and start playing it. Make sure NOT to get to full-screen mode as doing so would hide the option to transcribe the clip.

Step 2: Enable Transcription

Click the More icon (with three horizontal dots) from under the bottom-right corner of the video player, and click Open transcript to see the video transcription in the Transcript pane that appears in the right.

Step 3: Manage Timestamps

Click the Options icon (with three vertical dots) from the top-right corner of the Transcript pane, and click Toggle timestamp to enable or disable the timestamps in the video transcription.

Limitations of Using YouTube Transcribe

Although YouTube’s automatic transcription is a decent feature that saves you a lot of time, since Google uses machine learning algorithms to convert the speech to text, the level of accuracy may vary depending on the accent of the speaker, and the clarity of the audio the video has. Also, even sometime you may not be satisfied with the end-results.

Alternatively, you can use Kapwing to transcribe a YouTube video and download the transcription file with the below step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Add YouTube Video

Copy the URL of YouTube video you want to transcribe, go to https://www.kapwing.com/subtitles , paste the URL in the Paste a URL field, wait while Kapwing fetches the content of the video, and opens the Add subtitles to Video page.

Step 2: Transcribe the Video

Click Auto-generate from the right window, and follow the on-screen instructions to transcribe YouTube video to text.

Kapwing Auto Generate Subtitles

Step 3: Download the Transcription File

Click Download SRT from the left pane, and follow the instructions from there to download the transcription file in *.srt format.

Kapwing Auto Generate Subtitles

Pros

  • Kapwing is free to use
  • The auto-transcription process is quick and less tedious
  • Kapwing also allows manual transcription and uploading of an existing *.srt file

Cons

  • The auto-transcribed text might lack accuracy as the task is done by the speech-to-text tools that work in the background

You can follow the step-by-step instructions to transcribe a YouTube video and download the transcription file using Kapwing:

Step 1: Add YouTube Video

Copy the URL of YouTube video you want to transcribe, go to https://www.kapwing.com/subtitles , paste the URL in the Paste a URL field, wait while Kapwing fetches the content of the video, and opens the Add subtitles to Video page.

Step 2: Transcribe the Video

Click Auto-generate from the right window, and follow the on-screen instructions to transcribe YouTube video to text.

Kapwing Auto Generate Subtitles

Step 3: Download the Transcription File

Click Download SRT from the left pane, and follow the instructions from there to download the transcription file in *.srt format.

Kapwing Auto Generate Subtitles

Pros

  • Kapwing is free to use
  • The auto-transcription process is quick and less tedious
  • Kapwing also allows manual transcription and uploading of an existing *.srt file

Cons

  • The auto-transcribed text might lack accuracy as the task is done by the speech-to-text tools that work in the background

Part 3: Benefits of Transcribing YouTube Videos

You may need video transcriptions for several reasons, such as analyzing the summary of the entire speech in the video, extracting a single phrase or quote that was spoken in the clip, or making the video helpful even for those suffering from hearing impairment. When you transcribe a YouTube video, the transcript can be useful in many ways. Some of the most common benefits of transcribing a video include:

  • Search Engine Optimization

When you add subtitles, the text can appear in Google search results when someone types a similar phrase in the search box. This helps get more views to your videos, thus giving your channel popularity, and you, monetary gains in the long run.

  • Accent

If the speaker in the video is from a different region and is using an accent that you are not much comfortable with, you can turn on the subtitles and read the dialogs along with the video.

  • Repurposing on Blogs

If you own a blog that you have embedded your video to, the transcription could be used to add text to it so the target audience can get a fair idea of what the video is all about. This is useful because many people prefer reading over watching.

YouTube Video Transcription FAQs

1. How to Transcribe YouTube Video to Text

Usually the transcription files have *.srt extension that are globally accepted and supported by almost all media players. However, there might be instances when you want to have the subtitles in plain text.

That said, to convert an SRT file to TXT, you can:

  • Right-click the SRT file
  • Go to Rename
  • Replace srt with txt and press Enter
  • Click OK on the confirmation box that appears next to convert SRT to TXT

After this, you can simply double-click the file, and read and modify the transcribed content as needed.

2. How to Edit and Upload Edited Transcript to YouTube

If you made any modifications to the transcript that was automatically generated by YouTube or any other third-party transcription tool, you can follow the steps given below to upload the new file to the YouTube video:

  • Go to YouTube Studio and then to the Channel subtitles page as explained earlier
  • Expand the Languages column of the target video
  • Click the Options icon that appears under the Subtitles column when you hover mouse on to it
  • Click Edit on Classic Studio
  • On the next page, click Edit from the top-right corner

Edit YouTube subtitles

  • Click to open the Actions drop-down list from the upper-left corner
  • Click Upload a file
    • Follow the on-screen instructions from there to upload the modified transcription file
    • Click Save Changes from the top-right corner of the page when done

Conclusion

If you are looking for a quick and easy way of adding subtitles to your videos, letting YouTube transcribe for you could be a good approach. However, because these auto-generated transcriptions are created by machine learning algorithms, their accuracy cannot be counted on. Therefore, the best way to get the job done accurately is, let YouTube auto-transcribe your video, download the transcription file, make the necessary changes to it, and then upload the file back to the video.

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you want to transcribe your videos to make the dialogs and speeches available in text format, you can use YouTube Transcribe feature that the streaming site offers for free. In this article, I’ll share with you a couple of methods to transcribe a YouTube video for free.

Part 1: How to Transcribe YouTube Video Automatically for Free [2 Ways]

Besides the basic video editing features on the YouTube platform, you can now quickly transcribe YouTube videos to the text as well. The good thing is, you can either use the automatic transcription feature that YouTube offers, or upload it manually while adjusting the timing as you go further.

Below are the two methods to transcribe your YouTube videos for free:

Method 1: Use the Automated Transcription Service on YouTube

As the name suggests, YouTube automatic transcription service works automatically. This means you don’t even have to click the ‘Transcribe’ button anymore to transcribe a YouTube video, and the website takes care of it on its own. All you need to do is, choose English as the language of the video when setting up subtitles. You can follow the instructions given below to do so:

Step 1 Upload a Video

Sign in to your YouTube account, click your profile picture from the top-right corner, and click YouTube Studio from the menu. Next, click CREATE from the upper-right corner, click Upload videos from the menu, and drag and drop a video from your computer to the Upload videos box that appears next.

Upload YouTube videos

Step 2 Select Transcription Language

On the Details page of the next box that appears, scroll down and click MORE OPTIONS, and select English in the Video language drop-down list under the Language, subtitles, and closed captions (CC) section.

Select Language on YouTube

Step 3 Publish the Video

Follow the on-screen instructions from this point to publish the video, and wait while YouTube automatically transcribes and adds the close captions to it.

Note: Depending on the duration of the clip, the time YouTube would take to transcribe may vary.

After YouTube has transcribed the video, you can download the transcription file in your preferred format. The instructions are given below explain how you can do so:

  1. Get to the Subtitles Window

While on the YouTube Studio page, click Subtitles from the left pane to go to the Channel subtitles page. And then click the video you want to modify.

  1. Get to Classic Studio

In the video subtitle page of the target video, hover mouse on the Published Automatic status under the Subtitles column, click the Options icon (with three vertical dots) that appears, and click Edit on Classic Studio.

YouTube Classic Studio

  1. Download Transcription File

Click and open the Actions drop-down list from the top-left corner of the left pane, click your preferred transcription format including .vtt, .srt and .sbv from the list, and save the file on your local hard disk.

YouTube videos transcription

Method 2: Get YouTube Transcription when Watching

In addition, if you are watching any other video, you can make YouTube transcribe that for you as well. You can follow the instructions given below to get the YouTube video to text transcription:

Step 1: Play the Video

Go to the video on YouTube and start playing it. Make sure NOT to get to full-screen mode as doing so would hide the option to transcribe the clip.

Step 2: Enable Transcription

Click the More icon (with three horizontal dots) from under the bottom-right corner of the video player, and click Open transcript to see the video transcription in the Transcript pane that appears in the right.

Step 3: Manage Timestamps

Click the Options icon (with three vertical dots) from the top-right corner of the Transcript pane, and click Toggle timestamp to enable or disable the timestamps in the video transcription.

Limitations of Using YouTube Transcribe

Although YouTube’s automatic transcription is a decent feature that saves you a lot of time, since Google uses machine learning algorithms to convert the speech to text, the level of accuracy may vary depending on the accent of the speaker, and the clarity of the audio the video has. Also, even sometime you may not be satisfied with the end-results.

Alternatively, you can use Kapwing to transcribe a YouTube video and download the transcription file with the below step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Add YouTube Video

Copy the URL of YouTube video you want to transcribe, go to https://www.kapwing.com/subtitles , paste the URL in the Paste a URL field, wait while Kapwing fetches the content of the video, and opens the Add subtitles to Video page.

Step 2: Transcribe the Video

Click Auto-generate from the right window, and follow the on-screen instructions to transcribe YouTube video to text.

Kapwing Auto Generate Subtitles

Step 3: Download the Transcription File

Click Download SRT from the left pane, and follow the instructions from there to download the transcription file in *.srt format.

Kapwing Auto Generate Subtitles

Pros

  • Kapwing is free to use
  • The auto-transcription process is quick and less tedious
  • Kapwing also allows manual transcription and uploading of an existing *.srt file

Cons

  • The auto-transcribed text might lack accuracy as the task is done by the speech-to-text tools that work in the background

You can follow the step-by-step instructions to transcribe a YouTube video and download the transcription file using Kapwing:

Step 1: Add YouTube Video

Copy the URL of YouTube video you want to transcribe, go to https://www.kapwing.com/subtitles , paste the URL in the Paste a URL field, wait while Kapwing fetches the content of the video, and opens the Add subtitles to Video page.

Step 2: Transcribe the Video

Click Auto-generate from the right window, and follow the on-screen instructions to transcribe YouTube video to text.

Kapwing Auto Generate Subtitles

Step 3: Download the Transcription File

Click Download SRT from the left pane, and follow the instructions from there to download the transcription file in *.srt format.

Kapwing Auto Generate Subtitles

Pros

  • Kapwing is free to use
  • The auto-transcription process is quick and less tedious
  • Kapwing also allows manual transcription and uploading of an existing *.srt file

Cons

  • The auto-transcribed text might lack accuracy as the task is done by the speech-to-text tools that work in the background

Part 3: Benefits of Transcribing YouTube Videos

You may need video transcriptions for several reasons, such as analyzing the summary of the entire speech in the video, extracting a single phrase or quote that was spoken in the clip, or making the video helpful even for those suffering from hearing impairment. When you transcribe a YouTube video, the transcript can be useful in many ways. Some of the most common benefits of transcribing a video include:

  • Search Engine Optimization

When you add subtitles, the text can appear in Google search results when someone types a similar phrase in the search box. This helps get more views to your videos, thus giving your channel popularity, and you, monetary gains in the long run.

  • Accent

If the speaker in the video is from a different region and is using an accent that you are not much comfortable with, you can turn on the subtitles and read the dialogs along with the video.

  • Repurposing on Blogs

If you own a blog that you have embedded your video to, the transcription could be used to add text to it so the target audience can get a fair idea of what the video is all about. This is useful because many people prefer reading over watching.

YouTube Video Transcription FAQs

1. How to Transcribe YouTube Video to Text

Usually the transcription files have *.srt extension that are globally accepted and supported by almost all media players. However, there might be instances when you want to have the subtitles in plain text.

That said, to convert an SRT file to TXT, you can:

  • Right-click the SRT file
  • Go to Rename
  • Replace srt with txt and press Enter
  • Click OK on the confirmation box that appears next to convert SRT to TXT

After this, you can simply double-click the file, and read and modify the transcribed content as needed.

2. How to Edit and Upload Edited Transcript to YouTube

If you made any modifications to the transcript that was automatically generated by YouTube or any other third-party transcription tool, you can follow the steps given below to upload the new file to the YouTube video:

  • Go to YouTube Studio and then to the Channel subtitles page as explained earlier
  • Expand the Languages column of the target video
  • Click the Options icon that appears under the Subtitles column when you hover mouse on to it
  • Click Edit on Classic Studio
  • On the next page, click Edit from the top-right corner

Edit YouTube subtitles

  • Click to open the Actions drop-down list from the upper-left corner
  • Click Upload a file
    • Follow the on-screen instructions from there to upload the modified transcription file
    • Click Save Changes from the top-right corner of the page when done

Conclusion

If you are looking for a quick and easy way of adding subtitles to your videos, letting YouTube transcribe for you could be a good approach. However, because these auto-generated transcriptions are created by machine learning algorithms, their accuracy cannot be counted on. Therefore, the best way to get the job done accurately is, let YouTube auto-transcribe your video, download the transcription file, make the necessary changes to it, and then upload the file back to the video.

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you want to transcribe your videos to make the dialogs and speeches available in text format, you can use YouTube Transcribe feature that the streaming site offers for free. In this article, I’ll share with you a couple of methods to transcribe a YouTube video for free.

Part 1: How to Transcribe YouTube Video Automatically for Free [2 Ways]

Besides the basic video editing features on the YouTube platform, you can now quickly transcribe YouTube videos to the text as well. The good thing is, you can either use the automatic transcription feature that YouTube offers, or upload it manually while adjusting the timing as you go further.

Below are the two methods to transcribe your YouTube videos for free:

Method 1: Use the Automated Transcription Service on YouTube

As the name suggests, YouTube automatic transcription service works automatically. This means you don’t even have to click the ‘Transcribe’ button anymore to transcribe a YouTube video, and the website takes care of it on its own. All you need to do is, choose English as the language of the video when setting up subtitles. You can follow the instructions given below to do so:

Step 1 Upload a Video

Sign in to your YouTube account, click your profile picture from the top-right corner, and click YouTube Studio from the menu. Next, click CREATE from the upper-right corner, click Upload videos from the menu, and drag and drop a video from your computer to the Upload videos box that appears next.

Upload YouTube videos

Step 2 Select Transcription Language

On the Details page of the next box that appears, scroll down and click MORE OPTIONS, and select English in the Video language drop-down list under the Language, subtitles, and closed captions (CC) section.

Select Language on YouTube

Step 3 Publish the Video

Follow the on-screen instructions from this point to publish the video, and wait while YouTube automatically transcribes and adds the close captions to it.

Note: Depending on the duration of the clip, the time YouTube would take to transcribe may vary.

After YouTube has transcribed the video, you can download the transcription file in your preferred format. The instructions are given below explain how you can do so:

  1. Get to the Subtitles Window

While on the YouTube Studio page, click Subtitles from the left pane to go to the Channel subtitles page. And then click the video you want to modify.

  1. Get to Classic Studio

In the video subtitle page of the target video, hover mouse on the Published Automatic status under the Subtitles column, click the Options icon (with three vertical dots) that appears, and click Edit on Classic Studio.

YouTube Classic Studio

  1. Download Transcription File

Click and open the Actions drop-down list from the top-left corner of the left pane, click your preferred transcription format including .vtt, .srt and .sbv from the list, and save the file on your local hard disk.

YouTube videos transcription

Method 2: Get YouTube Transcription when Watching

In addition, if you are watching any other video, you can make YouTube transcribe that for you as well. You can follow the instructions given below to get the YouTube video to text transcription:

Step 1: Play the Video

Go to the video on YouTube and start playing it. Make sure NOT to get to full-screen mode as doing so would hide the option to transcribe the clip.

Step 2: Enable Transcription

Click the More icon (with three horizontal dots) from under the bottom-right corner of the video player, and click Open transcript to see the video transcription in the Transcript pane that appears in the right.

Step 3: Manage Timestamps

Click the Options icon (with three vertical dots) from the top-right corner of the Transcript pane, and click Toggle timestamp to enable or disable the timestamps in the video transcription.

Limitations of Using YouTube Transcribe

Although YouTube’s automatic transcription is a decent feature that saves you a lot of time, since Google uses machine learning algorithms to convert the speech to text, the level of accuracy may vary depending on the accent of the speaker, and the clarity of the audio the video has. Also, even sometime you may not be satisfied with the end-results.

Alternatively, you can use Kapwing to transcribe a YouTube video and download the transcription file with the below step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Add YouTube Video

Copy the URL of YouTube video you want to transcribe, go to https://www.kapwing.com/subtitles , paste the URL in the Paste a URL field, wait while Kapwing fetches the content of the video, and opens the Add subtitles to Video page.

Step 2: Transcribe the Video

Click Auto-generate from the right window, and follow the on-screen instructions to transcribe YouTube video to text.

Kapwing Auto Generate Subtitles

Step 3: Download the Transcription File

Click Download SRT from the left pane, and follow the instructions from there to download the transcription file in *.srt format.

Kapwing Auto Generate Subtitles

Pros

  • Kapwing is free to use
  • The auto-transcription process is quick and less tedious
  • Kapwing also allows manual transcription and uploading of an existing *.srt file

Cons

  • The auto-transcribed text might lack accuracy as the task is done by the speech-to-text tools that work in the background

You can follow the step-by-step instructions to transcribe a YouTube video and download the transcription file using Kapwing:

Step 1: Add YouTube Video

Copy the URL of YouTube video you want to transcribe, go to https://www.kapwing.com/subtitles , paste the URL in the Paste a URL field, wait while Kapwing fetches the content of the video, and opens the Add subtitles to Video page.

Step 2: Transcribe the Video

Click Auto-generate from the right window, and follow the on-screen instructions to transcribe YouTube video to text.

Kapwing Auto Generate Subtitles

Step 3: Download the Transcription File

Click Download SRT from the left pane, and follow the instructions from there to download the transcription file in *.srt format.

Kapwing Auto Generate Subtitles

Pros

  • Kapwing is free to use
  • The auto-transcription process is quick and less tedious
  • Kapwing also allows manual transcription and uploading of an existing *.srt file

Cons

  • The auto-transcribed text might lack accuracy as the task is done by the speech-to-text tools that work in the background

Part 3: Benefits of Transcribing YouTube Videos

You may need video transcriptions for several reasons, such as analyzing the summary of the entire speech in the video, extracting a single phrase or quote that was spoken in the clip, or making the video helpful even for those suffering from hearing impairment. When you transcribe a YouTube video, the transcript can be useful in many ways. Some of the most common benefits of transcribing a video include:

  • Search Engine Optimization

When you add subtitles, the text can appear in Google search results when someone types a similar phrase in the search box. This helps get more views to your videos, thus giving your channel popularity, and you, monetary gains in the long run.

  • Accent

If the speaker in the video is from a different region and is using an accent that you are not much comfortable with, you can turn on the subtitles and read the dialogs along with the video.

  • Repurposing on Blogs

If you own a blog that you have embedded your video to, the transcription could be used to add text to it so the target audience can get a fair idea of what the video is all about. This is useful because many people prefer reading over watching.

YouTube Video Transcription FAQs

1. How to Transcribe YouTube Video to Text

Usually the transcription files have *.srt extension that are globally accepted and supported by almost all media players. However, there might be instances when you want to have the subtitles in plain text.

That said, to convert an SRT file to TXT, you can:

  • Right-click the SRT file
  • Go to Rename
  • Replace srt with txt and press Enter
  • Click OK on the confirmation box that appears next to convert SRT to TXT

After this, you can simply double-click the file, and read and modify the transcribed content as needed.

2. How to Edit and Upload Edited Transcript to YouTube

If you made any modifications to the transcript that was automatically generated by YouTube or any other third-party transcription tool, you can follow the steps given below to upload the new file to the YouTube video:

  • Go to YouTube Studio and then to the Channel subtitles page as explained earlier
  • Expand the Languages column of the target video
  • Click the Options icon that appears under the Subtitles column when you hover mouse on to it
  • Click Edit on Classic Studio
  • On the next page, click Edit from the top-right corner

Edit YouTube subtitles

  • Click to open the Actions drop-down list from the upper-left corner
  • Click Upload a file
    • Follow the on-screen instructions from there to upload the modified transcription file
    • Click Save Changes from the top-right corner of the page when done

Conclusion

If you are looking for a quick and easy way of adding subtitles to your videos, letting YouTube transcribe for you could be a good approach. However, because these auto-generated transcriptions are created by machine learning algorithms, their accuracy cannot be counted on. Therefore, the best way to get the job done accurately is, let YouTube auto-transcribe your video, download the transcription file, make the necessary changes to it, and then upload the file back to the video.

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you want to transcribe your videos to make the dialogs and speeches available in text format, you can use YouTube Transcribe feature that the streaming site offers for free. In this article, I’ll share with you a couple of methods to transcribe a YouTube video for free.

Part 1: How to Transcribe YouTube Video Automatically for Free [2 Ways]

Besides the basic video editing features on the YouTube platform, you can now quickly transcribe YouTube videos to the text as well. The good thing is, you can either use the automatic transcription feature that YouTube offers, or upload it manually while adjusting the timing as you go further.

Below are the two methods to transcribe your YouTube videos for free:

Method 1: Use the Automated Transcription Service on YouTube

As the name suggests, YouTube automatic transcription service works automatically. This means you don’t even have to click the ‘Transcribe’ button anymore to transcribe a YouTube video, and the website takes care of it on its own. All you need to do is, choose English as the language of the video when setting up subtitles. You can follow the instructions given below to do so:

Step 1 Upload a Video

Sign in to your YouTube account, click your profile picture from the top-right corner, and click YouTube Studio from the menu. Next, click CREATE from the upper-right corner, click Upload videos from the menu, and drag and drop a video from your computer to the Upload videos box that appears next.

Upload YouTube videos

Step 2 Select Transcription Language

On the Details page of the next box that appears, scroll down and click MORE OPTIONS, and select English in the Video language drop-down list under the Language, subtitles, and closed captions (CC) section.

Select Language on YouTube

Step 3 Publish the Video

Follow the on-screen instructions from this point to publish the video, and wait while YouTube automatically transcribes and adds the close captions to it.

Note: Depending on the duration of the clip, the time YouTube would take to transcribe may vary.

After YouTube has transcribed the video, you can download the transcription file in your preferred format. The instructions are given below explain how you can do so:

  1. Get to the Subtitles Window

While on the YouTube Studio page, click Subtitles from the left pane to go to the Channel subtitles page. And then click the video you want to modify.

  1. Get to Classic Studio

In the video subtitle page of the target video, hover mouse on the Published Automatic status under the Subtitles column, click the Options icon (with three vertical dots) that appears, and click Edit on Classic Studio.

YouTube Classic Studio

  1. Download Transcription File

Click and open the Actions drop-down list from the top-left corner of the left pane, click your preferred transcription format including .vtt, .srt and .sbv from the list, and save the file on your local hard disk.

YouTube videos transcription

Method 2: Get YouTube Transcription when Watching

In addition, if you are watching any other video, you can make YouTube transcribe that for you as well. You can follow the instructions given below to get the YouTube video to text transcription:

Step 1: Play the Video

Go to the video on YouTube and start playing it. Make sure NOT to get to full-screen mode as doing so would hide the option to transcribe the clip.

Step 2: Enable Transcription

Click the More icon (with three horizontal dots) from under the bottom-right corner of the video player, and click Open transcript to see the video transcription in the Transcript pane that appears in the right.

Step 3: Manage Timestamps

Click the Options icon (with three vertical dots) from the top-right corner of the Transcript pane, and click Toggle timestamp to enable or disable the timestamps in the video transcription.

Limitations of Using YouTube Transcribe

Although YouTube’s automatic transcription is a decent feature that saves you a lot of time, since Google uses machine learning algorithms to convert the speech to text, the level of accuracy may vary depending on the accent of the speaker, and the clarity of the audio the video has. Also, even sometime you may not be satisfied with the end-results.

Alternatively, you can use Kapwing to transcribe a YouTube video and download the transcription file with the below step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Add YouTube Video

Copy the URL of YouTube video you want to transcribe, go to https://www.kapwing.com/subtitles , paste the URL in the Paste a URL field, wait while Kapwing fetches the content of the video, and opens the Add subtitles to Video page.

Step 2: Transcribe the Video

Click Auto-generate from the right window, and follow the on-screen instructions to transcribe YouTube video to text.

Kapwing Auto Generate Subtitles

Step 3: Download the Transcription File

Click Download SRT from the left pane, and follow the instructions from there to download the transcription file in *.srt format.

Kapwing Auto Generate Subtitles

Pros

  • Kapwing is free to use
  • The auto-transcription process is quick and less tedious
  • Kapwing also allows manual transcription and uploading of an existing *.srt file

Cons

  • The auto-transcribed text might lack accuracy as the task is done by the speech-to-text tools that work in the background

You can follow the step-by-step instructions to transcribe a YouTube video and download the transcription file using Kapwing:

Step 1: Add YouTube Video

Copy the URL of YouTube video you want to transcribe, go to https://www.kapwing.com/subtitles , paste the URL in the Paste a URL field, wait while Kapwing fetches the content of the video, and opens the Add subtitles to Video page.

Step 2: Transcribe the Video

Click Auto-generate from the right window, and follow the on-screen instructions to transcribe YouTube video to text.

Kapwing Auto Generate Subtitles

Step 3: Download the Transcription File

Click Download SRT from the left pane, and follow the instructions from there to download the transcription file in *.srt format.

Kapwing Auto Generate Subtitles

Pros

  • Kapwing is free to use
  • The auto-transcription process is quick and less tedious
  • Kapwing also allows manual transcription and uploading of an existing *.srt file

Cons

  • The auto-transcribed text might lack accuracy as the task is done by the speech-to-text tools that work in the background

Part 3: Benefits of Transcribing YouTube Videos

You may need video transcriptions for several reasons, such as analyzing the summary of the entire speech in the video, extracting a single phrase or quote that was spoken in the clip, or making the video helpful even for those suffering from hearing impairment. When you transcribe a YouTube video, the transcript can be useful in many ways. Some of the most common benefits of transcribing a video include:

  • Search Engine Optimization

When you add subtitles, the text can appear in Google search results when someone types a similar phrase in the search box. This helps get more views to your videos, thus giving your channel popularity, and you, monetary gains in the long run.

  • Accent

If the speaker in the video is from a different region and is using an accent that you are not much comfortable with, you can turn on the subtitles and read the dialogs along with the video.

  • Repurposing on Blogs

If you own a blog that you have embedded your video to, the transcription could be used to add text to it so the target audience can get a fair idea of what the video is all about. This is useful because many people prefer reading over watching.

YouTube Video Transcription FAQs

1. How to Transcribe YouTube Video to Text

Usually the transcription files have *.srt extension that are globally accepted and supported by almost all media players. However, there might be instances when you want to have the subtitles in plain text.

That said, to convert an SRT file to TXT, you can:

  • Right-click the SRT file
  • Go to Rename
  • Replace srt with txt and press Enter
  • Click OK on the confirmation box that appears next to convert SRT to TXT

After this, you can simply double-click the file, and read and modify the transcribed content as needed.

2. How to Edit and Upload Edited Transcript to YouTube

If you made any modifications to the transcript that was automatically generated by YouTube or any other third-party transcription tool, you can follow the steps given below to upload the new file to the YouTube video:

  • Go to YouTube Studio and then to the Channel subtitles page as explained earlier
  • Expand the Languages column of the target video
  • Click the Options icon that appears under the Subtitles column when you hover mouse on to it
  • Click Edit on Classic Studio
  • On the next page, click Edit from the top-right corner

Edit YouTube subtitles

  • Click to open the Actions drop-down list from the upper-left corner
  • Click Upload a file
    • Follow the on-screen instructions from there to upload the modified transcription file
    • Click Save Changes from the top-right corner of the page when done

Conclusion

If you are looking for a quick and easy way of adding subtitles to your videos, letting YouTube transcribe for you could be a good approach. However, because these auto-generated transcriptions are created by machine learning algorithms, their accuracy cannot be counted on. Therefore, the best way to get the job done accurately is, let YouTube auto-transcribe your video, download the transcription file, make the necessary changes to it, and then upload the file back to the video.

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Learn The Art Of Video to Animation: Stepwise Guide for Efficient Gif Creation

GIF editor: How to Make Animated GIF Images online from YouTube Video

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

YouTube videos are fun and easy to access, they deliver a very good value and you will always have fun using them. But there are situations where these videos can integrate some interesting, funny moments and this is why creating a GIF out of them can be a good idea. You can make GIF from video if you want and all you need is a good GIF editor, which is very impressive to say the least.

You May Also Like:
Royalty free music for YouTube Videos >>
Best Screen Recorders for YouTube >>

It’s not a problem to use the GIF files as a way to express yourself so using a GIF editor to create the GIF you want is not only interesting, it can also bring in front a very good value and interesting options for sure. You should totally give it a shot if you can.

Tools that can help you make gif images from YouTube video

Lots of apps can help you do this and most of them are online based. This basically means that you can create a GIF from video without that much of a hassle. All you have to do is to find the right video and the best moments, edit it and then use this video to create the GIF you want. The process is easy and fun and it will provide you with a great value for sure.

1. imgur.com

This tool requires you to add in the YouTube link and then you press Enter. Once you do that the app will do its job on its own. It’s certainly a very interesting option and one that will deliver a lot of value for all kinds of users. It’s an exciting experience for sure just because you get so much value and incredible results without that much of a hassle. You can add captions to the app which is great.

2. likeyoyo.com

Using this app is simple, you paste the URL, press Enter and then the GIF is created automatically. They integrate some share buttons and a set of tools to help you move this, but it’s not that hard to use and it’s very user friendly to be honest.

3. makeagif.com

This is a great, easy to use online tool that just requires you to add in the video URL you want and then wait until it’s done. It’s certainly a great tool to use and one that will deliver a lot of value.

Add more fun on your GIF with Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora is a refined application that allows you to make GIF from video fast and with great results. It features an interesting set of tools, it’s very easy to modify and it does bring in front interesting options for sure. It’s designed with ease of use in mind and it does enable you to add in many animated effects which is always a major plus for this kind of tool.

However, if you want to make a GIF online, Filmora meme maker is your ultimate solution. It helps you make image, GIF and video memes directly without watermark. It is totally FREE to use and no sign up. You can change text size, color and position to create caption when you are editing. You can also put text inside or outside in GIF. Just with a few clicks, your GIF is done. Try it now!

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

How to use?

Using Wondershare Filmora is actually very easy and the process is designed in order to deliver lots of value to the user without making the experience complex or boring. In fact, you just have to use the following steps in order to get the best results:

  • At first you will have to import your GIF file and it allows you to bring in front immense possibilities since you can edit GIF on the fly.
  • Once you have the file imported, you will need to drag that file you want to edit to the timeline.
  • Double clik on the clip in the timeline. You will be able to edit GIF, you can rotate, scale or flip which is very helpful.

gif editor

  • Although it’s not mandatory, you can try to add filter to the GIF in order to make the experience more interesting.

gif editor

  • Lastly, when you are done with the process you can export to format GIF. This is a very good value and it will provide you with a stellar experience.

gif editor

Conclusion

Using Wondershare Filmora in order to edit GIF and create GIF from video is a very good idea. The app is designed to offer some amazing features and it’s also very easy to use. If you want to take on such a task, then Wondershare Filmora is certainly the tool for you so just give it a shot and you are bound to love it!

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

YouTube videos are fun and easy to access, they deliver a very good value and you will always have fun using them. But there are situations where these videos can integrate some interesting, funny moments and this is why creating a GIF out of them can be a good idea. You can make GIF from video if you want and all you need is a good GIF editor, which is very impressive to say the least.

You May Also Like:
Royalty free music for YouTube Videos >>
Best Screen Recorders for YouTube >>

It’s not a problem to use the GIF files as a way to express yourself so using a GIF editor to create the GIF you want is not only interesting, it can also bring in front a very good value and interesting options for sure. You should totally give it a shot if you can.

Tools that can help you make gif images from YouTube video

Lots of apps can help you do this and most of them are online based. This basically means that you can create a GIF from video without that much of a hassle. All you have to do is to find the right video and the best moments, edit it and then use this video to create the GIF you want. The process is easy and fun and it will provide you with a great value for sure.

1. imgur.com

This tool requires you to add in the YouTube link and then you press Enter. Once you do that the app will do its job on its own. It’s certainly a very interesting option and one that will deliver a lot of value for all kinds of users. It’s an exciting experience for sure just because you get so much value and incredible results without that much of a hassle. You can add captions to the app which is great.

2. likeyoyo.com

Using this app is simple, you paste the URL, press Enter and then the GIF is created automatically. They integrate some share buttons and a set of tools to help you move this, but it’s not that hard to use and it’s very user friendly to be honest.

3. makeagif.com

This is a great, easy to use online tool that just requires you to add in the video URL you want and then wait until it’s done. It’s certainly a great tool to use and one that will deliver a lot of value.

Add more fun on your GIF with Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora is a refined application that allows you to make GIF from video fast and with great results. It features an interesting set of tools, it’s very easy to modify and it does bring in front interesting options for sure. It’s designed with ease of use in mind and it does enable you to add in many animated effects which is always a major plus for this kind of tool.

However, if you want to make a GIF online, Filmora meme maker is your ultimate solution. It helps you make image, GIF and video memes directly without watermark. It is totally FREE to use and no sign up. You can change text size, color and position to create caption when you are editing. You can also put text inside or outside in GIF. Just with a few clicks, your GIF is done. Try it now!

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

How to use?

Using Wondershare Filmora is actually very easy and the process is designed in order to deliver lots of value to the user without making the experience complex or boring. In fact, you just have to use the following steps in order to get the best results:

  • At first you will have to import your GIF file and it allows you to bring in front immense possibilities since you can edit GIF on the fly.
  • Once you have the file imported, you will need to drag that file you want to edit to the timeline.
  • Double clik on the clip in the timeline. You will be able to edit GIF, you can rotate, scale or flip which is very helpful.

gif editor

  • Although it’s not mandatory, you can try to add filter to the GIF in order to make the experience more interesting.

gif editor

  • Lastly, when you are done with the process you can export to format GIF. This is a very good value and it will provide you with a stellar experience.

gif editor

Conclusion

Using Wondershare Filmora in order to edit GIF and create GIF from video is a very good idea. The app is designed to offer some amazing features and it’s also very easy to use. If you want to take on such a task, then Wondershare Filmora is certainly the tool for you so just give it a shot and you are bound to love it!

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

YouTube videos are fun and easy to access, they deliver a very good value and you will always have fun using them. But there are situations where these videos can integrate some interesting, funny moments and this is why creating a GIF out of them can be a good idea. You can make GIF from video if you want and all you need is a good GIF editor, which is very impressive to say the least.

You May Also Like:
Royalty free music for YouTube Videos >>
Best Screen Recorders for YouTube >>

It’s not a problem to use the GIF files as a way to express yourself so using a GIF editor to create the GIF you want is not only interesting, it can also bring in front a very good value and interesting options for sure. You should totally give it a shot if you can.

Tools that can help you make gif images from YouTube video

Lots of apps can help you do this and most of them are online based. This basically means that you can create a GIF from video without that much of a hassle. All you have to do is to find the right video and the best moments, edit it and then use this video to create the GIF you want. The process is easy and fun and it will provide you with a great value for sure.

1. imgur.com

This tool requires you to add in the YouTube link and then you press Enter. Once you do that the app will do its job on its own. It’s certainly a very interesting option and one that will deliver a lot of value for all kinds of users. It’s an exciting experience for sure just because you get so much value and incredible results without that much of a hassle. You can add captions to the app which is great.

2. likeyoyo.com

Using this app is simple, you paste the URL, press Enter and then the GIF is created automatically. They integrate some share buttons and a set of tools to help you move this, but it’s not that hard to use and it’s very user friendly to be honest.

3. makeagif.com

This is a great, easy to use online tool that just requires you to add in the video URL you want and then wait until it’s done. It’s certainly a great tool to use and one that will deliver a lot of value.

Add more fun on your GIF with Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora is a refined application that allows you to make GIF from video fast and with great results. It features an interesting set of tools, it’s very easy to modify and it does bring in front interesting options for sure. It’s designed with ease of use in mind and it does enable you to add in many animated effects which is always a major plus for this kind of tool.

However, if you want to make a GIF online, Filmora meme maker is your ultimate solution. It helps you make image, GIF and video memes directly without watermark. It is totally FREE to use and no sign up. You can change text size, color and position to create caption when you are editing. You can also put text inside or outside in GIF. Just with a few clicks, your GIF is done. Try it now!

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

How to use?

Using Wondershare Filmora is actually very easy and the process is designed in order to deliver lots of value to the user without making the experience complex or boring. In fact, you just have to use the following steps in order to get the best results:

  • At first you will have to import your GIF file and it allows you to bring in front immense possibilities since you can edit GIF on the fly.
  • Once you have the file imported, you will need to drag that file you want to edit to the timeline.
  • Double clik on the clip in the timeline. You will be able to edit GIF, you can rotate, scale or flip which is very helpful.

gif editor

  • Although it’s not mandatory, you can try to add filter to the GIF in order to make the experience more interesting.

gif editor

  • Lastly, when you are done with the process you can export to format GIF. This is a very good value and it will provide you with a stellar experience.

gif editor

Conclusion

Using Wondershare Filmora in order to edit GIF and create GIF from video is a very good idea. The app is designed to offer some amazing features and it’s also very easy to use. If you want to take on such a task, then Wondershare Filmora is certainly the tool for you so just give it a shot and you are bound to love it!

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

YouTube videos are fun and easy to access, they deliver a very good value and you will always have fun using them. But there are situations where these videos can integrate some interesting, funny moments and this is why creating a GIF out of them can be a good idea. You can make GIF from video if you want and all you need is a good GIF editor, which is very impressive to say the least.

You May Also Like:
Royalty free music for YouTube Videos >>
Best Screen Recorders for YouTube >>

It’s not a problem to use the GIF files as a way to express yourself so using a GIF editor to create the GIF you want is not only interesting, it can also bring in front a very good value and interesting options for sure. You should totally give it a shot if you can.

Tools that can help you make gif images from YouTube video

Lots of apps can help you do this and most of them are online based. This basically means that you can create a GIF from video without that much of a hassle. All you have to do is to find the right video and the best moments, edit it and then use this video to create the GIF you want. The process is easy and fun and it will provide you with a great value for sure.

1. imgur.com

This tool requires you to add in the YouTube link and then you press Enter. Once you do that the app will do its job on its own. It’s certainly a very interesting option and one that will deliver a lot of value for all kinds of users. It’s an exciting experience for sure just because you get so much value and incredible results without that much of a hassle. You can add captions to the app which is great.

2. likeyoyo.com

Using this app is simple, you paste the URL, press Enter and then the GIF is created automatically. They integrate some share buttons and a set of tools to help you move this, but it’s not that hard to use and it’s very user friendly to be honest.

3. makeagif.com

This is a great, easy to use online tool that just requires you to add in the video URL you want and then wait until it’s done. It’s certainly a great tool to use and one that will deliver a lot of value.

Add more fun on your GIF with Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora is a refined application that allows you to make GIF from video fast and with great results. It features an interesting set of tools, it’s very easy to modify and it does bring in front interesting options for sure. It’s designed with ease of use in mind and it does enable you to add in many animated effects which is always a major plus for this kind of tool.

However, if you want to make a GIF online, Filmora meme maker is your ultimate solution. It helps you make image, GIF and video memes directly without watermark. It is totally FREE to use and no sign up. You can change text size, color and position to create caption when you are editing. You can also put text inside or outside in GIF. Just with a few clicks, your GIF is done. Try it now!

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

How to use?

Using Wondershare Filmora is actually very easy and the process is designed in order to deliver lots of value to the user without making the experience complex or boring. In fact, you just have to use the following steps in order to get the best results:

  • At first you will have to import your GIF file and it allows you to bring in front immense possibilities since you can edit GIF on the fly.
  • Once you have the file imported, you will need to drag that file you want to edit to the timeline.
  • Double clik on the clip in the timeline. You will be able to edit GIF, you can rotate, scale or flip which is very helpful.

gif editor

  • Although it’s not mandatory, you can try to add filter to the GIF in order to make the experience more interesting.

gif editor

  • Lastly, when you are done with the process you can export to format GIF. This is a very good value and it will provide you with a stellar experience.

gif editor

Conclusion

Using Wondershare Filmora in order to edit GIF and create GIF from video is a very good idea. The app is designed to offer some amazing features and it’s also very easy to use. If you want to take on such a task, then Wondershare Filmora is certainly the tool for you so just give it a shot and you are bound to love it!

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

  • Title: "2024 Approved How to Transcribe a YouTube Video for FREE"
  • Author: Thomas
  • Created at : 2024-05-31 12:46:16
  • Updated at : 2024-06-01 12:46:16
  • Link: https://youtube-help.techidaily.com/2024-approved-how-to-transcribe-a-youtube-video-for-free/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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