YouTube has a built-in transcript feature, but it's rough — no speaker labels, messy formatting, and only if captions exist. Here's how to use it, and how to get a clean transcript instead.
Click '…more' under the video, then 'Show transcript.' Free and instant, but no speaker labels, no clean formatting, and it only works if the video has captions.
RecapGPT transcribes the actual audio — so it works even without captions — and adds speaker labels, clickable timestamps, and clean paragraphs.
A good transcript tool exports to .txt, .docx, .srt, .vtt, and Markdown. YouTube's feature only lets you copy-paste raw text.
Auto-captions miss names, jargon, and technical terms. Audio-based transcription catches them — important for research, citation, or content work.
Grab the YouTube link.
Drop it in the box above to start transcribing.
Get a clean, searchable, speaker-labeled transcript you can export.
Cite accurately with verifiable timestamps.
Search a long interview for one quote in seconds.
Repurpose video into written content from a clean transcript.
Yes, for videos with captions. Click the '…more' menu under the video and select 'Show transcript.' It's free but unformatted, with no speaker labels.
YouTube's feature won't work without captions. A tool that transcribes the audio directly — like RecapGPT — can transcribe any video regardless of whether captions exist.
YouTube only lets you copy the text. A transcript tool lets you export to .txt, .docx, .srt, .vtt, or Markdown.
RecapGPT offers 3 free transcripts per month with no credit card. YouTube's built-in transcript is also free but lower quality.
3 notes free every month. Pro is $5.99/mo. No credit card required to start.
Get started — free →