YouTube to Text: Familiarize Yourself with these 3 Easy Ways

Convert YouTube Video to Text in 3 Easy Ways [Step-by-Step]

• Why Convert YouTube Video to Text
• How to Convert YouTube to Text with Built-in Transcript Generator [Detailed Steps]
• Best Way to Convert Any YouTube Video to Text with High Accuracy
• Simple Steps to Convert YouTube Video to Text Using ElevenLabs
• FAQs about YouTube to Text

Why Convert YouTube Video to Text

Converting a YouTube video into text offers numerous benefits; it also helps viewers, language learners, researchers, and anyone who prefers reading over watching. Here’s why converting YouTube videos to text can be a game-changer:

Boost Search Visibility – Search engines can’t watch videos, but they can read text. By providing a transcript of your YouTube video, your content becomes indexable, increasing its chances of appearing in both YouTube and Google search results. Using keyword-optimized transcripts can help your videos rank higher, attracting more viewers and driving traffic to your channel.

Repurpose Content Across Platforms – Besides boosting search visibility, a text version of your video makes it easy to create blog posts, social media updates, email newsletters, e-books, guides, and more. This extends the value of your original video and helps you reach different audiences in multiple formats.

Quick Reference and Research – Did you know that reading a YouTube transcript is often faster than watching the full video? Transcripts let users skim key points, search for specific information, or quote content without replaying the entire video.

Expand Your Audience – Lastly, text transcripts make videos accessible to viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as those who simply prefer reading. They can also be translated for non-English speakers, helping you reach a global audience and improve engagement.

How to Convert YouTube to Text with Built-in Transcript Generator [Detailed Steps]

The first option you can use to convert YouTube to text is to use the platform’s built-in transcript feature. This feature automatically generates a transcript for uploaded videos, complete with accurate timestamps. You can copy and paste the transcript elsewhere for editing. What makes this built-in feature particularly useful is that it offers translation into various languages, making it easier to improve accessibility. Using it is also simple. Just follow the steps below.

Here’s how you do it:

• Go to the YouTube video you want to extract the transcript from, head to the description, and click the “…more” button.

• After that, scroll down slightly and click the “Show transcript” button. The transcript will then automatically appear on the right side of the video preview.

• You can preview the transcript along with its accurate timestamps. If you are satisfied with it, you can copy it by selecting the text manually. Click and drag to highlight the transcript, then use Ctrl+C (Windows) or Cmd+C (Mac) to copy it.

• Once you have copied the transcript, you can paste it into any text editor for modification. That’s it! This is how you convert YouTube to text using the platform’s built-in transcript generator feature.

Pros

• Easy to access and provides direct transcription without leaving the video.
• Provides accurate transcripts.
• Enables you to translate the transcript into other languages.

Cons

• No direct copy button and no option to export it as a text file.
• Not available for all videos, especially when the audio is unclear, the language is not supported by the platform’s auto captions, or the creator has disabled auto captions.

Best Way to Convert Any YouTube Video to Text with High Accuracy

If the video you want to convert into text doesn’t include a transcript on YouTube, you can use RecCloud’s Free YouTube Transcript Generator as an alternative. This web-based tool offers a fast way to generate accurate transcripts with timestamps for any YouTube video, even if it has no captions or the audio is unclear due to background noise. It is powered by AI trained on thousands of long videos to deliver over 98% accuracy. It doesn’t just transcribe YouTube videos; it also understands and captures every word, from lectures to fast-paced dialogue. Aside from that, unlike YouTube’s built-in transcript generator, this tool offers over 100 languages for translating generated transcripts into your preferred language while keeping the original message intact. Do you want to know how to use this tool to convert YouTube to text? Explore the simple steps below.

Here’s how you can use it:

• In your browser, copy the URL of the YouTube video that you wish to convert into text. Then, visit RecCloud’s Free YouTube Transcript Generator website and paste the copied URL into its link input field.

• After that, click the “Language” dropdown menu and choose the language you wish to translate the video into. Then, click the “Get Transcript” button to start the transcription process.

• Next, once the tool finishes transcribing the YouTube video, it will automatically display the transcript with timestamps in your chosen language. You can edit it by clicking the “Pen” icon or translate it into another language by clicking the “Switch” button.

• If you are satisfied with the transcript, click the “Export video” button, choose “Subtitles only (with the language name you selected for the transcript)”, and then click “Subtitles (SRT)”, which will serve as the transcript with timestamps.

Pros

• Easy to use with an intuitive interface.
• Offers free SRT export (which serves as the transcript).
• Allows you to create transcripts written in two different languages (bilingual).
• Enables you to edit subtitles’ look if you wish to export the video with the transcript.
• Lets you export the transcript with timestamps as an SRT file or together with the video.

Cons

• Only offers a free trial.

Simple Steps to Convert YouTube Video to Text Using ElevenLabs

If you prefer a simple and free online YouTube to text converter that offers straightforward transcript generation, you should try ElevenLabs. Like the first tool featured earlier, it can generate a transcript for any YouTube video. You just need to provide the video’s link, and the tool will automatically create a transcript. What sets this tool apart is that it offers multiple output formats. You can save the transcript as TXT, PDF, HTML, SRT, DOCX, or JSON!

Here’s how you can use it:

• Copy the YouTube video link and go to the ElevenLabs website. After that, paste the copied URL into its link input field.

• Next, click the “TRANSCRIBE VIDEO” button to start the transcription process. Once it is done, the tool will preview the output for you to review.

• Once you are satisfied with it, click the “DOWNLOAD” button and select “TEXT (.TXT)” to save the transcript as a text file. That’s it!

Pros

• Has an intuitive interface.
• Easy to use and offers free transcript generation.
• Offers fast generation.

Cons

• Does not allow editing of the generated transcript.
• The generated transcript doesn’t come with timestamps.
• The displayed transcript format is messy.

FAQs about YouTube to Text

1. Are YouTube transcripts accurate for all languages?

YouTube’s auto-captions support many popular languages, but accuracy can vary depending on audio quality and accent. Tools like RecCloud provide transcripts in over 100 languages with higher accuracy and also allow translation between languages.

2. What is the best format to export a transcript?

The best format depends on your intended use: TXT or DOCX is ideal for editing or reading, while SRT is best if you want to use the transcript as subtitles for videos.

3. Can I convert any YouTube video to text, even if it has no captions?

Yes. While YouTube’s built-in transcript only works for videos with auto-generated or uploaded captions, tools like RecCloud or ElevenLabs can transcribe any video. They use AI to generate accurate text, even for videos without captions or with background noise.

Conclusion

Converting YouTube to text makes it simple to save time, improve accessibility, and expand your content’s reach. Tools like YouTube’s built-in transcript, RecCloud, or ElevenLabs allow you to obtain accurate transcripts for studying, content repurposing, or SEO. Using these methods helps you engage a wider audience and makes your videos more versatile. Try one of these tools to quickly convert any YouTube video to text.