Free YouTube Transcript Generator: Convert Videos to Text Instantly
Manual transcription is slow, frustrating, and prone to errors. With Otter’s free YouTube Transcript Generator, you can turn YouTube videos into accurate, editable text in seconds — from interviews and tutorials to webinars and podcasts. Otter makes it easy to convert YouTube to text and keep your content organized, searchable, and ready to share.
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Free YouTube Transcript Generator: Convert Videos to Text Instantly
Manual transcription is slow, frustrating, and prone to errors. With Otter’s free YouTube Transcript Generator, you can turn YouTube videos into accurate, editable text in seconds — from interviews and tutorials to webinars and podcasts. Otter makes it easy to convert YouTube to text and keep your content organized, searchable, and ready to share.
Features & Benefits
- Instant transcription
Upload your YouTube video file or play it aloud. Otter will begin transcribing it in real time using advanced AI-powered transcription technology.
- Supports popular video and audio formats
Otter works with MP4, MP3, and more to transcribe YouTube videos. Whether you download the video first or extract audio, Otter handles it smoothly.
- Built for content creators and professionals
Ideal for educators, content creators, marketers, and anyone who needs a clean, accurate transcript from YouTube content.
- Multi-speaker detection
Otter separates and labels different voices, making it easier to follow conversations or interviews.
- Searchable, editable, and shareable
Jump to key moments using timestamps and share with your team in just a few clicks.
- Export in your preferred format
You can download your transcript as a TXT, PDF, DOCX, or SRT file. This format is great for repurposing or creating subtitles.
- Otter AI Chat
Ask Otter questions about your transcript, get it to summarize long conversations, or pull out highlights without reading everything.
- Free to get started
Use Otter’s free plan with 300 minutes of transcription each month. No credit card required.
Step-by-Step Guide
To get a transcript of a YouTube video, head to Otter.ai and log in or create a free account. Then, choose how you want to bring in your YouTube content:
Play the video alound: Open the YouTube video in your browser or app and play it aloud while Otter listens using your device’s microphone. This quick, no-download method works best in quiet environments.
Upload the video file: If you can access the video file (such as an MP4 download), simply upload it directly to Otter. Whether you're using a YouTube converter or downloading the video another way, this method gives the highest accuracy since Otter processes the audio directly. To upload, go to My Conversations in your Otter dashboard, click the Import button, and select your file.
Otter begins transcribing right away. The words appear in real-time as the video plays or as the file is processed. No need to take notes or keep up manually — Otter auto-detects every word and even identifies speakers. You can also pause and resume playback while Otter keeps your transcript in sync.
Once the transcript is complete, you can fine-tune it directly in Otter’s editor. Click on any word or timestamp to jump to that moment in the video. Then, fix any inaccuracies, add punctuation, tag speakers, and highlight important notes.
When you're done editing your YouTube video transcript, choose how you want to use or share it. Simply copy and paste it, or export the text in a variety of formats — TXT for raw text, DOCX for documents, PDF for easy sharing, or SRT for subtitles. You can also share a link to the full transcript with your team or collaborators directly from Otter.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, Otter’s free plan includes 300 minutes of transcription per month.
Otter is one of the most accurate and reliable video transcript generators available. It offers real-time transcription, speaker detection, and smart AI transcription features like summaries and search.
Once your transcript is complete, download it in TXT, DOCX, PDF, or SRT format.
Otter supports English, Spanish, and French, along with a variety of regional accents.
Otter supports both! Transcribe a live video as it plays or upload a saved YouTube file.
Otter protects your data with encryption and secure access controls. Only you and the people you share with can view your transcripts.
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