YOUTUBE TRANSCRIPTION FOR LONG RECORDINGS

Transcribe long YouTube videos
from a URL.

Paste an accessible public YouTube video or Shorts URL: you do not need to download it to your device. LongScribe uses captions when available or transcribes reachable speech with AI. Three hours is 180 transcription minutes; signed-in Free includes 60 minutes across 20 recordings per month, subject to remaining allowance, per-job limits and source availability. Completed eligible account jobs can export TXT, SRT, DOCX or JSON; the anonymous demo is a separate flow with its own limits.

20 transcriptions + 60 min / month Try without an account Handles long recordings No install Source file kept temporarily, then deleted automatically

THE FINISHED RESULT

A transcript you can actually work with

Search the text, jump back to the exact moment in the video, fix a name, then export the format your workflow needs.

TXTSRTDOCXJSON

Example transcript

00:00Long recordings keep processing in the background.

00:14Search the finished transcript using clickable timestamps.

00:29Export the result as text, subtitles, Word or JSON.

How do I transcribe a YouTube video?

Paste an accessible YouTube video URL. LongScribe tries to retrieve its audio and generates a timestamped speech transcript to review and export. Private or unavailable videos may not work.

LONGSCRIBE PREMIUM

20 recordings to try, then $4.99/month

Premium includes up to 500 recordings per month when YouTube transcription becomes a recurring workflow. Normal Free includes 60 minutes across 20 recordings each month. For an eligible first recording, a one-time admission exception can allow up to 180 minutes even when the ordinary quota admission check would block that job. Any completed recording still counts toward current-month Free usage; this is not a recurring additional allowance. If a longer first recording cannot fit the remaining budget, some supported sources may receive a limited preview instead of a full transcript. Individual source, file and safety limits still apply.

$4.99/month

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How to transcribe a YouTube video to text

Paste the video link, pick a mode and language, and LongScribe pulls captions or transcribes the audio with AI. Download as TXT, SRT, DOCX or JSON.

How can I transcribe a 3-hour YouTube video without downloading it?

Paste a single accessible public YouTube watch or Shorts URL into the YouTube form. You do not need to download the media to your computer. Check the job in your account, review the recognized speech and timestamps, then download TXT for a transcript or SRT for timed subtitles. Three hours uses 180 of the 60 Free monthly minutes and one of the 20 recording slots when enough allowance remains. Private, region-restricted, DRM-protected or unreachable videos may fail. Individual job and source limits also apply.

YouTube to transcript — not just a caption viewer

LongScribe first uses existing captions when they are available. If a video has no captions, the AI fallback can still turn its audio into text, so the result is useful for more than captioned videos.

YouTube Shorts use the same URL workflow

Paste a public youtube.com/shorts/... link directly. LongScribe recognizes the Short as YouTube media, preserves the same video identity used by watch URLs, and produces the same timestamped transcript and export formats.

Import a whole YouTube playlist

Paste a public YouTube playlist link, or a video link that belongs to a playlist and choose Browse playlist videos. LongScribe lists the videos with their length and shows which ones you have already transcribed. Select the ones you want - up to 50 per import - and they are queued as one batch that transcribes one after another. Playlist import is a Premium feature and previewing needs an account. Only public playlists work; private, members-only and live or upcoming videos cannot be selected.

3-hour, 5-hour and 10-hour YouTube videos

Use the same URL workflow for a 3-hour, 5-hour or 10-hour YouTube video. The length becomes transcription minutes for your account; it is not a separate page or a separate product mode.

YouTube transcripts for search, notes and scripts

Use the finished text as a YouTube transcript, a rough script, meeting notes from a recorded call, or source material for articles and summaries. You can edit it before sharing or downloading.

YouTube Live streams and long recordings

public YouTube Live streams and completed live replays use the same background queue when the media is reachable, so you can close the tab and come back to the finished text.

When three recordings are not enough

Use up to 20 recordings and 60 minutes each month on the normal Free allowance. Premium includes up to 500 recordings per month for $4.99/month, so a recurring channel or research workflow does not stop at the next recording.

Caption mode vs AI mode

Automatic mode uses captions first - the fastest path, and it works even for multi-hour streams. When captions aren't available, AI fallback transcribes the audio with a Whisper-based model. Accuracy depends on the recording, language and speaker overlap; you can also force a specific mode and pick a language.

First real transcription after signup

Normal Free includes 60 minutes across 20 recordings each month. For an eligible first recording, a one-time admission exception can allow up to 180 minutes even when the ordinary quota admission check would block that job. Any completed recording still counts toward current-month Free usage; this is not a recurring additional allowance. If a longer first recording cannot fit the remaining budget, some supported sources may receive a limited preview instead of a full transcript. Individual source, file and safety limits still apply.

Edit, search and share

Edit the finished transcript in the browser, search it with clickable timestamps (jump to that moment in the video) and share it with a public link — handy for notes, articles and collaboration.

What it's for

Notes from webinars and podcasts, YouTube subtitles, content for blogs and socials, quotes for articles, and accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.

Best tools for a 5-hour YouTube video

Five hours is 300 transcription minutes. LongScribe's Free plan includes 60 minutes across up to 20 recordings per month; check that enough minutes and a recording slot remain. Public YouTube videos and Shorts can process in the background. TurboScribe's paid plan is shaped for very high volume, while Notta supports YouTube URLs up to five hours but currently excludes speaker identification on that URL-import path.

YouTube transcription quick answer

Paste a public YouTube URL, get a timestamped transcript, and export TXT, SRT, DOCX or JSON. Private, removed, login-gated, region-restricted or protected videos may fail instead of being transcribed.

YouTube transcript generator for long videos

Paste a supported public YouTube URL to generate a searchable transcript with timestamps. When usable captions are unavailable, eligible videos can be transcribed from their audio instead, so the workflow is not limited to videos that already have captions.

YouTube Shorts transcription

Public youtube.com/shorts/... URLs use the same YouTube transcription path as standard videos. LongScribe can use captions when available or transcribe the Short's audio with AI, then return timestamps and the normal transcript export formats.

What LongScribe needs from YouTube

Paste a public youtube.com/watch, youtu.be or youtube.com/shorts URL. LongScribe needs a reachable public YouTube page and uses that URL as the input for the captions-first and AI-fallback workflow.

What YouTube transcript exports include

The finished YouTube transcript keeps timestamps and can be exported as TXT, SRT, DOCX and JSON. Use TXT for notes, SRT for subtitles, DOCX for review and JSON for structured downstream workflows.

When a YouTube URL cannot be transcribed

A private, login-gated, removed or region-restricted YouTube video can fail before transcription starts. Captions can also be unavailable and the audio path can be blocked, so LongScribe reports those cases instead of promising that every URL will work.

When to use another workflow

If you own the source outside YouTube, upload the original recording file instead. Use podcast, RSS or Spotify workflows for podcast episodes, and use manual review when a recording is protected by access controls rather than trying to bypass them.

What to review before using the transcript

Review speaker names, technical terms, noisy audio and overlapping speakers before you quote, publish or share the transcript. The transcript is a strong draft, not a replacement for human review when accuracy matters.

Read this workflow in another language

These localized pages use the same supported public URL workflow and do not unlock restricted media.

Frequently asked questions

How much does YouTube transcription cost?

You can try a short video without an account. The normal Free allowance is 20 recordings and 60 minutes each month; Premium includes up to 500 recordings per month for $4.99/month.

Can I transcribe a 3-hour YouTube video?

Yes, for an accessible supported video when at least 180 of the 60 monthly Free minutes and one of 20 recording slots remain, or an eligible paid allowance applies. Captions are preferred; AI needs access to audio. Source, individual-job and account restrictions still apply.

Can I transcribe a 5-hour YouTube video?

Yes when the public YouTube source is reachable and the account can admit the job. A 5-hour YouTube video is 300 minutes. The normal Free monthly allowance is 60 minutes across up to 20 recordings. The job can use Free when at least 300 minutes and a recording slot remain. Source availability and per-source restrictions still apply.

Can I transcribe a 10-hour YouTube video?

Often yes for supported long YouTube videos, especially when captions are available. A 10-hour video is 600 minutes, so treat the plan minutes, captions availability and source fetchability as separate checks.

Can I transcribe a YouTube video longer than 10 hours?

Some very long YouTube jobs can complete when the video is public, reachable and has a supported path such as captions. LongScribe does not present that as a universal guarantee for every YouTube URL.

Do I need to download the YouTube video first?

No. Paste the public YouTube URL and LongScribe handles the transcript path. If YouTube blocks the audio path or the video is not reachable, the job can fail instead of asking you to upload a downloaded copy.

Can I transcribe a whole YouTube playlist?

Yes, with Premium. Paste a public playlist link, or a video link that belongs to a playlist and choose Browse playlist videos. LongScribe lists the videos with their length, you select the ones you want (up to 50 per import) and they are transcribed one after another as a batch. Private, members-only and live or upcoming videos cannot be selected, and your plan's monthly recording and minute limits still apply.

Is YouTube playlist import free?

You need an account to preview a public playlist, but importing the videos as a batch is a Premium feature. A single video link still works on the normal Free allowance.

Can LongScribe transcribe YouTube Shorts?

Yes. Paste a public youtube.com/shorts/... URL the same way as a normal YouTube video. LongScribe recognizes the Short as YouTube media and uses the same captions-first, AI-fallback transcription workflow when the source is reachable.

Does LongScribe use existing YouTube captions?

Yes. YouTube jobs are captions first by default, including explicit AI mode, because captions are faster and lighter than downloading audio.

What happens if captions are unavailable?

LongScribe remembers the caption miss and falls back to AI transcription of the audio when the video can be fetched. Later Free captionless AI jobs have a stricter per-recording limit than caption-backed YouTube transcripts.

Can I close the browser while processing continues?

Yes. Long YouTube video jobs continue in the background queue, so you can close the browser and return to your library later.

Can I export to SRT?

Yes. Export the finished YouTube transcript as timed SRT subtitles.

Can I export to Word/DOCX?

Yes. Export the finished YouTube transcript as a Word document (DOCX), along with TXT and JSON.

What happens to the first-transcription grace with a long YouTube video?

How do I get a transcript from a YouTube video?

Paste the public YouTube URL into LongScribe, start the job, then review the finished timestamped transcript and export it in a supported format.

Can I generate a YouTube transcript without captions?

For eligible public videos, yes. If usable captions are not available, LongScribe can transcribe the video's audio instead, subject to the normal source and account limits.

Can I transcribe a YouTube Short from its URL?

Yes. Paste the public youtube.com/shorts/... URL directly. It is recognized as YouTube media and uses the same captions-first, AI-fallback transcription workflow.

Can I transcribe a private YouTube video?

Not from the YouTube URL. LongScribe needs a reachable public page; upload the original recording file instead if you have rights and access to the media.

Can I export YouTube captions as SRT?

Yes. When the transcript is ready, export SRT for subtitles or choose TXT, DOCX or JSON for notes, review and structured workflows.

Do I need to download a 3-hour YouTube video first?

No. Paste the supported public video URL; LongScribe handles retrieval and speech transcription if the source is accessible. Complete an eligible signed-in job before exporting the full TXT, SRT or DOCX; the anonymous demo follows separate limits and account rules.

Transcribe a YouTube video →

Transcribe long YouTube videosfrom a URL.