Extract the Text from a YouTube Video
A YouTube text extractor takes a video link and returns the spoken text as a transcript, with timestamps for each line. It works whether the video already has captions or not: if there are no captions, the audio is transcribed instead.
Paste the link, wait for the video to process, and read or search the text instead of watching the whole thing. That covers song lyrics in a music video as much as a lecture, a podcast upload, or an interview.
What you get:
- A transcript with timestamps, in 99 languages
- AI notes and the option to ask a question about the video and get an answer that points to the timestamp
- Export as PDF, DOCX, TXT, SRT and VTT
- Free plan: 2 transcriptions on the free plan, then $19 a month billed annually removes the limit
How to Get Text from a YouTube Video
- Paste the YouTube link: Open the tool and paste the video URL. No need to download the video first.
- Let it process: ScreenApp pulls the audio, checks for existing captions, and transcribes what it does not already have.
- Read or export: The transcript appears with timestamps. Export it as PDF, DOCX, TXT, SRT and VTT, or ask the AI a question about the video.
Accuracy depends on the audio. A studio-recorded song or a clean voiceover transcribes cleanly; heavy background music, overlapping vocals, or a noisy recording location will produce more gaps. See how we measure accuracy.
YouTube Text Extractor vs Other Tools
| Feature | ScreenApp | Tactiq | YouTube-Transcript.io | ChatTube |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 2 transcriptions (lifetime) | 10 transcripts/month | 25 tokens | Free, no limit stated |
| Transcribes videos without captions | Included | Not stated | Not stated | Included |
| Export formats | PDF, DOCX, TXT, SRT and VTT | TXT | Not stated | TXT, Word, or PDF |
| Downloading the file | Paid plans only | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Paid plan | $19/month annual | Not stated in USD/month annual | $9.99/month | Not stated |
Sources, checked 2026-09-13: github.com/screenappai/screenapp-new/blob/main/apps/web/src/app/api/files/[id]/transcript/export/route.ts, screenapp.io/pricing, tactiq.io/pricing, youtube-transcript.io, chattube.io/uses/extract-lyrics-from-youtube-video, screenapp.io/help/free-account-download-limits, youtube-transcript.io/pricing
- vs Tactiq: Tactiq’s free plan is capped at 10 transcripts a month, and its own page does not say whether it transcribes a video that has no captions at all. ScreenApp transcribes the audio when there are no captions to pull.
- vs YouTube-Transcript.io: YouTube-Transcript.io gives new accounts 25 tokens to spend, then charges $9.99 a month for its next tier. ScreenApp’s free plan is 2 transcriptions with no monthly token count to track.
- vs ChatTube: ChatTube also transcribes a video’s audio when it has no captions and exports as TXT, Word, or PDF. ScreenApp adds SRT and VTT for subtitle work on top of PDF and Word.
Who Uses a YouTube Text Extractor
Content creators pull the text from a video to repurpose it as a blog post, a caption, or a script for another platform, instead of re-typing what was said.
Students and researchers extract text from recorded lectures, interviews, and conference talks so they can search the material and quote it with a timestamp.
Musicians and fans get the lyrics out of a music video or a live performance upload when no official lyric sheet exists, and the video itself is the only source.
Marketers turn a video into searchable, indexable text for a landing page or a help article, with the timestamps kept for reference.
Language learners read the transcript alongside the video to check pronunciation and follow lyrics or dialogue line by line.
FAQ
How do I extract text from a YouTube video?
Paste the video’s URL into the YouTube text extractor. The tool pulls existing captions if the video has them, or transcribes the audio if it does not, and returns a transcript with timestamps that you can read, search, or export.
Can I extract lyrics from a YouTube video that has no lyrics posted anywhere?
Yes. If the video itself is the only source, the tool transcribes the audio directly rather than relying on a caption file. Accuracy depends on how clean the audio is; a studio recording or an isolated vocal track transcribes better than a video with heavy instrumentation over the vocals.
Is it free to extract text from a YouTube video?
ScreenApp’s free plan includes 2 transcriptions with a transcript and AI notes. Paid plans only for the file itself; paid plans start at $19 a month billed annually.
What format does the extracted text come in?
Export as PDF, DOCX, TXT, SRT and VTT, depending on whether you need plain text, a document, or a subtitle file.
How accurate is a YouTube text extractor?
Accuracy depends on the audio: clear speech or a clean vocal track produces the most accurate transcript, while heavy background music or overlapping voices produces more gaps. See how we measure accuracy.
Can I extract text from a YouTube video in a language other than English?
Yes. ScreenApp transcribes in 99 languages. The tool detects the spoken language automatically.
Does this work on music videos, or only spoken content?
Both. The tool transcribes whatever audio is on the video, whether that is a song, a voiceover, an interview, or a lecture. Song lyrics transcribe less reliably than clear speech when there is heavy instrumentation.
