YouTube subtitle downloader
A YouTube subtitle downloader pulls the caption file itself out of any public video. Choose the language, then keep it as SRT or VTT for an editor, or as TXT if you simply want to read it. Captions save as SRT or VTT, auto generated ones included.
See the transcript flow, step by step
A walkthrough of speech turning into clean, timed text.
10%
What you get
- Plain text transcript
- Timestamped lines you can jump through
- Subtitle file, .srt or .vtt
Why people use it
Files stream straight to your device. We keep no copy of the video or the link.
No sign up, no email, no tracking pixel. Paste a link and save the file.
Every tool on the site is free to use, with no daily download cap.
We pick the highest stream the source offers, up to 4K where it exists.
One paste, one click. No queues, no waiting rooms, no forced ads between steps.
Runs in any modern browser on phone, tablet and desktop. Nothing to install.
How to download YouTube subtitles
Paste the video link above and press Get transcript. The captions load with every available language listed as a chip.
Choose the language you need, then press SRT or VTT. The file saves through your browser with the video's title as the filename.
SRT, VTT or TXT, which one
SRT is the universal subtitle format. Premiere Pro, Final Cut, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut, VLC and YouTube itself all read it, so pick this one when in doubt.
VTT is the web format. Use it when the video will play in an HTML5 player through a track element, since browsers expect VTT rather than SRT.
TXT drops the timings and leaves only the words. That is the one for reading, quoting or pasting into a document.
Using a downloaded subtitle file
To watch with subtitles in VLC, keep the SRT next to the video file with the same name, or drag it onto the playing window.
To fix bad auto captions on your own upload, download the SRT, correct the wording and punctuation in any text editor, then upload it back through YouTube Studio, Subtitles.
To reuse captions on another platform, most of them, Vimeo, Facebook, LinkedIn, accept an SRT upload directly.
Which videos have subtitles
Most videos with speech do, either the creator's own file or an auto generated track. Both download the same way here.
Auto captions carry no punctuation and misread names, so budget a few minutes of cleanup if the file is going in front of an audience.
Private videos, and uploads where captions were switched off, return nothing. There is no file to fetch in those cases.
Where the words come from
Subtitle files keep the timing alongside the text, which is what separates them from a plain transcript.
When a caption track already exists it is read directly, which is fast and matches what the platform shows on screen.
When there is none, the audio itself is transcribed, which takes a little longer and depends on how clearly the speaker was recorded.
Reading beats rewatching
Skimming a page of text for the one sentence you needed takes seconds, where scrubbing a YouTube video back and forth takes minutes.
A transcript is searchable, so a recipe quantity, a price or a name is found with a browser find rather than a replay.
It also gives you something quotable, since the wording is in front of you instead of half remembered.
What to check before you use it
Names, brands and places are the usual errors, because they are guessed by sound.
Background music and two people talking at once both lower accuracy noticeably, so busy clips need a read through.
Punctuation is inferred from pauses rather than heard, so long stretches of speech come back with fewer full stops than you would write.
Questions people ask
How do I download subtitles from a YouTube video?
Paste the video link above, press Get transcript, pick a language and press SRT or VTT. The file downloads through your browser.
Can I download auto generated captions?
Yes. Auto tracks are labelled as auto generated so you know they need proofreading, but they download exactly like a creator uploaded file.
What is the difference between SRT and VTT?
Both hold the same lines and timings. SRT is what video editors and players expect, VTT is what web players expect. SRT is the safe default.
Can I download subtitles in a different language?
You can download any caption track the video carries. Translations only exist when the creator or YouTube added them.
Is it free and does it need an account?
It is free, there is no sign up and no limit on how many files you take.
Does the video need captions turned on?
No. If YouTube has a caption track it is used, and if not the audio is transcribed instead.
Can I get the text with timestamps?
Yes, timings come through where the source carries them, and the plain text version is there too for pasting into notes.
Does it work on private posts?
No. Only content that is already public can be read, since nothing signs in on your behalf.