Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about YouTube Transcriber
General Questions
What is YouTube Transcriber?
YouTube Transcriber is a Machine Intelligence-powered service that converts YouTube videos into text transcriptions when audio is accessible. Simply paste a YouTube URL and get a formatted transcript when the video has clear, available audio.
How accurate are the transcriptions?
Our Machine Intelligence typically achieves high accuracy on clear audio with good quality. Accuracy depends on factors like audio quality, speaker clarity, background noise, and language.
Do I need to create an account?
No account is required for basic usage. Free users get 3 transcriptions per month without signing up. Creating an account unlocks additional features like transcription history.
What video lengths are supported?
We support videos from 1 minute to 10+ hours in length. Processing time scales with video duration - typically 1-2 minutes for each hour of video.
Pricing & Plans
How much does it cost?
We offer 3 free transcriptions per month. Our Pro plan costs $4.99/month and includes 50 transcriptions, transcription history, and priority support.
What happens if I exceed my monthly limit?
Free users cannot transcribe more videos after using their 3 monthly credits. Pro users get 50 credits per month, which resets on your billing date.
Can I cancel my subscription anytime?
Yes! You can cancel your Pro subscription at any time from your account settings. You'll keep access to Pro features until the end of your current billing period.
Do you offer refunds?
We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you're not satisfied with the service within 30 days of signing up, contact us for a full refund.
Privacy & Security
Do you store my videos?
No, we never store your videos. We temporarily download the audio for processing and delete it immediately after transcription. Your privacy is our priority.
Is my data secure?
Yes, all data transmission is encrypted with HTTPS. We're GDPR and CCPA compliant and don't collect personal information from videos.
Can you access private videos?
No, we can only process public YouTube videos or unlisted videos if you have the direct link. Private videos require special access permissions.
Do you keep transcription history?
For Pro users, we store transcription metadata (title, duration, date) for easy re-access. Free users don't get persistent history storage.
Technical Questions
Which languages are supported?
We support over 50 languages with automatic language detection. English provides the highest accuracy, with strong support for Spanish, French, German, and other major languages.
What videos can be transcribed?
We can transcribe many YouTube videos with clear, accessible audio. This includes most standard videos, completed live streams, and premieres. Success depends on audio quality and content accessibility.
Why is my transcription taking so long?
Processing time depends on video length and server load. Typical times are 1-2 minutes for 1 hour of video. Very long videos or high demand periods may take longer.
Can I get timestamps with my transcript?
Yes! Pro users receive timestamps with their transcriptions, making it easy to reference specific parts of the video.
Using Transcripts
What format do I get my transcripts in?
Transcripts are provided as clean, formatted text with proper paragraphs and punctuation. Pro users can download as .txt files or copy formatted text.
Can I edit the transcripts?
You receive the transcript as editable text that you can copy, modify, and format as needed. We provide the Machine Intelligence-generated version, and you can refine it.
How do I handle multiple speakers?
Our Machine Intelligence attempts to identify speaker changes and format them appropriately. For complex multi-speaker content, you may need to manually add speaker labels.
Can I re-access old transcriptions?
Pro users can access their complete transcription history from their account dashboard. Free users need to save transcripts manually.
What if a video can't be transcribed?
Some videos may not work due to poor audio quality, copyright restrictions, private settings, or lack of accessible audio. We'll let you know if a video can't be processed, and no credits will be charged for failed attempts.
API & Integration
Do you offer an API?
Yes! We offer a REST API for Pro users. Contact our support team to request API access and documentation.
What are the API rate limits?
Pro users get 100 API requests per hour. Enterprise customers can get custom rate limits based on their needs.
Can I integrate this into my app?
Yes, our API is designed for easy integration. We provide examples in multiple programming languages and detailed documentation.
Do you offer bulk processing?
For high-volume needs, contact us about enterprise plans with bulk processing capabilities and custom pricing.
Still Have Questions?
Can't find what you're looking for? We're here to help!
Popular Use Cases
Students & Educators
- Transcribe lectures for better note-taking
- Create study materials from educational videos
- Make content accessible for hearing-impaired students
- Generate searchable archives of course content
Content Creators
- Generate captions for YouTube videos
- Create blog posts from video content
- Improve SEO with searchable text content
- Repurpose video content for different platforms
Business Professionals
- Transcribe webinars and training videos
- Create documentation from presentation recordings
- Generate meeting minutes from recorded sessions
- Archive important business communications
Researchers & Journalists
- Transcribe interviews and press conferences
- Analyze video content for research projects
- Create searchable archives of source material
- Generate quotes and citations from video sources
Tips for Best Results
Video Selection
- Choose videos with clear, single-speaker audio
- Avoid videos with loud background music
- Select content with standard speaking pace
- Prefer videos with good audio quality
Improving Accuracy
- Use our Pro plan for higher-quality Machine Intelligence models
- Choose videos in supported languages
- Avoid content with heavy accents or dialects
- Select videos with minimal crosstalk or interruptions
System Requirements
YouTube Transcriber works in any modern web browser. No special software or plugins required:
- Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge (latest versions)
- JavaScript enabled
- Stable internet connection
- No mobile app required - works on all devices
Updates and Improvements
We're constantly improving our service:
- Regular Machine Intelligence model updates for better accuracy
- New language support added regularly
- Performance optimizations and bug fixes
- Feature updates based on user feedback
Check back regularly for the latest updates and features!