From Speech to Text: A Complete, FREE Workshop on YouTube Transcription

How to Transcribe a YouTube Video for FREE

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you want to transcribe your videos to make the dialogs and speeches available in text format, you can use YouTube Transcribe feature that the streaming site offers for free. In this article, I’ll share with you a couple of methods to transcribe a YouTube video for free.

Part 1: Transcribe YouTube Video Automatically for Free [2 Ways]
Part 2: Transcribe YouTube Video to Text Online with Third-Party Service
Part 3: Benefits of Transcribing YouTube Videos
Part 4: YouTube Video Transcription FAQs

Part 1: How to Transcribe YouTube Video Automatically for Free [2 Ways]

Besides the basic video editing features on the YouTube platform, you can now quickly transcribe YouTube videos to the text as well. The good thing is, you can either use the automatic transcription feature that YouTube offers, or upload it manually while adjusting the timing as you go further.

Below are the two methods to transcribe your YouTube videos for free:

Method 1: Use the Automated Transcription Service on YouTube

As the name suggests, YouTube automatic transcription service works automatically. This means you don’t even have to click the ‘Transcribe’ button anymore to transcribe a YouTube video, and the website takes care of it on its own. All you need to do is, choose English as the language of the video when setting up subtitles. You can follow the instructions given below to do so:

Step 1 Upload a Video

Sign in to your YouTube account, click your profile picture from the top-right corner, and click YouTube Studio from the menu. Next, click CREATE from the upper-right corner, click Upload videos from the menu, and drag and drop a video from your computer to the Upload videos box that appears next.

Step 2 Select Transcription Language

On the Details page of the next box that appears, scroll down and click MORE OPTIONS, and select English in the Video language drop-down list under the Language, subtitles, and closed captions (CC) section.

Step 3 Publish the Video

Follow the on-screen instructions from this point to publish the video, and wait while YouTube automatically transcribes and adds the close captions to it.

Note: Depending on the duration of the clip, the time YouTube would take to transcribe may vary.

After YouTube has transcribed the video, you can download the transcription file in your preferred format. The instructions are given below explain how you can do so:

Get to the Subtitles Window

While on the YouTube Studio page, click Subtitles from the left pane to go to the Channel subtitles page. And then click the video you want to modify.

Get to Classic Studio

In the video subtitle page of the target video, hover mouse on the Published Automatic status under the Subtitles column, click the Options icon (with three vertical dots) that appears, and click Edit on Classic Studio.

Download Transcription File

Click and open the Actions drop-down list from the top-left corner of the left pane, click your preferred transcription format including .vtt, .srt and .sbv from the list, and save the file on your local hard disk.

Method 2: Get YouTube Transcription when Watching

In addition, if you are watching any other video, you can make YouTube transcribe that for you as well. You can follow the instructions given below to get the YouTube video to text transcription:

Step 1: Play the Video

Go to the video on YouTube and start playing it. Make sure NOT to get to full-screen mode as doing so would hide the option to transcribe the clip.

Step 2: Enable Transcription

Click the More icon (with three horizontal dots) from under the bottom-right corner of the video player, and click Open transcript to see the video transcription in the Transcript pane that appears in the right.

Step 3: Manage Timestamps

Click the Options icon (with three vertical dots) from the top-right corner of the Transcript pane, and click Toggle timestamp to enable or disable the timestamps in the video transcription.

Limitations of Using YouTube Transcribe

Although YouTube’s automatic transcription is a decent feature that saves you a lot of time, since Google uses machine learning algorithms to convert the speech to text, the level of accuracy may vary depending on the accent of the speaker, and the clarity of the audio the video has. Also, even sometime you may not be satisfied with the end-results.

Alternatively, you can use Kapwing to transcribe a YouTube video and download the transcription file with the below step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Add YouTube Video

Copy the URL of YouTube video you want to transcribe, go to https://www.kapwing.com/subtitles , paste the URL in the Paste a URL field, wait while Kapwing fetches the content of the video, and opens the Add subtitles to Video page.

Step 2: Transcribe the Video

Click Auto-generate from the right window, and follow the on-screen instructions to transcribe YouTube video to text.

Step 3: Download the Transcription File

Click Download SRT from the left pane, and follow the instructions from there to download the transcription file in *.srt format.

Pros

Kapwing is free to use
The auto-transcription process is quick and less tedious
Kapwing also allows manual transcription and uploading of an existing *.srt file

Cons

The auto-transcribed text might lack accuracy as the task is done by the speech-to-text tools that work in the background

You can follow the step-by-step instructions to transcribe a YouTube video and download the transcription file using Kapwing:

Step 1: Add YouTube Video

Step 2: Transcribe the Video

Click Auto-generate from the right window, and follow the on-screen instructions to transcribe YouTube video to text.

Step 3: Download the Transcription File

Click Download SRT from the left pane, and follow the instructions from there to download the transcription file in *.srt format.

Pros

Kapwing is free to use
The auto-transcription process is quick and less tedious
Kapwing also allows manual transcription and uploading of an existing *.srt file

Cons

The auto-transcribed text might lack accuracy as the task is done by the speech-to-text tools that work in the background

Part 3: Benefits of Transcribing YouTube Videos

You may need video transcriptions for several reasons, such as analyzing the summary of the entire speech in the video, extracting a single phrase or quote that was spoken in the clip, or making the video helpful even for those suffering from hearing impairment. When you transcribe a YouTube video, the transcript can be useful in many ways. Some of the most common benefits of transcribing a video include:

Search Engine Optimization

When you add subtitles, the text can appear in Google search results when someone types a similar phrase in the search box. This helps get more views to your videos, thus giving your channel popularity, and you, monetary gains in the long run.

Accent

If the speaker in the video is from a different region and is using an accent that you are not much comfortable with, you can turn on the subtitles and read the dialogs along with the video.

Repurposing on Blogs

If you own a blog that you have embedded your video to, the transcription could be used to add text to it so the target audience can get a fair idea of what the video is all about. This is useful because many people prefer reading over watching.

YouTube Video Transcription FAQs

1. How to Transcribe YouTube Video to Text

Usually the transcription files have *.srt extension that are globally accepted and supported by almost all media players. However, there might be instances when you want to have the subtitles in plain text.

That said, to convert an SRT file to TXT, you can:

Right-click the SRT file
Go to Rename
Replace srt with txt and press Enter
Click OK on the confirmation box that appears next to convert SRT to TXT

After this, you can simply double-click the file, and read and modify the transcribed content as needed.

2. How to Edit and Upload Edited Transcript to YouTube

If you made any modifications to the transcript that was automatically generated by YouTube or any other third-party transcription tool, you can follow the steps given below to upload the new file to the YouTube video:

Go to YouTube Studio and then to the Channel subtitles page as explained earlier
Expand the Languages column of the target video
Click the Options icon that appears under the Subtitles column when you hover mouse on to it
Click Edit on Classic Studio
On the next page, click Edit from the top-right corner

Click to open the Actions drop-down list from the upper-left corner
Click Upload a file
- Follow the on-screen instructions from there to upload the modified transcription file
- Click Save Changes from the top-right corner of the page when done

Conclusion

If you are looking for a quick and easy way of adding subtitles to your videos, letting YouTube transcribe for you could be a good approach. However, because these auto-generated transcriptions are created by machine learning algorithms, their accuracy cannot be counted on. Therefore, the best way to get the job done accurately is, let YouTube auto-transcribe your video, download the transcription file, make the necessary changes to it, and then upload the file back to the video.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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Uniting Your Conference and YouTube: Google Meet Broadcast Steps

Google Meet helps people to connect virtually with each other in a well-protected environment. If you have physical restrictions, Google Meet can provide an enhanced ecosystem to collaborate with your team members. With high video and audio quality, it can prevent you from any sort of disturbance. If you want to connect with a larger audience during your Google Meet sessions, you can go for live streaming.

This article will address how to conduct Google Meet live stream through the platform of YouTube. To learn more, continue reading this guide.

Available Google Workspace Edition
Approval of YouTube Channel for Live
Connect your YouTube Channel to Google Meet

How to Live Stream from Google Meet to YouTube
Bonus Tip: Easily Record your Google Meet Live Stream

Part 1: Three Things to Check Before Starting Your Live

Before increasing your audience from Google Meet live stream on YouTube, make sure to check the below prerequisites.

1. Available Google Workspace Edition

For Google Meet YouTube live, there are some requirements. The reason is that not every ordinary user of Google Meet can go for YouTube live streaming. To do so, you should buy any of the following pricing plans:

Google Workspace Pricing Plan	Price
Enterprise Starter	Approx. $10/User/Month
Enterprise Standard	Approx. $20/User/Month
Enterprise Plus	Approx. $30/User/Month
Education Plus	Approx. $5/Student/Month
Teaching and Learning Upgrade	Approx. $4/License/Month
Workspace Individual Subscriber	Approx. $9.9/Month
Google One Subscribers with 2 TB or More Storage Space	Approx. $10/Month

Note: To know the exact pricing plans of Google Workspace, you have to contact Google Support.

2. Approval of YouTube Channel for Live

To conduct live streaming, you must receive approval from the YouTube channel. For this, you must access your channel’s YouTube Studio to perform the account verification. Now to activate and enable live streaming on your YouTube account, check the following steps:

Step1 Open your YouTube account and click on the “Profile” icon given at the top-right corner. After opening the Profile menu, click on the “YouTube Studio” option.

Step2 A new window will be displayed on your screen. From the left panel, select “Content” among other options. Under the section called “Live,” locate the “Get Started” option. Afterward, tap on the “Request” option and perform the verification steps for enabling live streaming. After 24 hours, you would get approval for live streaming on YouTube. Hence, you would be able to live stream Google Meet meetings through your YouTube channel.

3. Connect your YouTube Channel to Google Meet

Once you get approval for live streaming, you can connect the YouTube channel to your Google Meet account. If the Host Management option is disabled, anyone within the Google Meet session can start live streaming. Conversely, only hosts or co-hosts can begin live streaming if this option is activated. Moreover, the individual who is starting the live stream from Google Meet will get connected to his YouTube channel.

Furthermore, you should use the same email address to enter the Google Meet that is connected to your YouTube account. By using the same email address, you can ensure smooth live streaming of Google Meet sessions to your YouTube channel. Also, you can only use laptops or desktops for initiating live streaming. The reason is that the Google Meet live stream on YouTube is not currently available on mobile devices.

Part 2: How to Live Stream from Google Meet to YouTube

Once you have fulfilled all the requirements, you can start a live stream from Google Meet to YouTube. Check the following steps to execute the process:

Step1 To allow Google Meet sessions to live stream on YouTube, the Google Workspace admin must adjust some settings. To begin, log in to the “Admin Console” on the Workspace administrator account. Now go to “Apps” and access the “Google Workspace” option.

Step2 Afterward, click “Google Meet” and tap on the “Stream” option. Once done, click on the “Pencil” icon to open the Settings menu. Now enable the options “Let People Steam Their Meetings” and “Let People Use YouTube to Stream Meetings.” Once done with the changes, click on the “Save” button.

Step3 Make sure that the Google account attached to your YouTube channel is capable of live streaming. Once done, go to your YouTube channel and tap on the “Create” button. Afterward, hit the “Live” button.

Step4 Now enter your Google Meet session and click on the “Activities” option. From the Activities menu, select “Live Streaming.” Now a small menu will open for live-streaming settings. You can create a new event and add an event title. Make sure to choose the privacy options and desired language. Afterward, click on the “Start Streaming” option.

Step5 A small pop-up will appear that will tell you to remind your participants about live streaming. After reminding, click on the “Start” button. You can see the red “Live” button that will indicate to you the ongoing live-streaming session. Once you have concluded the live streaming by clicking on the “Stop Streaming” button, you can check the video analytics by visiting your YouTube channel.

Bonus Tip: Easily Record your Google Meet Live Stream

Do you want to save your Google Meet live-stream session? The best tool through which you can save your essential live-streaming sessions is Wondershare Filmora Screen Recorder . By using this efficient screen recorder, you can access your saved live streaming session and revise the important points discussed in it.

The screen recorder of Filmora is capable of capturing webcam and screen recording simultaneously. You can select a customized recording area through this tool. For example, you can choose a full screen, a specific window, or a customized area. Furthermore, this screen recording tool can also capture your microphone and system’s sounds in high quality. At the same time, as a powerful video editor, you can edit your videos with various advanced features of Filmora to bring them to the next level. Click the video below to learn more about Filmora’s new features.

Steps to Record Live Streaming Using Filmora Screen Recorder

Are you ready to capture your live-streaming session on Google Meet? Here are the simple and accurate steps to begin the process:

Step1 Open the Screen Recorder

Download Wondershare Filmora and open its interface. Click the “Screen Recorder” option given on the main homepage. By doing so, a screen recorder window will open. Here, you can select screen recording modes such as full-screen, target window, or custom. Also, make sure to choose your system’s audio and microphone to proceed.

Step2 Adjust Settings and Start Recording

From Settings, you can also select the quality, frame rate, and color of mouse clicks. Once you have adjusted all the settings properly, hit the “REC” button.

Step3 End the Recording

After the countdown, the screen recording will begin. To stop the recording, you can press the F9 button from your keyboard. After the recording ends, the file will be dropped into the media library of Filmora.

Conclusion

Google Meet is a reliable environment to connect and collaborate with people. To increase your reach and target audience, you can conduct Google Meet live streaming on YouTube. This article has discussed a detailed way through which you can live stream your Google Meet session on your YouTube channel.

To save and access your live streaming sessions later, you can try the screen recorder of Wondershare Filmora . This screen recorder can capture screen and respective audio in high quality.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Part 1: Three Things to Check Before Starting Your Live

Before increasing your audience from Google Meet live stream on YouTube, make sure to check the below prerequisites.