Unlock YouTube’s Secrets: Transcribe for Free and Efficiently

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:

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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

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

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.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Streamlining Video Transfer From iMovie to YouTube Platform

How to Upload a Video from iMovie to YouTube?

Liza Brown

Aug 18, 2022• Proven solutions

“Is iMovie good for YouTube?”

The iMovie is not only good for YouTube but various other social media platforms. The thing is, you have to compromise with the quality offered by Apple’s video editor iMovie. Well, iMovie is perfect for getting started for beginners. But, the professionals and ones who want a bit high features than basic ones should look elsewhere. Thus, we always recommend alternatives to a particular software for our audience. In this article, there is a mention of Wondershare Filmora to overcome the drawbacks of iMovie.

Without further ado, let’s begin with how to upload a video from iMovie to YouTube. We want to lead with the best iMovie export settings, specific troubleshooting issues, and our alternative intro section to overcome iMovie’s limitations.

Part 1: How to Upload a Video from iMovie to YouTube?

iMovie is ideal for making YouTube videos if you are too basic and are not looking for advanced features. Remember that professionalism pays in these platforms and helps you stand better among others. If you’re still interested in making introductory videos, here is a step-by-step guide on uploading a video to YouTube from iMovie on Mac first and leading with iPhone.

Step-by-Step Tutorial on how to upload a video from iMovie to YouTube on Mac

Step 1: Create a Project

On the first step, go to iMovie on Mac and click the Create New tab below.

Step 2: Import Media

Click the Import Media button and browse the files on your computer, as shown below.

Step 3: Edit Clips

It’s time to edit video footage. Drag your video to the timeline, as shown below.

Then, you can trim and drag the edges of video clips to allow editing.

Step 4: Add Titles

You can add titles by clicking the Title tab and further drag the Title’s template into the timeline.

Step 5: Export the Video

Click the Export button as follows after editing is over.

Select YouTube to upload your video over the platform directly.

Step 6: Save

After selecting the desired platform, click the Next tab to proceed with saving the file.

At last, save your video as shown below.

Step-by-Step Tutorial on how to upload iMovie to YouTube from iPhone

Step 1: Share the iMovie Project

Go to iMovie on your iPhone. Open the iMovie project on your iPhone and tap the Share button to select YouTube. Enter the information of Title, Description, Size, Tags, Privacy, and Location (optional).

Step 2: Upload iMovie Files

For ease of use, you can upload saved videos in Photo Library on your iPhone. Then, you can upload iMovie videos via the YouTube iOS app. Sign In to YouTube and click the Camera icon at the top of the Home page. Select your iPhone Photo Library file and set the video Title, Description, Size, Tags, and Privacy. Then, hit the Upload button to confirm.

Click here

## Part 2: The Best iMovie Export Settings for YouTube Videos

As we all know that iMovie consists of a bit long procedure to export projects. Here are some tips on the best iMovie export settings to avoid an unnecessary headache.

1. Set small resolution: Small resolution plays a more significant role, especially while uploading. Thus, you can set the smallest resolution in the Email tab of the Export button.

2. Change Export settings in the File tab: There is a File tab under the Export button. Click it and find various settings that you need to change to get the best export settings for YouTube 2021. Make the Title of the video as small as possible. Set the resolution at 1080P than 4K.

However, it isn’t going to upgrade the resolution if your video is already in the 1080P definition. Now, the last setting that will crazily offer you the best quality and lots of space-saving. You have to select Best (ProRes) in quality settings for this purpose. These settings also take less time to upload to YouTube.

3. Compress is not for speed: Various options you see in the Compresstab are not for speed. They are for how you save the video on a desktop. Thus, always choose the Better Quality tab than Faster.

4. Do not export directly to YouTube: iMovie is pretty basic and doesn’t offer great settings to upload your video instantly. You may have to make changes to the uploaded video even if you do this as per our step-by-step guide mentioned above.

Part 3: How to fix the “Failed to Upload to YouTube” Error on iMovie?

The “iMovie to YouTube failed” problem occurs when you directly upload a YouTube video from iMovie. The issue will result if you upload from any third-party uploader. That is why the direct upload doesn’t work, especially in iMovie. You can opt to share your video to the desktop first and then drag it to upload to the YouTube platform.

Part 4: Upload Videos to YouTube with the Best Alternative to iMovie - Wondershare Filmora

“What can I use instead of iMovie to overcome its limitations?”

When you see that iMovie is not uploading to YouTube or iMovie upload to YouTube got stuck, go for a better alternative. In this section, we’d like to recommend Wondershare Filmora that offers the best export settings compared to iMovie. It is the go-to solution if you can’t upload video from iMovie to YouTube directly. Filmora further provides intuitive editing tools that professionally make your YouTube video projects.

Export Key Aspects of Wondershare Filmora in comparison to iMovie:

• It offers a long list of export resolutions to choose from.
• You get separate video and audio settings such as Encoder, Channel, Frame Rate, Bit Rate, Resolution, etc.
• It is further compatible with export to various devices including the iPhone, Samsung, iPod, Apple TV, iPad, Google Pixel, PSP, Smart TV, etc.

Step-by-Step Guide on how to upload a video from iMovie to YouTube via Wondershare Filmora

Step 1: Click the Export button and select resolution

After your project in Wondershare Filmora is over, click the Export tab and select video resolution from the Local tab, as shown below.

It has a list of formats. You can also edit the Name and saving location here.

Step 2: Select Quality

Select the Settings button and choose from three quality levels of Best, Better, and Good. You can also adjust video and audio parameters, including the Encoder, Frame Rate, Resolution, Bit Rate, etc.

Step 3: Select platform

Select the YouTube tab, Sign In to your YouTube account, and hit the Export button after modifying the Title and Quality if needed. Also, make sure to check the Enable GPU accelerated video encoding tab.

Select Wondershare Filmora as the ultimate solution even if iMovie upload to YouTube not showing up.

Conclusion

Hopefully, we’ve informed you of the relevant facts on how to upload a video from iMovie to YouTube. We have also examined the number of troubleshooting issues involved in the iMovie video editor. Well, you will get to face similar kinds of export difficulties in the iMovie editor. Also, the entire procedure to end the exporting task is a bit long in iMovie compared to any other video editing software. Thus, it’s crucial to check out what other alternatives the technological world has today. We can’t state to you a better beginner-friendly yet advanced editing option than Wondershare Filmora that rightly outtakes the iMovie video editor in all aspects.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown