How to transcribe a YouTube video

There are times when you would rather read the steps of a baking recipe than watching the entire YouTube video. That’s where transcriptions come handy. That said, not all YouTube videos out there come with transcriptions built-in by default. But that doesn’t mean you need to type out everything manually. With the right tools you can get a video transcribed with ease. Read on to know different ways to transcribe a YouTube video.

Transcribe YouTube videos using YouTube

The good news is Google has baked a transcription feature right into YouTube. You might have missed it, as it’s hidden in a dropdown menu. This is one of the easiest ways to transcribe any YouTube video in the shortest span of time.

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Choose the video that you want to transcribe and click on the three horizontal dots icon on the bottom right of the video. Tap on the Show Transcript option, and a transcript preview will appear with the time stamps. Choose the transcription language from the dropdown icon at the bottom-left corner.

YouTube doesn’t have a direct copy-paste option. Hence, you need to review the transcript and copy-paste without formatting it into a Google Doc or Microsoft Word file. To paste without formatting, the shortcut is Command + Shift + V for a MacBook and Ctrl + Shift + V for a Windows laptop.

Transcribe YouTube videos using Google Docs

You can also transcribe YouTube videos using Google Docs. You need a built-in or external microphone on your laptop or smartphone to do this. To transcribe a YouTube video using this method, go to Google Docs and click on Blank Document option.

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After a fresh document appears, look for the Tools menu at the top and select the Voice Typing option. Now open the YouTube video on a new browser and click the play button. Go to the Docs Google Docs tab and select the Speak option that will pop up on the left of your document. Google Docs will transcribe the audio once the video starts playing. Make sure there’s no external noise while you are trying out this method.

Use these above methods to transcribe YouTube videos, and create content, take notes, or even learn a new language without any hassle.