Free YouTube Transcribe

YouTube Subtitle Downloader

Real subtitle files.
One paste away.

Download the subtitles of any YouTube video as SRT, VTT, or TXT, with exact cue timings, in any language the video has. Free, no sign-up.

Works with youtube.com links, youtu.be short links, and Shorts. No account, no quotas, no catch.

Subtitle files, not just text on a screen

To download subtitles from a YouTube video, paste the video link above, open the Download menu over the transcript, and choose SRT, VTT, or TXT. The file saves instantly with exact cue timings, in any language the video has captions for. No sign-up, no watermark.

Most transcript sites let you read captions but not keep them. If you are editing video, publishing to the web, or archiving content, you don't need text in a browser tab; you need a proper subtitle file with timings. This tool downloads exactly that, from any public YouTube video, for free.

Pick the format for the job

SubRip (.srt) is the format almost everything accepts: Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut, CapCut, VLC, and nearly every captioning workflow. WebVTT (.vtt) is what HTML5 video and modern web players expect, ready to reference from a <track> tag. Plain text (.txt) comes in two flavors: clean paragraphs for reading and notes, or timestamped lines for reference. All of them export with one click from the Download menu.

Timings you can trust

The downloaded files preserve the cue timings exactly as YouTube serves them, with start and end times clamped so cues never overlap. Drop the .srt onto your editing timeline and the lines land where the words are spoken; publish the .vtt with your web video and the captions stay in sync.

Every language, both kinds of captions

Videos often carry more than one caption track: subtitles the creator uploaded, translations, and YouTube's auto-generated captions. The language picker lists them all, and whichever one you are viewing is the one that downloads. Auto-generated tracks are labeled "(auto)" so you always know the source, and the optional punctuation cleanup can make them read like proper sentences before you export.

Why creators use this before re-uploading

Re-posting a video to another platform without captions throws away accessibility and reach. Downloading the SRT from the original YouTube upload takes seconds and travels with the video wherever it goes next: courses, social platforms, media libraries, or a client hand-off.

Just need the words without the files? The YouTube to text converter gives you clean, copyable paragraphs, and the home page covers everything else the tool does.

Downloading YouTube subtitles: common questions

How do I download subtitles from a YouTube video?

Paste the video link into the box above, open the Download menu over the transcript, and pick a format: SubRip (.srt), WebVTT (.vtt), or plain text (.txt, with or without timestamps). The file saves instantly; there is no sign-up and no watermark.

What is the difference between SRT and VTT?

Both are subtitle files. SRT is the older, near-universal format that video editors and media players expect. VTT is the web-native format used by HTML5 video and most modern platforms. If you are unsure, SRT is the safe choice for editing software and VTT for websites.

Will the downloaded subtitles stay in sync with the video?

Yes. The SRT and VTT files keep the exact cue timings from YouTube’s caption data, so each line appears and disappears at the same moment it does on YouTube.

Can I download auto-generated subtitles?

Yes. Both uploaded and auto-generated caption tracks can be downloaded, in any language the video has. Auto-generated tracks are marked “(auto)” in the language picker, and you can tidy their punctuation with the “Fix punctuation” option before downloading.

Choosing the right subtitle format for where it is going

SRT, VTT, and TXT all come from the same caption data, but they are built for different destinations. Here is how to pick the right one before you download, instead of guessing, downloading the wrong one, and coming back to do it again.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Decide where the file is headed

    Publishing to a website calls for VTT, referenced from an HTML5 video tag. Editing footage calls for SRT, the format nearly every editor expects. Reading, archiving, or searching later calls for plain TXT. Answering that question first avoids downloading all three out of habit.

  2. 2

    Download SRT for editing software

    SRT is the safe universal choice for video editors and most media players, including Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut, and VLC.

  3. 3

    Download VTT for a website

    WebVTT is the format HTML5 video players read natively. Reference the downloaded file from a track element and browsers show it as a real, toggleable caption track rather than text burned into the picture, which viewers can turn off if they do not want it.

  4. 4

    Download TXT for records and search

    Plain text, with or without timestamps, is the right pick for an archive, a searchable record, or anything you plan to read rather than play back. It opens in any text editor, without needing a media player or an editing program at all.

  5. 5

    Repeat for every language the video has

    Switch the language picker before each download to collect more than one language track from the same video, rather than assuming one download covers them all.

  6. 6

    Rename the files before you lose track of which is which

    Downloads share the same base name by default. If you are pulling several formats or several languages from one video, rename each file to note its format and language as soon as it lands, before you download the next one.

Good to know

  • Auto generated tracks download exactly as they read on the page. Turn on Fix punctuation first if you want that cleanup reflected in the file.
  • The download menu always exports whichever language is currently selected, so check the language before saving if a video has several.
  • None of the three formats carry a sign up requirement or a watermark.
  • SRT and VTT share the same timings, so converting between them later is mostly a matter of renaming the file if you already have one.
  • A video with no captions of any kind cannot produce a subtitle file yet, though YouTube usually adds auto captions within a few hours of upload.
  • Downloading a format does not remove it from the page. You can download SRT, then come back and download VTT from the same loaded transcript without pasting the link again.

Worked examples

Publishing a video with captions on your own website

Download the VTT file, upload it alongside your video, and reference it from a track element so browsers show it as a real caption track rather than text burned into the frame.

Handing footage to a video editor

Download the SRT, since it is the format nearly every editing program expects, and pass it along with the raw footage so the editor can import both together rather than retyping captions from scratch.

Archiving a series of interviews

Download the TXT version of each interview for a searchable text archive, keeping the SRT only for the ones you plan to edit again or reformat later. A folder of plain text files is far easier to search across than a folder of video files ever would be.

Choosing the right subtitle format for where it is going: frequently asked

Which format should I choose if I am not sure?

SRT is the safest default for video editing software, and VTT is the right choice if the captions are going onto a web page. Plain text works when you just need the words.

Can I download the same video's subtitles in more than one language?

Yes. Switch the language picker to a different track and download again, repeating for each language the video has captions in.

How do I add a downloaded VTT file to a website?

Upload the VTT alongside your video and reference it with an HTML5 track element, which lets browsers show it as a genuine caption track that viewers can turn on or off.

Does Fix punctuation affect the downloaded file?

Yes. If it is turned on when you download, the punctuation cleanup applies to the file as well as the on screen text.

Is there a fee for downloading more than one format?

No. SRT, VTT, and TXT are all free, with no sign up, no watermark, and no limit on how many times you download.

Do downloaded subtitles include a watermark or attribution line?

No, the file contains only the caption cues and timings, nothing added by the tool.

Do I need to pick a format before or after choosing the caption language?

Choose the language first. The download menu exports whichever language track is currently selected, in whichever format you pick, so the language decides the words and the format decides the file.