Video editors
Pull SRT subtitles from YouTube to drop straight into your editing project.
YouTube Subtitle Downloader
Download YouTube subtitles as SRT or VTT. We use the auto-captions when available, otherwise Whisper generates them.
Paste a YouTube linkNo credit card required
How to download YouTube subtitles as SRT or VTT
A YouTube subtitle downloader takes any YouTube link and gives you back a subtitle file: the spoken text split into timed lines, saved as SRT or VTT. You paste the video URL, the tool pulls the captions, and you download a ready-to-use subtitle file in seconds, no software to install.
Here is what happens behind the link. If the video already has captions (the channel's own captions or YouTube's auto-captions), we pull those directly so the timings match the video exactly. If there are no captions at all, Whisper listens to the audio and generates timestamped subtitles for you. Either way you get the same clean SRT or VTT file.
This is different from a plain transcript. A transcript is the raw text of what was said; a subtitle file (SRT/VTT) keeps the timing data, so each line knows when it should appear on screen. That timing is what video editors, players, and translation tools need.
It is free to use within your daily transcript limit, with no credit card to start. You can grab subtitles from a normal video, a Short, or a livestream recording, and download the file or copy the text.
Use the result however you like for personal use: load it into your editor, feed it to a translation tool, or add captions to your own footage. SRT and VTT both open in every major editor and player.
How it works
- 1
Paste the link
Drop the YouTube video URL into the box. Normal videos, Shorts, and livestream recordings all work.
- 2
Subtitles are extracted
Existing YouTube captions are pulled directly when available; if there are none, Whisper transcribes the audio into timed lines.
- 3
Download as SRT or VTT
One click and the subtitle file lands on your computer, ready for your editor or player.
Which videos work?
- Any YouTube video with auto-captions
- Channel-uploaded manual captions
- YouTube Shorts
- Livestream recordings
- Videos with no captions (Whisper kicks in)
Example SRT output
Input
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...subtitles.srt
1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,500 This video covers deep work habits. 2 00:00:03,500 --> 00:00:07,200 Main idea: 90-minute focus blocks daily. 3 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:12,000 Notifications must be silenced during work.
Who is this for?
Translators
Grab the original subtitle file to load into your translation software, timings included.
Educators
Add captions to lecture videos to boost accessibility for every student.
Researchers
Archive spoken content as timestamped text you can search and quote.
Frequently asked questions
Download YouTube subtitles in seconds
Paste a link, download as SRT or VTT.
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