Subtitles are a useful and valuable tool. They make videos accessible for foreign language speakers and visually impaired people. You can use them for quoting videos and learning. Closed captions help you get the most accurate information and link to sources. That’s why closed captions are one of the YouTube search ranking factors.
Therefore, many people need to download subtitles as a separate file. This allows them to get the necessary data available for immediate use and processing. At first glance, the multimedia platform does not have such an option — no matter how much you study its interface, you will not be able to find the corresponding function.
But there are always workarounds available to help you get the desired result. We will show you how to download captions using YouTube’s built-in tools, as well as third-party web services, apps, and browser extensions.
Method 1: How to Download CC/Subtitles Directly from YouTube
YouTube doesn’t allow users to download subtitles/CC files. This feature is only available to creators — they can download previously uploaded text files to their videos in YouTube Studio. Still, you can use a simple, though inconvenient, method to save subtitles:
1. When you open a video, go to its description and expand the text by clicking the More button.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the description and click Show Transcript.
3. Timestamped subtitles will appear in the window to the right of the player.
4. By clicking the language button, you can choose any subtitles uploaded by the author or automatically generate closed captions in the language you have set in your YouTube interface.
5. All you have to do is select all the text, copy it, and paste it into your favorite text editor.
Why did we say that this service is inconvenient? Because it allows you to copy unstructured subtitles separated by timestamps in text format. To put them together, you still have to work manually. For some people, this will be as difficult as simultaneously typing while watching a video.
Method 2: How to Get Closed Captions on YouTube With Third-Party Tool
There is one more downside to the method described above. You can only get the text the author manually added to their video. Of course, there is also automatic generation, but we don’t recommend relying on it. Although its quality is generally satisfactory, it can contain serious errors that distort the meaning of the script.
So, what is the better way to get captions? If the video is relatively new, you can solve this problem using a third-party service — NOIZ. Unlike most competitors, it’s free, ad-free, and doesn’t require registration. A link to the video is all you need. The only limitation is that if YouTube cannot generate subtitles due to outdated videos, unclear speech, or other similar issues, NOIZ will not display them either. Currently, this happens with about 12% of videos posted on the multimedia platform. But YouTube and NOIZ continue to improve their algorithms, so the situation will gradually improve.
So, let’s see how NOIZ works:
To begin with, the service offers two widgets. If you want to get simple timestamped subtitles, use this link. Paste the URL into the address bar and wait a couple of seconds.
1. Here, you will find buttons to quickly download the text in SRT and TXT formats and open it in a new browser tab. You can also translate subtitles in one click by selecting a different language from the menu.
2. An alternative option is to get subtitles and text processed by artificial intelligence and ready for use in various fields. This tool is available here.
3. After opening the web application, paste the video link into the address bar. The processing time will depend on the length of the video and the amount of text content. Usually, videos are processed within 10 seconds. Very large clips up to several hours can be processed within 30 seconds.
4. The service will be useful for generating summaries, key insights, and other materials ready for publication on YouTube, other websites, or social media. You can access these functions by switching between the main functions in the menu.
5. Key insights can be presented as a list or a list of questions and answers. You can also choose between insightful, funny, actionable, or controversial points. Another useful feature is the ability to switch between detailed and summarized information.
6. If you want to translate subtitles or insights, go to the settings and select the desired language at the bottom of the list.
7. You can copy the received materials or export them automatically.
8. The service allows you to automatically export the text to a Microsoft Word document or transfer it to the Notion online application for processing using artificial intelligence.
Unlike automatically generated YouTube subtitles, NOIZ provides a high level of accuracy. You can use such an extractor for training and work.
Method 3: How to Download Subtitles from YouTube with Third-party Apps
If the author has published a video with subtitles and you just want to automate the process to avoid manual work, we can offer you several convenient services:
DownSub
It is a completely free service that works with YouTube and 30 other multimedia platforms, including Facebook, Vimeo, and Bilibili. The instructions for using it are straightforward:
1. Open the website and paste the link to the video. Click the Download button.
2. Select the desired subtitle track and download format.
3. Click the appropriate button, wait for the file to download, and open it in a text editor. For TXT, it can be Microsoft Notepad, and for SRT — Notepad++.
Like NOIZ, this extractor does not require a subscription or an account. But it has a significant downside — a huge amount of ads that hinder navigation and distract from important tasks.
Download YouTube Subtitles
It is the Google Chrome extension that adds a corresponding button to the interface of the multimedia platform. To convert subtitles from YouTube to SRT, follow these steps:
1. Go to the official app marketplace. Click the Add to Chrome button.
2. Open the video on YouTube. The Get Subtitles button will appear on the right below the player.
3. Click it to see a menu. Choose the original subtitles or translation into any other language, specify the desired file format, and start downloading.
The downside is that ads will open in a new tab. The service can also show video ads with loud soundtracks, so it’s better to mute the sound when working in the office.
SaveSubs
It’s another popular free service that offers several additional features. If you’re looking for a place to download closed captions or an audio track separately, use it. SaveSubs works as follows:
1. Open the website and paste the link to the video into the address bar. Click the Download button.
2. Scroll down to the menu below and select the option you want. Here, you can download the video in its entirety, cut its audio track, or even create a GIF animation.
3. Select Subtitles and click the Extract Links button.
4. Choose a file format and start downloading.
SaveSubs offers more features and fewer ads than its competitors. The only thing you should pay attention to is the redirection to another domain (9XBuddy). This does not pose a threat to the security of your device but may affect the way you build your workflows.
Bonus Method: How to Download Full YouTube Video
Sometimes, the simplest option to achieve your goal is to download the entire video. To do this, you’ll need a YouTube Premium subscription. The service currently offers three tariff plans:
- For students — $7.99 per month;
- For individual users — $13.99 per month;
- For families (up to 6 accounts) — $22.99 per month.
To download a video, open it and click the Download button located on the right below the main player window.
Now, you can watch it offline, including using subtitles. But this method has several limitations:
- Offline viewing is only available on mobile devices. The function does not work in the desktop version of the service.
- You can only watch the video, not edit it or cut out closed captions. The only feature available is making a short clip for sharing.
- If the author deletes the video, it will not be available for offline viewing — the file will be deleted automatically the first time you connect to the Internet.
How to Download Subtitles from YouTube Effortlessly?
By default, YouTube doesn’t allow you to automatically download a separate subtitle file. Of course, there are a few tricks available to you, such as manually copying transcripts. But this work is neither fast nor convenient. That’s why we recommend using external services, such as DownSub and SaveSubs, as well as the Download YouTube Subtitles browser extension. With NOIZ, you can download accurate, complete, and high-quality subtitles even if the author did not add them to the video. The service recognizes speech with the help of artificial intelligence and offers several useful features, such as summaries, Q&As, top comments, etc.
FAQ
How to download subtitles from YouTube?
There are three ways. The first is manual copying from the platform interface. The second is speech recognition using services like NOIZ. The third is to use specialized applications and browser extensions.
How to download a YouTube CC script?
To download closed captions as a separate file, use the SaveSubs or DownSub web services.
How to extract hardcoded subtitles from YouTube?
You can use optical character recognition (OCR) services, but it will be time-consuming and inconvenient. A much better alternative is to create a transcription with NOIZ.
How to copy auto-generated subtitles from YouTube?
The easiest way is to copy them from the Transcript window. But keep in mind that auto-generated subtitles can be of poor quality. Therefore, a more convenient way is to use the NOIZ service.
How to get YouTube subtitles as text?
You can copy them manually from the video transcript or use a third-party app to download them.
How to copy YouTube subtitles in 2024?
Open the full video description, scroll to the bottom, and click Show Transcript. A window with text will open to the right of the player where you can copy the subtitles.
What is the alternative to DownSub?
Alternative services are NOIZ, Download YouTube Subtitles, and SaveSubs.
What is the best free subtitle translator?
NOIZ automatically translates video transcripts into 40 languages, preserving the exact presentation of information.
How to create an SRT file?
You can create it manually using a specialized text editor, such as Notepad++, or generate it automatically using web services.
