youtube-transcript

Fetch YouTube transcripts via subtitles or Whisper audio transcription.

Updated Jan 27, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/Brmbobo/Lead-Gen --skill youtube-transcript-brmbobo
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: youtube-transcript
Source: https://github.com/Brmbobo/Lead-Gen/tree/main/.claude/skills/youtube-transcript/youtube-transcript
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/Brmbobo/Lead-Gen --skill youtube-transcript-brmbobo

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

This skill enables rapid retrieval of transcripts from YouTube videos by downloading available subtitles (in .vtt) or generating a transcript via Whisper when subtitles are not present, saving time compared to manual transcription.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Subtitle download: Retrieve manual or auto-generated subtitles for a YouTube video.
  • Whisper transcription fallback: Transcribe audio when subtitles are unavailable.
  • Text-ready outputs: Produce clean transcripts in .vtt or plain text for analysis or content summaries.
  • Use Case: Analysts can build searchable video transcripts for large video libraries to enable faster keyword search and summarization.

Quick Start

Provide a YouTube URL to download the transcript. The skill will check available subtitles, prefer manual subtitles, and fall back to Whisper transcription if needed. Then save the transcript as a .vtt file and optional plain text.

Frequently Asked Questions about youtube-transcript

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I get a transcript from a YouTube video URL?

To get a YouTube transcript from a URL, the skill uses yt-dlp to download available manual or auto-generated subtitles, saving them as VTT or plain text for immediate content analysis.

What happens when subtitles are unavailable for a YouTube video?

When subtitles are unavailable for a YouTube video, the skill falls back to using OpenAI Whisper to transcribe the audio directly, ensuring you still get a complete text-ready transcript.

Do I need OpenAI Whisper to download YouTube subtitles?

You do not need OpenAI Whisper to download existing YouTube subtitles, as yt-dlp handles caption retrieval; Whisper is only an optional dependency for audio transcription fallback.

What is the best way to extract YouTube captions for text analysis?

The best way to extract YouTube captions for text analysis is using a tool that retrieves subtitles via yt-dlp and outputs clean VTT or plain text, enabling rapid keyword search and summarization.

Can I retrieve auto-generated subtitles from YouTube in VTT format?

Yes, you can retrieve auto-generated subtitles from YouTube in VTT format, as the skill supports downloading both manual and auto-subtitles and outputs them directly as VTT files.