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grahama1970
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youtube-transcripts

Extract YouTube video transcripts via API, proxy, and Whisper fallbacks.

1|Updated Nov 12, 2025
Search Tags:#cli#yt-dlp#whisper#transcript-extraction#youtube-transcript#audio-transcription#proxy-rotation
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/grahama1970/fetcher --skill youtube-transcripts-grahama1970
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: youtube-transcripts
Source: https://github.com/grahama1970/fetcher/tree/main/.agents/skills/youtube-transcripts
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/grahama1970/fetcher --skill youtube-transcripts-grahama1970

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill requires youtube-transcript-api, requests, yt-dlp, openai, typer, python-dotenv.

What problem does it solve?

Extract transcripts from YouTube videos for quick text-based consumption, search, or downstream processing when users request captions or a transcript.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Direct transcript retrieval via youtube-transcript-api for fast, code-free extraction of captions.
  • IPRoyal proxy fallback to handle rate limits and access restrictions on busy videos.
  • Whisper fallback using yt-dlp to download audio and OpenAI Whisper for transcription when captions are unavailable.
  • CLI-friendly workflow and easy integration into memory pipelines for research, indexing, and content analysis.

Quick Start

Run the CLI to fetch the transcript for a YouTube video using the direct, proxy, and Whisper fallbacks.

Frequently Asked Questions about youtube-transcripts

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I extract a YouTube transcript when captions are unavailable?▼

To extract a YouTube transcript without captions, this Skill uses yt-dlp to download audio and OpenAI Whisper to generate a text transcript. This Whisper fallback ensures you get accurate transcriptions even for videos lacking native subtitles.

What is the best way to bypass YouTube transcript API rate limits?▼

The best way to bypass YouTube transcript API rate limits is using an IPRoyal proxy fallback. This Skill supports environment-configurable proxy rotation to maintain reliable access to transcripts on busy or restricted videos.

Can I use yt-dlp and Whisper together for audio transcription?▼

Yes, you can use yt-dlp and Whisper together for audio transcription. This Skill orchestrates a fallback workflow where yt-dlp retrieves the audio file and OpenAI Whisper handles the speech-to-text transcription.

How do I get YouTube transcripts for downstream processing pipelines?▼

You can get YouTube transcripts for downstream processing by running this Python CLI. It retrieves captions via the youtube-transcript-api and formats the text output for easy integration into memory pipelines, research indexing, and content analysis.

Do I need an OpenAI API key to extract transcripts from YouTube videos?▼

You need an OpenAI API key only if the video lacks native captions and requires the Whisper fallback. Direct YouTube transcript extraction via the youtube-transcript-api works without OpenAI, utilizing a python-dotenv environment configuration.

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