YtBulkTranscript is a web-based YouTube transcript extractor that bulk-downloads captions for single videos, playlists, or entire channels on a pay-per-use basis — no subscription required.
What is YtBulkTranscript?
YtBulkTranscript is a web application that extracts transcripts from YouTube videos, playlists, and entire channels. It takes a YouTube video URL, playlist link, or channel handle (like @veritasium) as input and returns plain-text transcripts with or without timestamps. Bulk requests are delivered as a ZIP archive sent to your email. The tool runs in the browser with no API key needed — transcribe a single video or scan a channel directly — and also offers a REST API and an MCP server for integration with AI agents. The site's own counter shows over 5,100 videos transcribed.
What makes YtBulkTranscript stand out?
- Pay-per-use pricing — You buy credit packs (5, 20, 100, 500, 1k, or 2k credits) that never expire, and there is no auto-renewal or monthly fee.
- Free single-video transcripts — Any YouTube video can be transcribed for free without creating an account.
- Channel and playlist scanning — Enter a channel handle or playlist link, preview the video list, and download all transcripts as a ZIP archive.
- Multi-language support — Fetches manually created or auto-generated captions in any language YouTube provides, including auto-translated tracks.
- No YouTube API key required — For the web interface, you just paste a URL and get the transcript; no developer key setup.
- MCP support for AI agents — Works with Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, and other MCP-compatible clients; see the MCP setup guide.
- Copy and export — Transcripts can be copied as plain text or exported with timestamps.
- One-click bookmarklet — Skips URL pasting by using a bookmarklet that grabs the current page's transcript.
Who should use YtBulkTranscript?
YtBulkTranscript is designed for creators, researchers, and developers who need YouTube captions without a subscription. Specific tasks include:
- Content creators — Transcribe their own YouTube channel for free through the channel-owner program (after manual review) or bulk-download their own videos.
- Researchers — Collect transcripts from many YouTube channels or playlists for text analysis, sentiment analysis, or citation, without manual copy-pasting.
- Developers — Integrate the REST API or MCP server into AI workflows (Claude, Cursor) to programmatically pull transcripts for downstream processing.
- Journalists and analysts — Extract spoken content from press conferences, lectures, or interviews quickly for quoting and fact-checking.
What can you do with YtBulkTranscript?
You can perform a range of transcript-extraction tasks:
- Bulk transcribe a channel: Enter a handle like @veritasium, preview the channel's video list, purchase credits, and get every transcript as a plain-text ZIP file.
- Get a single transcript instantly: Paste any YouTube URL into the transcribe page and copy the full transcript with no account or payment.
- Let an AI agent fetch transcripts: Connect your account via MCP, generate a free API key from your account page, and ask Claude or Cursor to "transcribe this video" or "scan this channel".
- Apply for a free channel scan: Channel owners can request a free scan of their whole channel after a manual review on the free channel scan page — no credits needed.
How does YtBulkTranscript work?
It works in three steps:
- Paste a YouTube URL, playlist link, or channel handle, or use the bookmarklet for one-click capture.
- YtBulkTranscript fetches the transcript directly from YouTube — no API key required on your end.
- Copy the full text or export with timestamps; bulk downloads are sent as a ZIP to your email.
Pricing
YtBulkTranscript is pay-per-use with credit packs: 5, 20, 100, 500, 1k, and 2k credits. Each video costs 1 credit via the website and 2 credits via API/MCP. Single-video transcripts are free without sign-up, and creating an account gives you 5 free credits. Credits never expire and there is no auto-renewal.
Pros and cons
The following advantages and limitations are based on the documented behavior:
- Pro: No subscription — you pay only for what you use.
- Pro: Credits are automatically refunded if a transcript fails (e.g., no captions or deleted video).
- Pro: No API key needed for the web interface, so it works immediately.
- Con: If a video has no captions at all, YtBulkTranscript cannot produce a transcript.
- Con: The consumer ChatGPT app does not support custom MCP servers yet; developers must use the OpenAI Agents SDK or Responses API instead.
FAQ
Does YtBulkTranscript require a YouTube API key?
No. For the web interface, you just paste a URL or channel handle and the tool fetches the transcript without any API key. For API/MCP access, you generate a free API key from your account page, but it is not a YouTube API key.
Do credits expire?
No. Credits never expire and there is no auto-renewal. You buy a pack once and use it whenever you need. Each video costs 1 credit via the website and 2 credits via API/MCP.
Transcripts are available as plain text or with timestamps, and bulk downloads are delivered as a ZIP archive of text files. The tool supports all languages that YouTube provides captions for, including auto-generated and auto-translated tracks.
Can I get a refund if a transcript fails?
Yes. If a video cannot be transcribed because it has no captions, is deleted, or is private, the credit is automatically refunded to your balance. You are never charged for a failed transcript.
Can I transcribe a whole channel without a subscription?
Yes. You can scan an entire channel by entering its handle, preview the video list, and then purchase one of the credit packs. The cost is 1 credit per video via the web (or 2 via API/MCP), with no monthly commitment.
