Published on October 4th, 2023

In the age of endless video content and on-demand entertainment, the notion of reading a Youtube video might initially sound counter-productive.

However, hidden beneath the flashy visuals and captivating audio lies a powerful feature that often goes unnoticed: the video Transcript.

This unassuming gem tucked away in YouTube’s interface offers a myriad of benefits that can revolutionize the way you engage with online content.

You might be wondering, “Why bother with a transcript when I can watch the video?” Well, the answer lies in its incredible utility.

Transcripts can help you navigate through a video’s content more efficiently, saving you valuable time by allowing you to pinpoint the exact information you seek without having to watch the entire video.

Moreover, for those who aren’t subscribed to YouTube Premium, transcripts can be a handy tool to circumvent mid-video advertisements.

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In this exploration, we’ll delve deeper into the world of YouTube transcripts, uncovering their hidden potential and learning how to harness their capabilities effectively.

So, let’s embark on this journey of discovery and see how transcripts can enhance your YouTube experience.

The Remarkable Benefits Of YouTube Transcripts

Apart from Reddit and user forums, YouTube has solidified its place as one of my primary go-to platforms when hunting for solutions or answers.

It offers a refreshing alternative to sifting through countless web pages that often provide outdated or irrelevant information.

The allure of YouTube lies in its ability to present solutions and answers in a tangible and believable manner, far surpassing the impact of a thousand words on a random website.

Any seasoned YouTube user can attest that the platform is teeming with both invaluable and frivolous content. Navigating through the sea of bait-y videos can be a painstaking task when you’re on the quest for precise information.

Spending several minutes watching, skipping, and rewinding a video just to determine whether it contains the elusive nugget of knowledge you seek can be a frustrating endeavor.

This is where video transcripts come to the rescue—my personal favorite YouTube feature for the past year.

Forget about chapter markers; transcripts possess the unparalleled ability to transport you directly to the exact moment that piques your interest within a video.

Transcripts are composed of written words, they offer an efficient way to skim through content, quickly zeroing in on the information that matters most to you. Better yet, on a desktop, you can employ your browser’s Find function (CTRL+F on Windows or CMD+F on macOS) to swiftly locate the specific keyword you’re searching for.

Whether you’re using a mobile device or a computer, you can simply tap on the corresponding timestamp in the transcript to instantly leap to the precise moment in the video. No time wasted, no bandwidth squandered.

Consider this scenario: I was in the midst of writing an article about Apple’s September keynote a few days ago and needed to pinpoint exactly what was said about the Watch Series 9’s on-device Siri.

The press conference video had a 21-minute chapter dedicated to Series 9, and I was unwilling to trudge through minutes of content to locate the brief mention of this specific feature.

Instead, I opted for a more efficient approach: I opened the YouTube transcript, executed a CMD+F search for “on-device,” and swiftly located the moment when on-device Siri support was discussed. A single click, and the video seamlessly transported me to that precise instant.

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Imagine employing this technique for troubleshooting issues, perusing product reviews to witness specific features in action, or navigating longer videos to determine whether a particular keyword was addressed.

It’s a far superior method to aimlessly scrubbing and hopping through a video, crossing your fingers in hopes of stumbling upon the desired information somewhere in the mix.

Accessing YouTube Transcripts On Your Mobile Device

You can access YouTube transcripts on your Android phone, tablet, iPhone, or iPad, regardless of the device you’re using. To do so, follow these straightforward steps:

• Start Playing a Video: Begin by playing the video of your choice on the YouTube app.
• Tap on the Video’s Title (iOS and iPadOS) or …More (Android): On iOS and iPadOS devices, tap on the video’s title located at the top of the screen. On Android devices, look for the “…More” option, typically represented by three dots, which is usually found below the video player.
• Expand the Description: After tapping the video title on iOS/iPadOS or the …More option on Android, you’ll see an expanded view of the video description and additional information.
• Scroll Down to the Transcript Section: Scroll down through the expanded description until you come across the “Transcript” section.
• Look for the “Show Transcript” Button: In the Transcript section, you’ll find a “Show transcript” button. Please note that this feature may not be available for all videos; it depends on whether the video has an associated transcript.
• Tap the “Show Transcript” Button: Once you locate the “Show transcript” button, tap on it. This action will reveal the full transcript of the video, allowing you to read the spoken content as it appears in the video.

Displaying YouTube Transcripts In A Web Browser

The process to display YouTube transcripts in a web browser mirrors the steps for accessing them on mobile devices. Here’s how to do it:

• Start Playing a Video: Begin by playing the video you want to watch on the YouTube website.
• Click on the …More Button: To access the transcript, click on the “…more” button. This button is usually located near the video player and provides additional options and information about the video.
• Scroll Down to the Transcript Section: After clicking “…more,” scroll down the page until you reach the “Transcript” section. This is where you’ll find the option to display the video’s transcript.
• Click on “Show Transcript”: Within the Transcript section, click on the “Show transcript” option. This action will reveal the full transcript of the video to the right of the playing video.
• Use Keyboard Shortcuts to Find Keywords: Once the transcript is visible, you can use keyboard shortcuts to quickly locate specific keywords within the transcript text. On Windows, use CTRL+F, and on macOS, use CMD+F. This will open a search bar where you can enter the keyword you’re looking for, and the browser will highlight and jump to the instances of that keyword within the transcript.

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It’s important to note that there isn’t a keyboard shortcut to toggle the display of video transcripts on and off in the web interface. To show or hide the transcript, you’ll need to click “Show transcript” manually each time you want to access it.

While there isn’t a quick shortcut to toggle transcripts on and off, using the CTRL+F (Windows) or CMD+F (macOS) shortcut within the transcript itself can significantly expedite your search for specific information within the video.

It’s a handy feature for users who prefer reading over watching or need to find specific content within videos quickly.

Downloading And Saving A Transcript From YouTube

To download a YouTube transcript, you’ll need to utilize the YouTube web interface. Following the steps mentioned earlier to display the transcript, proceed with the following:

• Hide Timestamps (Optional): To exclude timestamps from the transcript, tap the overflow ⋮ button located at the top right corner of the transcript window. Then, select “Toggle timestamps” to hide them. This step is useful if you prefer to have just the text without the time stamps for each sentence.
• Select the Text: Highlight and select the text, much like you would with any text on your computer. If the transcript is lengthy and you’d rather not scroll while selecting, you can start by placing the cursor at the beginning of the transcript, press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard, scroll down to the end of the transcript, and place the cursor there. This action will select the entire text.
• Paste and Save: Now, open any text document application or software of your choice, and paste the copied text into it. You can then save the transcript as a text file for future reference.

By following these steps, you can easily download and save a YouTube transcript from the web interface, allowing you to have a text copy of the video’s spoken content for your records or offline use.

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Downloading A YouTube Video Transcript On Android Or iPhone

When it comes to downloading a YouTube video transcript on your Android or iPhone, there’s a little twist. The YouTube mobile app doesn’t provide the functionality to select and copy text from the transcript directly.

However, you can still accomplish this by leveraging third-party services like youtubetranscript.com.

Here’s how to do it:

• Access the Third-Party Service: Start by opening your mobile web browser on your Android or iPhone.
• Visit youtubetranscript.com: In your browser’s address bar, enter the web address for youtubetranscript.com. This website is designed specifically for extracting YouTube video transcripts.
• Enter Video URL: Once on the website, you may be prompted to enter the URL of the YouTube video you want to obtain the transcript for. Simply paste the video’s URL and proceed.
• View and Copy Transcript: The website will generate the transcript for the specified video. You can now view the transcript directly on your mobile device’s screen. To copy the transcript content, use your device’s text selection functionality (usually by long-pressing on the text) and choose the “Copy” option.
• Paste and Save: After copying the transcript, you can paste it into any text document application or note-taking app on your Android or iPhone. This allows you to save the transcript for future reference, sharing, or offline use.

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While the YouTube mobile app doesn’t offer direct access to video transcripts, third-party services like youtubetranscript.com bridge the gap, making it possible to extract and utilize the transcript content conveniently on your mobile device.

The post Reinvent Your YouTube Strategy With Video Transcripts appeared first on Newszii.com.