Tools
YouTube Transcript Summarizer
Paste the transcript from any YouTube video and get a concise summary plus the key points and takeaways — in seconds. Free, no signup, and your text is never stored.
Processed by z.ai to write your notes — not stored on our servers. How we handle your data
Summary, action items & decisions in seconds — your text is never saved.
Reading your video and writing the notes…
Turn a long video into a short summary
A 40-minute talk usually has about five minutes of substance. Instead of scrubbing through it, paste the transcript and get the summary and key points in seconds — the spine of a notes page, without watching the whole thing again.
It works on anything with a transcript: lectures, tutorials, conference talks, podcasts, product reviews, and webinars. The summary is drawn only from what was said, so it stays faithful to the video.
How to get a YouTube transcript
YouTube generates a transcript for most videos. You can open it, copy it, and paste it here.
- Open the video and show the transcript Under the video, click “…more”, then “Show transcript”. A transcript panel opens on the right with timestamps.
- Copy the transcript text Select the transcript text and copy it (Ctrl/Cmd+C). You can leave the timestamps in — they don’t affect the summary.
- Paste it into MinutesAI Paste the text into the box above and click “Summarize video”. You get a summary, the key points, and any takeaways.
- Copy or save the notes Copy the summary as Markdown or download a .md file to drop into Notion, Google Docs, or your notes app.
What it’s good for
- Lectures and courses — a revision sheet without re-watching.
- Tutorials and how-tos — the steps, pulled out of the talking.
- Podcasts and interviews — the key points and any names or links mentioned.
- Conference talks and webinars — a shareable recap for your team.
It summarizes a transcript you paste — it does not download videos or bypass any paywall.
More free summarizers
Working from a meeting instead of a video? These tools take the same paste-and-summarize approach.
Frequently asked questions
Is the YouTube transcript summarizer free?
Yes. Pasting a transcript and getting a summary and key points is free with no account. There is a daily limit per device to keep it free for everyone.
How do I get the transcript of a YouTube video?
Under the video, click “…more” then “Show transcript”. A panel opens with the transcript; select and copy the text, then paste it here. Most videos have a transcript available.
Does it download the video or work without the transcript?
No. It does not download videos or audio. It summarizes the transcript text you paste in, so you first copy the transcript from YouTube’s “Show transcript” panel.
Can it handle a long video?
Yes, you can paste a long transcript (tens of thousands of words). Very long transcripts are capped; if you hit the limit, paste the part you care about and summarize that.
Can I summarize a YouTube transcript from Tactiq?
Yes. However you copied the transcript — YouTube’s built-in “Show transcript”, a Tactiq export, or another tool — paste the text here and it’s summarized the same way. We summarize the transcript you paste; we don’t capture it for you.
Is the transcript stored?
No. Your transcript is sent to our AI provider only to generate the summary and is not stored on our servers.