One transcript API for every video, any platform.
Paste a YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, X, or Facebook URL — or a direct media file — and get the transcript back as clean, timestamped JSON. Captions when they exist, automatic AI transcription when they don't. One endpoint, one response shape.
100 free credits · no credit card required
curl -X POST https://transcriptfetch.com/api/v1/transcripts/video \
-H "Authorization: Bearer tf_live_..." \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"video": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"}'{
"ok": true,
"data": {
"kind": "transcript",
"platform": "youtube",
"title": "Example video",
"text": "Full transcript text ...",
"segments": [{ "start": 0, "duration": 3.5, "text": "Full transcript" }]
},
"usage": { "credits_spent": 1 }
}Five platforms, one endpoint
YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, X (Twitter), and Facebook — plus direct media file URLs. The platform is detected from the URL; the response shape never changes.
Captions + AI fallback
Native caption tracks are returned instantly. When a video has none, the audio is transcribed automatically with AI — same endpoint, same timestamped JSON.
Built for AI pipelines
Per-segment timestamps ready for RAG, agents, and LLM prompts. Batch up to 50 videos per call, enumerate whole channels and playlists, or connect via our MCP server.
Frequently asked questions
Which platforms does the video transcript API support?
YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, X (Twitter), and Facebook, plus direct media file URLs. One endpoint handles all of them — the platform is detected automatically from the URL you send.
What happens when a video has no captions?
The API falls back to AI speech-to-text transcription of the video's audio automatically, and returns the result in the same timestamped JSON format as native captions.
Can I fetch transcripts in bulk?
Yes. The batch endpoint fetches up to 50 videos concurrently, and the channel, playlist, and search endpoints resolve whole collections into video lists you can feed straight back into it.
How much does it cost?
1 credit per successful transcript, with monthly plans from $5. Every account starts with 100 free credits, no card required, and failed fetches are never charged.
Also available: YouTube Transcript API · TikTok · Instagram · X (Twitter) · Facebook · Website to Markdown