How to Download a YouTube Transcript as TXT or SRT

A TXT file is plain text — just the words, with no timestamps or formatting. It's the simplest possible format: open it in any text editor, paste it into a document, or search through it like any other piece of writing.

An SRT file is a subtitle file. It breaks the transcript into numbered blocks, each with a start and end timestamp and the text spoken during that window. It's a standard format that video editors and media players recognize as subtitles/captions, not just plain text.

Paste a public YouTube video's URL into the input on the ClearScript homepage and it retrieves the available transcript with timestamps. Once it loads, both download options appear above the transcript.

Click "Download TXT" to save the transcript as plain text, with the timestamps stripped out — just the words, in order. This is the format to reach for when you want to read, search, or reuse the words themselves.

Click "Download SRT" to save the transcript as a subtitle file, with each line paired to the exact moment it was spoken. Each entry looks like this:

1
00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:17,900
This is the line spoken during that window.

The timestamps mark exactly when that line starts and ends in the video, which is what lets a video player or editor show the right text at the right moment.

Reading the video's content without watching it. Pulling quotes for notes or research. Searching the text for a specific word or phrase. Pasting the content into a document or summary.

Adding subtitles to a video in an editor. Syncing text to specific moments in the video. Working with any tool that specifically expects a subtitle file rather than plain text.