Best free tools to transcribe YouTube videos quickly

The best free tools to transcribe YouTube videos quickly are:

1. YouTube's Built-in Transcript: Access automatic captions directly on YouTube via the "Show transcript" option. This is instant and free but may need manual copy-pasting and editing.

2. NoteGPT: A fast, web-based tool where you paste a YouTube URL and instantly generate a transcript with timestamps. No sign-up is required, and it supports multiple languages with optional AI summarization.

3. Tactiq: A Chrome extension providing quick transcripts while watching YouTube videos, with live transcription and easy export options. It requires no email or signup for basic usage.

4. Mapify YouTube Transcript Tool: This free online AI-powered tool generates transcripts within seconds with export to TXT, SRT, or VTT formats. It also supports 100+ languages and includes timestamps.

5. Otter.ai: Free tier available, allows uploading YouTube video files or links for transcription with good accuracy and speaker identification features.

6. Google Docs Voice Typing: A free, no-sign-up method where you play the video near your microphone while Google Docs captures the speech in real time.

These tools vary in interface but all provide quick, no-cost access to YouTube video transcription. For the fastest and easiest usage, NoteGPT and YouTube's built-in transcript are standout choices, while Tactiq and Mapify give seamless browser-based options with extra features.

This covers the most effective free tools to quickly transcribe YouTube videos in 2025.