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REST API · MCP server · stable

Reliable YouTube Transcript API.

One complete YouTube API and MCP that just works. Stop fighting blocks and proxies. Clean transcripts in JSON, 125+ languages.

Start for freeRead the docs

100 free credits on signup. No credit card. Cancel anytime.

ClaudeChatGPTPerplexityWorks with AI models via MCP

We've already delivered more than 1M+ transcripts.

zsh
$ curl "https://getyoutubetranscriber.com/api/v2/transcript?video_url=dQw4w9WgXcQ" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

# →  200 OK
{
  "video_id": "dQw4w9WgXcQ",
  "language": "en",
  "transcript": [
    { "text": "We're no strangers to love…", "start": 0, "duration": 2340 }
  ]
}

What is YouTube Transcriber?

YouTube Transcriber is a REST API and MCP server that returns transcripts for any YouTube video that has captions, in 125+ languages. Use the REST API from any backend with a bearer token, or connect the MCP server to Claude, ChatGPT, or Perplexity and let the AI fetch YouTube data on its own. Same key, same credits. You only pay for successful calls. Free 100-credit signup, no card required.

  • 1M+transcripts

    served and counting

  • 280 msmedian

    response time end-to-end

  • 125+languages

    whatever YouTube has captions for

Quickstart: REST or MCP

Drop it in. Pick your language, or your AI assistant.

REST API

curl "https://getyoutubetranscriber.com/api/v2/transcript?video_url=dQw4w9WgXcQ&format=text" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
Copied to clipboard

MCP server

connector setup
ClaudeChatGPTPerplexityClaude · ChatGPT · Perplexity

Server URL

https://getyoutubetranscriber.com/mcp

Auth

OAuth, or Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

MCP setup guide

More endpoints

Not only YouTube transcripts.

Search YouTube globally, resolve channel handles, list channel uploads, search within a channel, track new uploads, and pull playlist videos

  • Search YouTube

    1 credit

    Search across YouTube for videos or channels. Switch result type with the `type` query param. Build content pipelines on top.

    curl "https://getyoutubetranscriber.com/api/v2/search?q=climate+change" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
    Copied to clipboard

  • Resolve channel handle

    Free

    Turn any @handle, channel URL, or UC… id into a canonical channel id. Free, no credits used. Use it as a first step before listing or searching a channel.

    curl "https://getyoutubetranscriber.com/api/v2/channel/resolve?input=@TED" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
    Copied to clipboard

  • Search inside a channel

    1 credit

    Search within one channel to find videos on any topic. Useful for digging through a creator’s channel.

    curl "https://getyoutubetranscriber.com/api/v2/channel/search?channel=@TED&q=AI" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
    Copied to clipboard

  • List channel videos

    1 credit

    List videos uploaded by a channel. Build databases, bulk-extract transcripts, audit a full content library.

    curl "https://getyoutubetranscriber.com/api/v2/channel/videos?channel=@TED" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
    Copied to clipboard

  • Track new uploads

    Free

    Check the latest uploads from any channel via YouTube’s public RSS feed. Free, no credits used. For monitoring, daily recaps, or triggering pipelines.

    curl "https://getyoutubetranscriber.com/api/v2/channel/latest?channel=@TED" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
    Copied to clipboard

  • Extract playlist videos

    1 credit

    Pull videos in a playlist with metadata in one call. Process whole courses, lecture series, or curated collections.

    curl "https://getyoutubetranscriber.com/api/v2/playlist/videos?playlist=PLrAXtmRdnEQy6nuLMt9H9N5g6" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
    Copied to clipboard

Need an endpoint we don't list? Tell us.

What you get

Built for things that have to keep working.

No surprise charges. No mystery downtime. Predictable enough that you can wire it into your pipeline and forget about it.

  • Pay per success

    A failed call costs 0 credits. You only pay when we return a transcript.

  • Bulk transcript

    Fetch up to 50 transcripts in one request. Great for whole playlists or channel videos. Failures don’t bill.

  • Reliable infrastructure

    Automatic retries route around YouTube IP blocks, so your requests keep going through.

  • Fast

    280 ms median response. Cached transcripts return instantly.

  • 125+ languages

    Whatever caption track YouTube has, auto-generated or human-uploaded.

  • MCP for AI assistants

    Connect to Claude, ChatGPT, and Perplexity via the Model Context Protocol. OAuth, one URL, done.

    ClaudeChatGPTPerplexity
    Set up MCP →

Alternatives

Why not build it yourself?

Some teams do. Here's what they take on.

  • Recommended

    Our API

    Setup time
    1 minute
    Survives YouTube blocks
    Yes
    Languages
    125+
    Output
    JSON envelope, plain text
    Pricing model
    Pay per success
    Support
    Live chat + email

  • Build your own scraper

    Setup time
    Days
    Survives YouTube blocks
    Depends on your setup
    Languages
    Depends on you
    Output
    Bespoke
    Pricing model
    Your infra + your time
    Support
    Yourself

  • YouTube Data API v3

    Setup time
    Hours (OAuth, quotas)
    Survives YouTube blocks
    Owner-only (OAuth required)(Google docs)
    Languages
    Partial / metadata only
    Output
    XML / JSON, no plain text
    Pricing model
    Quota units (200/download)
    Support
    Google forum

  • youtube-transcript-api (OSS)

    Setup time
    Minutes
    Survives YouTube blocks
    Blocked on cloud IPs(PyPI warning)
    Languages
    125+ when it works
    Output
    Python dict
    Pricing model
    Free + your infra
    Support
    GitHub issues

Proof

Don't take our word for it.

A free YouTube transcript tool launched on r/SideProject. Four months later, real users were in the comments asking why it stopped working. YouTube blocks the IPs behind free tools fast, and every project built on top of them eventually breaks.

View the Reddit thread
Reddit thread on r/SideProject where users report a free YouTube transcript tool no longer works because YouTube blocks the IPs fast

Pricing

Predictable. Pay per success.

One credit per successful transcript. Failed requests cost nothing. No seat fees, no annual contracts.

Free

$0forever

For prototypes and quick scripts.

  • 100 credits on signup
  • 1 credit = 1 successful request
  • Bulk transcript
  • 30 RPM rate limit
  • Full REST API + MCP access
  • Public docs & dashboard
Start free

Monthly

$5per month

When 100 credits stops cutting it.

  • 1,000 credits per month
  • 1 credit = 1 successful request
  • Extra usage at $2.50 per 1,000 requests
  • Bulk transcript
  • 250 RPM rate limit
  • Full REST API + MCP access
  • Human support (live chat + email)
Start monthly
Recommended

Yearly

$4.50per month
Save 10%

Billed $54/yr. Lower overage, higher rate limit.

  • 12,000 credits per year
  • 1 credit = 1 successful request
  • Extra usage at $1.50 per 1k reqSave 40%
  • Bulk transcript
  • 350 RPM rate limit
  • Full REST API + MCP access
  • Human support (live chat + email)
Start yearly

Need higher rate limits or volume pricing? Contact us.

Everything is in the reference.

One endpoint, three error codes, zero gotchas. Read it cover to cover in under ten minutes.

Open the docs

  • REST API reference

    OpenAPI-generated schema with examples for every endpoint and error code.

  • MCP server

    Connect Claude, ChatGPT, or Perplexity. Same key, same credits, one URL.

  • Error contract

    Stable error shapes you can pattern-match on. No surprise payloads.

Support

Real human support

Reach us on live chat or by email. We answer questions, debug your integration, and treat your outage like ours.

contact@getyoutubetranscriber.com

  • Integration help

    Stuck on auth, rate limits, or shape of the response? Send us your request ID, we'll trace it.

  • Higher volume

    Need more than 200 req/min, a custom SLA, or invoicing? Tell us what you're building.

  • Bugs and edge cases

    Ping us. We'd rather fix it than have you work around it.

Common questions

For developers, by developers.

Missing one? Ask us.

  • Is it free to start?
    Yes. 100 credits on signup, no credit card. You only pay when a request actually returns a transcript. Failed calls cost zero. Most people ship their integration before they ever enter a card.
  • How does billing work?
    Each paid plan includes a credit allowance per cycle: 1,000/month on Monthly, 12,000/year on Yearly. One successful request burns one credit; failed requests are free. If you go over your allowance, extra requests are auto-billed on your next invoice at the plan rate ($2.50 per 1,000 on Monthly, $1.50 per 1,000 on Yearly). No prepaid packs, no surprises. Your dashboard tracks usage in real time.
  • Do you provide docs and code samples?
    Full REST docs at /docs with copy-paste examples for curl, Node, Python, PHP, Go and Ruby. One endpoint, one parameter. Most developers go from signup to first transcript in under 5 minutes.
  • Do you handle YouTube blocks and anti-bot?
    That is the whole point. Our infrastructure absorbs YouTube blocks, retries and edge cases for you. You send a video ID, you get the transcript. No scraping, no captchas, no banned servers on your side.
  • What happens if a video has no captions?
    We return a clear error, and it costs you 0 credits. You only get charged when we actually deliver a transcript, so retries and edge cases never burn your balance.
  • Can I cancel anytime?
    Yes. No contracts, no seat fees, no minimums. Cancel from the dashboard in one click. You keep access until the end of the current billing cycle.
  • What if I need help?
    Real humans, not a bot. Live chat in the dashboard plus email at contact@getyoutubetranscriber.com. Typical reply under a few hours during the week, often minutes.