Turn any video & audio link into timestamped transcripts for your app, agent, or tasks.

Send any YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn or your own audio / video files to one REST API and an MCP server, get timestamps in milliseconds.

How it works

One request in. A timestamped transcript out.

  1. Step01

    Send a link

    Make one GET request with a public video link and your API key. It works with YouTube videos and Shorts, Instagram reels, Facebook reels and videos, videos in public X and LinkedIn posts, and audio or video files. You get JSON or plain text back.

    youtube.com/watch?v=…x.com/…/status/…200 OK
    Request

    GET /v1/transcript?url=… with your key in the x-api-key header.

    Sources
    YouTube and ShortsInstagram and FacebookX and LinkedInFiles up to 2 GB
    What comes back · JSON
    • Timed segments with offset and duration in ms
    • The transcript's language and the caption languages
    • Or one plain string with text=true
    Up to 25 sper request, then a job ID to poll
  2. Step02

    Captions first, AI when needed

    If the video has captions, you get them in a few seconds and they don’t use AI hours. If it doesn’t, we transcribe the audio with AI, up to 2 hours per file. Set mode to force either one.

    mode=autoCaptions

    GET /v1/transcript?url=youtu.be/jNQXAC9IVRw

    Captions found. Transcript ready, no AI hours used.

    200 · 0 AI minutes
    AI transcription
    • Instagram reel · 0:47
    • Facebook video · 12:30
    • podcast-ep-14.mp3 · 58:02
    • team-call.m4a (uploaded) · 41:10

    No captions? Transcribed with AI. Failed requests cost nothing.

  3. Step03

    Plug it into your agent

    Connect Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or Claude Code to the MCP server. Your agent gets get_transcript, get_transcript_status and create_upload, on the same account and limits as the API.

    MCP tool callsStreamable HTTP

    • get_transcript · youtu.be/jNQXAC9IVRw

      Claude Code · 9:00 AM

      Completed

    • get_transcript_status · run_cmh2x8…

      Cursor · 8:58 AM

      Completed

    • get_transcript · instagram.com/reel/…

      ChatGPT · 8:55 AM

      Queued
  4. Step04

    See every request

    Logs show every request from the API, MCP and the Playground for 30 days, with its status and the AI minutes it used. Try any link in the Playground before you write code.

    Last 30 daysRequests

    81K

    Requests

    14K

    Caption transcripts

    2.4K

    AI minutes

    312

    Uploads

    Top sources · this month
    #SourceRequests
    1YouTube38K
    2Instagram24K
    3LinkedIn19K

The API, MCP server and Playground share one account, one usage balance and one rate limit.

Agent first by design, built for code, agents, and the people who use them.

One account works across the REST API, the MCP server and the dashboard. Start on the Free plan.

REST API

One GET request, JSON back

Send a video link with your API key. Get timed segments with start and length in milliseconds, or one plain string with text=true.

Get a free API key
app.bestvideotranscriptapi.com/dashboard/api-keys
The API Keys page in the dashboard, with key values blurred

MCP server

Your agent can read any video

Add the MCP server to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or Claude Code. Paste a link in chat and the agent fetches the transcript itself.

Get a free API key
app.bestvideotranscriptapi.com/mcp
Claude Code calling the MCP server and printing a timestamped transcript

Sources

Six sources, one endpoint

YouTube videos and Shorts, Instagram reels, Facebook reels and videos, videos in public X and LinkedIn posts, and audio or video files.

Get a free API key
docs.bestvideotranscriptapi.com/concepts/supported-links
The Supported links page in the docs, listing link shapes for each platform

Captions or AI

Captions in seconds, AI when there are none

Auto mode reads the video's captions when it has them, and those never use AI hours. No captions? We transcribe the audio in the language you pass, or detect it.

Get a free API key
app.bestvideotranscriptapi.com/dashboard/playground
The Playground set to Auto mode, with a transcript read from the video's captions

Uploads

Transcribe files from your computer

Ask for an upload link, PUT the file, then pass its url like any other link. Files up to 2 GB. We delete each one after 24 hours.

Get a free API key
docs.bestvideotranscriptapi.com/concepts/uploads
The Uploading files page in the docs, showing the upload link, PUT and transcript steps

Long videos

Long videos don't time out

A request waits up to 25 seconds, then hands you a job ID to poll. Send the same request again within an hour and you get the same job, charged once.

Get a free API key
docs.bestvideotranscriptapi.com/concepts/jobs
The Jobs and polling page in the docs, showing a 202 response with a job ID

Playground

Try a link before you write code

Paste any supported link into the dashboard Playground, read the transcript, then copy the code for the same request.

Get a free API key
app.bestvideotranscriptapi.com/dashboard/playground
A Playground transcript with timestamps beside the same request as curl

Logs and usage

See every request and what it used

Logs keep each request from the API, MCP and Playground for 30 days, with its status and AI minutes. GET /v1/me returns what you have left.

Get a free API key
app.bestvideotranscriptapi.com/dashboard/logs
The Logs page with one request open, showing its source, mode, minutes charged and transcript

Also included:

Timestamps in millisecondsPlain-text outputPick the caption languageAutomatic language detectionCaptions of any lengthAI transcription up to 2 h per fileFailed requests are freeSafe retriesUsage check at /v1/me

Start free. Pay for AI hours.

Caption transcripts come with every plan. Pay yearly and save about a third.

Free

$0

Per month

  • 1 h of AI transcription a month
  • 100 caption transcripts a month
  • 1 request per second
Get started

Basic

$13

Per month

  • 30 h of AI transcription a month
  • 3,000 caption transcripts a month
  • 10 requests per second
  • Extra hours: $5 for 10 h, never expire
Get started

ProMost popular

$49

Per month

  • 300 h of AI transcription a month
  • Unlimited caption transcripts
  • 50 requests per second
  • Extra hours: $5 for 25 h, never expire
Get started

Scale

$199

Per month

  • 2,000 h of AI transcription a month
  • Unlimited caption transcripts
  • 100 requests per second
  • Extra hours: $5 for 45 h, never expire
Get started

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Paste a link. Get the transcript.

Create a free API key and make your first request, or connect your agent over MCP.

Summarize this YouTube video for me▍

Free plan · 1 h AI + 100 captions a month