Copy the video URL
Copy the video page's address. Use a public source that you are allowed to transcribe. A link that requires your account, a paid course login or DRM may not be accessible to the service.
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Practical Guide · Chrome Extension
How to convert a video link to text in Chrome
Use the AnyVideo Chrome extension to transcribe a supported public video and save its spoken content as TXT or Markdown. Start with a video up to 10 minutes long for a free first transcript without signup. This guide covers the steps, YouTube's extra browser-processing option and the limits of the result.
- ✓ Public video links
- ✓ Available captions first
- ✓ Audio Deleted After Processing
Walkthrough
How to convert video to text in three steps
Install the extension using the button above. For a server-accessible source, you submit a link rather than uploading a local video file.
Paste into Side Panel
Open AnyVideo from Chrome's extension toolbar, paste the link into its side panel and press Transcribe. Follow the progress messages. A source-access error can require a separate step or mean that the source cannot be processed.
Download clean text
Choose Download TXT for the transcript body or Download MD for the body plus title, source link and processing details. Save it within 7 days, before the server copy expires. Check names, numbers and quotes against the video.
YouTube source access
When the panel offers “Process in browser”
If the server cannot access a public YouTube video, choose Process in browser when offered. This step requires your consent and Chrome's optional YouTube permission.
- The extension opens a separate muted YouTube playback tab at 8× speed, starting from the beginning.
- Keep that tab active. Switching tabs or windows pauses acquisition; use Continue to resume.
- Audio is sent to AnyVideo for transcription, with audio chunks processed by Groq. Your microphone is not recorded.
- This option supports videos up to 60 minutes, with a 96 MiB audio limit. The anonymous trial remains limited to 10 minutes.
- Keep Chrome open until acquisition finishes. Restarting Chrome or reloading the extension during acquisition requires starting that capture again.
Actual duration depends on playback, source availability, audio processing and queue load. Browser processing does not bypass login, paywall or DRM restrictions.
Output Format
Clean, structured files ready for notes & AI
Markdown starts with source metadata, followed by the transcript. This short excerpt comes from a recorded browser-audio test. Follow the Markdown-to-notes workflow.
# The Future of AI Agents with Andrew Ng | Interrupt 26 - Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaRhpwz_TGM - Transcribed: 2026-10-28 - Method: speech recognition - Duration: ~32 min Hey, everyone. Thank you for being here, Andrew. It's great to have you back
Download Markdown excerpt · Download text excerpt
- Spoken content with caption timing markers removed where applicable
- Document header with title, source link, transcription date, method, and duration
- A text document you can edit in Obsidian or another Markdown editor; no generated topic headings, summary or translation
- Automatic server deletion after 7 days, or instant manual deletion with one click
Fidelity & Quality
What affects transcript quality
Source captions, background noise, language and overlapping speakers all affect the result. No transcript should be treated as a verified quotation without checking the source.
Official Subtitles First
When an accessible caption track is available, AnyVideo uses it first. Captions may be human-written or automatic; extraction does not correct every error in the track.
Neural Speech Recognition
When captions are unavailable, audio chunks are sent to Groq for speech-to-text processing. Accents, names, music and technical terminology can cause errors.
Parallel Chunk Processing
Audio can be processed in chunks and assembled into a single transcript. Processing time varies; browser-based YouTube acquisition has its own 60-minute limit.
Spoken Content Only
The transcript follows speech in the detected language. It does not translate, identify visual details, read slide text or create a summary.
Compatibility
Which video links should you try?
Start with a short public video. Extractor support is a starting point, not a guarantee that the service can access every video on that platform. Check tested sources and restrictions.
If a job fails: Reserved transcription minutes return to your balance automatically. Try an accessible source or contact support with the error shown in the panel.
Pricing summary
Simple, credit-based transcription plans
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a video to text?
Install AnyVideo in Chrome, open its side panel, paste a supported public video URL, and click Transcribe. When processing finishes, download TXT or Markdown. If YouTube access is blocked, the panel may offer Process in browser as a separate step.
Is it really free to convert a video to text?
Your first transcript (up to 10 minutes of video) is 100% free with no account or credit card. After a free sign-up you receive 30 minutes every month; Pro is $9/month for 10 hours.
Which video sites are supported?
Support depends on the specific public video and current platform access. See our dated compatibility checks. Private, login-only, paywalled and DRM-protected sources are not supported.
How accurate are the generated transcripts?
Caption-based output inherits the original track's errors. Speech recognition can mishear names, accents, overlapping speakers and numbers. Review important passages against the recording; the transcript does not describe slides or other visual content.
Do you store the video or audio files?
Audio files and chunks are stored temporarily while a job is processed and are removed during job cleanup. If a worker stops unexpectedly, periodic cleanup removes leftover files. When official subtitles are unavailable, audio chunks are sent to Groq for speech-to-text processing.
Can I download subtitles with timestamps (SRT/VTT)?
No. The current release exports Markdown (.md) and plain text (.txt). It does not export SRT/VTT, translate speech or generate a summary.
Ready to convert your first video?
No card required, no account to register, and your first transcript (up to 10 minutes) is completely free.