Creating a Cash Flow From Content: YouTube’s Monetization Techniques for the Future

YouTube is a widely beloved platform that appeals to individuals of all age groups. If you understand how to harness its potential, YouTube can become a source of income. Generating income from YouTube videos becomes simple through YouTube video monetization. If you’re keen on monetizing your YouTube account, this article is your guide. You can turn it into a part-time gig or a full-time profession, potentially earning a solid income.

To earn well, your content must align with what viewers truly desire. Read this article to learn about how you can monetize YouTube videos, its rules, and requirements.

YouTube Monetization Helper Create the conditions for effective YouTube monetization with Wondershare Filmora!

Free Download Free Download Learn More

Part 1. How to Get Monetized on YouTube: Rules and Requirements

How to Monetize YouTube Channel

Begin making money from your YouTube videos through the YouTube Partner Program. You can create earnings from your YouTube channel by connecting it to your Google account. Monetize your website using Google AdSense.

Google AdSense generates substantial website revenue. If viewers interact with the ads in your videos, you earn money. Adding AdSense to your YouTube channel makes your videos monetizable.

Some videos cannot be monetized, however. Content must meet specific requirements to qualify for YouTube’s program. Criteria include content quality, community guidelines, and copyright compliance. Your YouTube channel can generate income once your videos meet these standards.

Monetizing YouTube Videos: What Are The Requirements?

You can monetize your YouTube videos by joining the YouTube Partner Program. Everyone can create a YouTube account, but YPP requires certain requirements. Every time you create content, you must consider these requirements.

Prior to applying for the program, your channel must first accomplish the following:

• One thousand subscribers
• A total of 4,000 watch hours in the past year

Building your audience and creating great content will help you meet these requirements. Joining the YPP, and making sure your YouTube channel complies with YouTube’s rules and policies, is the more complicated aspect.

Those advertising on YouTube want to avoid being linked to low-quality content. Therefore, YouTube Partner Program members are encouraged to create unique, valuable videos.

When you upload content to YouTube, you’ll need to keep these things in mind. Those who plan on monetizing their videos should thoroughly read these documents. You also need to set up a Google AdSense account, which tracks and pays for your YouTube ads.

Part 2. 10 Proven Ways to Monetize Your YouTube Channel

10 Methods to Monetize YouTube Videos

You can monetize your YouTube videos in 10 different ways, including:

• Google Adsense
• Paid Sponsorship
• YouTube Premium
• Memberships
• Merchandise
• Invest in crowd-funding
• Stickers, chats, and thanks
• YouTube Shorts
• YouTube Brandconnect
• YouTube Shopping

1. Google AdSense

YouTube channel monetization is the most popular method. By adding AdSense to your videos, you can generate revenue from the ads displayed. You must adhere to our advertiser-friendly guidelines when creating your videos. The monetization of all videos may not be possible, therefore. YouTube and AdSense work seamlessly together. With no technical knowledge required, your monetization strategy can be set up and managed easily.

2. Paid Sponsorships

Sponsorship involves paying a content creator to use, demonstrate, or test a brand’s product in a video. Both the creator and the brand benefit from sponsorships provided by brands.

The rewards of sponsorship can be immense, but sponsorships are hard to come by. You can pitch relevant brands to partner with your influential channel if your channel has a large following.

3. YouTube Premium

Joining the YouTube Partner Program qualifies you for YouTube Premium. In addition, it can increase your earnings. YouTube Premium members get paid when they watch your content as a creator. The number of Premium members has now surpassed 20 million. It is possible that this may occur quite frequently. YouTube Premium will automatically pay you if someone watches your content.

4. Memberships

Creating membership tiers on your channel allows you to offer different perks to different levels of subscription. Using memberships has the main benefit of providing a more steady income stream. Ad revenue is a more traditional method of monetization. This feature is enabled by channels with at least 1,000 subscribers, and the creator sets fees.

5. Merchandise

You can sell merchandise on YouTube videos with over 10,000 subscribers using a merch shelf. By selling branded merchandise to your YouTube fans, you can generate additional revenue.

It’s especially useful for YouTube creators without their own website who want to sell merchandise. Currently, there are over 45 platforms or retailers worldwide that support merch, so growing your brand is easy.

6. Invest in crowd-funding

It’s not just for startups anymore; you can use crowdfunding to fund content creation on YouTube as well. You can find people to support your work through third-party applications like Patreon in exchange for perks. You can now place sponsor buttons on your YouTube videos, which allows you to crowdfund. With this, you can offer rewards in exchange for monthly funding like with Patreon.

7. Stickers, chats, and thanks

During live streams and premieres, creators can engage their fans with Super Chat and Super Stickers. In the live chat, fans can purchase Super Chats to display their message prominently. A Super Sticker is an animated image displayed during a live chat session. The Super Thanks feature enables creators to earn income from their videos. Additional appreciation may be expressed by those who wish to do so

8. YouTube Shorts

Using the YouTube app, short, vertical videos can be uploaded straight to YouTube using a smartphone. In the same way as Instagram Stories are uploaded to the social media site. The length of YouTube shorts is limited to 60 seconds. In 2021 and 2022, a $100 million fund will be distributed for YouTube Shorts. With this initial stage, YouTube Shorts began to monetize in May 2021. A YouTube Short will only be compensated if it meets the fund’s criteria.

9. YouTube BrandConnect

Brands and YouTube creators can work together on content campaigns through YouTube BrandConnect. In terms of product recommendations, audiences trust creators. It is also possible to partner with YouTube channels through BrandConnect

10. YouTube Shopping

YouTube shopping gives you the chance to promote your own products or those of other brands. It is possible to connect your store (such as Shopify) to YouTube. Add your products to videos, shorts, live streams, etc., as well as tag other brands’ products.

Part 3. Wondershare Filmora: A Video Editing Software to Help Edit YouTube Videos

Wondershare Filmora is your creative ally when it comes to enhancing and editing YouTube videos. Video editing software like Filmora allows you to produce visually engaging and captivating content. Creating the conditions for effective YouTube monetization.

Filmora is cross-platform compatible. Making it accessible for all creators, so you can work on your videos wherever you are. With Filmora, you can enhance your video content no matter what platform you’re using.

Edit YouTube videos with Filmora’s features

Using Filmora’s features, you can give your videos a professional edge.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Adjustment Layer

Take the Adjustment Layer feature, for instance, which allows you to add general effects to multiple video clips simultaneously, saving you time and effort. This feature can make your video content more engaging, ultimately attracting a larger audience.

Split Screen

You can create eye-catching split-screen videos with Filmora’s Split Screen Video Editor. Simply click a button to create split-screen videos using premade templates. Enhancing the visual appeal and dynamic of your videos for easy monetization on YouTube.

Motion Tracking

Motion Tracking is another exciting feature that Filmora brings to the table. It enables you to track the movement of objects within your videos and pin graphics and media files to follow the motion magically. This not only adds a touch of professionalism to your videos but also keeps your audience engaged.

Video Effects

Filmora offers a treasure trove of creative possibilities with its Video Effects, including transitions, filters, titles, and motion elements that you won’t find elsewhere. These exclusive features will help you infuse your videos with creativity and style.

Mask and Blend

And let’s not forget the Mask and Blend feature, which allows you to create unique video effects by masking and blending video clips. With only a few clicks, you can create distinct video effects that will set your content apart.

Wondershare Filmora empowers you to take your YouTube videos to the next level. making them more visually appealing, engaging, and ultimately better suited for monetization.

Try Filmora out Free! Click here!

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Conclusion

For those aspiring to turn their passion into a source of income, YouTube is a treasure trove of opportunities. This comprehensive 2024 guide has shed light on the path to monetizing your YouTube channel. With Google AdSense, paid sponsorships, and YouTube Premium, you’ve learned the ropes of the YouTube Partner Program.

With Wondershare Filmora‘s user-friendly tools, your videos will stand out on a professional level. As a result, your YouTube dreams will become a reality in 2024 with dedication and these insights.

Free Download Free Download Learn More

Part 1. How to Get Monetized on YouTube: Rules and Requirements

How to Monetize YouTube Channel

Begin making money from your YouTube videos through the YouTube Partner Program. You can create earnings from your YouTube channel by connecting it to your Google account. Monetize your website using Google AdSense.

Google AdSense generates substantial website revenue. If viewers interact with the ads in your videos, you earn money. Adding AdSense to your YouTube channel makes your videos monetizable.

Some videos cannot be monetized, however. Content must meet specific requirements to qualify for YouTube’s program. Criteria include content quality, community guidelines, and copyright compliance. Your YouTube channel can generate income once your videos meet these standards.

Monetizing YouTube Videos: What Are The Requirements?

You can monetize your YouTube videos by joining the YouTube Partner Program. Everyone can create a YouTube account, but YPP requires certain requirements. Every time you create content, you must consider these requirements.

Prior to applying for the program, your channel must first accomplish the following:

• One thousand subscribers
• A total of 4,000 watch hours in the past year

Building your audience and creating great content will help you meet these requirements. Joining the YPP, and making sure your YouTube channel complies with YouTube’s rules and policies, is the more complicated aspect.

Those advertising on YouTube want to avoid being linked to low-quality content. Therefore, YouTube Partner Program members are encouraged to create unique, valuable videos.

When you upload content to YouTube, you’ll need to keep these things in mind. Those who plan on monetizing their videos should thoroughly read these documents. You also need to set up a Google AdSense account, which tracks and pays for your YouTube ads.

Part 2. 10 Proven Ways to Monetize Your YouTube Channel

10 Methods to Monetize YouTube Videos

You can monetize your YouTube videos in 10 different ways, including:

• Google Adsense
• Paid Sponsorship
• YouTube Premium
• Memberships
• Merchandise
• Invest in crowd-funding
• Stickers, chats, and thanks
• YouTube Shorts
• YouTube Brandconnect
• YouTube Shopping

1. Google AdSense

YouTube channel monetization is the most popular method. By adding AdSense to your videos, you can generate revenue from the ads displayed. You must adhere to our advertiser-friendly guidelines when creating your videos. The monetization of all videos may not be possible, therefore. YouTube and AdSense work seamlessly together. With no technical knowledge required, your monetization strategy can be set up and managed easily.

2. Paid Sponsorships

Sponsorship involves paying a content creator to use, demonstrate, or test a brand’s product in a video. Both the creator and the brand benefit from sponsorships provided by brands.

The rewards of sponsorship can be immense, but sponsorships are hard to come by. You can pitch relevant brands to partner with your influential channel if your channel has a large following.

3. YouTube Premium

Joining the YouTube Partner Program qualifies you for YouTube Premium. In addition, it can increase your earnings. YouTube Premium members get paid when they watch your content as a creator. The number of Premium members has now surpassed 20 million. It is possible that this may occur quite frequently. YouTube Premium will automatically pay you if someone watches your content.

4. Memberships

Creating membership tiers on your channel allows you to offer different perks to different levels of subscription. Using memberships has the main benefit of providing a more steady income stream. Ad revenue is a more traditional method of monetization. This feature is enabled by channels with at least 1,000 subscribers, and the creator sets fees.

5. Merchandise

You can sell merchandise on YouTube videos with over 10,000 subscribers using a merch shelf. By selling branded merchandise to your YouTube fans, you can generate additional revenue.

It’s especially useful for YouTube creators without their own website who want to sell merchandise. Currently, there are over 45 platforms or retailers worldwide that support merch, so growing your brand is easy.

6. Invest in crowd-funding

It’s not just for startups anymore; you can use crowdfunding to fund content creation on YouTube as well. You can find people to support your work through third-party applications like Patreon in exchange for perks. You can now place sponsor buttons on your YouTube videos, which allows you to crowdfund. With this, you can offer rewards in exchange for monthly funding like with Patreon.

7. Stickers, chats, and thanks

During live streams and premieres, creators can engage their fans with Super Chat and Super Stickers. In the live chat, fans can purchase Super Chats to display their message prominently. A Super Sticker is an animated image displayed during a live chat session. The Super Thanks feature enables creators to earn income from their videos. Additional appreciation may be expressed by those who wish to do so

8. YouTube Shorts

Using the YouTube app, short, vertical videos can be uploaded straight to YouTube using a smartphone. In the same way as Instagram Stories are uploaded to the social media site. The length of YouTube shorts is limited to 60 seconds. In 2021 and 2022, a $100 million fund will be distributed for YouTube Shorts. With this initial stage, YouTube Shorts began to monetize in May 2021. A YouTube Short will only be compensated if it meets the fund’s criteria.

9. YouTube BrandConnect

Brands and YouTube creators can work together on content campaigns through YouTube BrandConnect. In terms of product recommendations, audiences trust creators. It is also possible to partner with YouTube channels through BrandConnect

10. YouTube Shopping

YouTube shopping gives you the chance to promote your own products or those of other brands. It is possible to connect your store (such as Shopify) to YouTube. Add your products to videos, shorts, live streams, etc., as well as tag other brands’ products.

Part 3. Wondershare Filmora: A Video Editing Software to Help Edit YouTube Videos

Wondershare Filmora is your creative ally when it comes to enhancing and editing YouTube videos. Video editing software like Filmora allows you to produce visually engaging and captivating content. Creating the conditions for effective YouTube monetization.

Filmora is cross-platform compatible. Making it accessible for all creators, so you can work on your videos wherever you are. With Filmora, you can enhance your video content no matter what platform you’re using.

Edit YouTube videos with Filmora’s features

Using Filmora’s features, you can give your videos a professional edge.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Adjustment Layer

Take the Adjustment Layer feature, for instance, which allows you to add general effects to multiple video clips simultaneously, saving you time and effort. This feature can make your video content more engaging, ultimately attracting a larger audience.

Split Screen

You can create eye-catching split-screen videos with Filmora’s Split Screen Video Editor. Simply click a button to create split-screen videos using premade templates. Enhancing the visual appeal and dynamic of your videos for easy monetization on YouTube.

Motion Tracking

Motion Tracking is another exciting feature that Filmora brings to the table. It enables you to track the movement of objects within your videos and pin graphics and media files to follow the motion magically. This not only adds a touch of professionalism to your videos but also keeps your audience engaged.

Video Effects

Filmora offers a treasure trove of creative possibilities with its Video Effects, including transitions, filters, titles, and motion elements that you won’t find elsewhere. These exclusive features will help you infuse your videos with creativity and style.

Mask and Blend

And let’s not forget the Mask and Blend feature, which allows you to create unique video effects by masking and blending video clips. With only a few clicks, you can create distinct video effects that will set your content apart.

Wondershare Filmora empowers you to take your YouTube videos to the next level. making them more visually appealing, engaging, and ultimately better suited for monetization.

Try Filmora out Free! Click here!

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Conclusion

For those aspiring to turn their passion into a source of income, YouTube is a treasure trove of opportunities. This comprehensive 2024 guide has shed light on the path to monetizing your YouTube channel. With Google AdSense, paid sponsorships, and YouTube Premium, you’ve learned the ropes of the YouTube Partner Program.

With Wondershare Filmora‘s user-friendly tools, your videos will stand out on a professional level. As a result, your YouTube dreams will become a reality in 2024 with dedication and these insights.

Turning YouTube Sounds Into Text: An In-Depth, No-Cost Course

How to Transcribe a YouTube Video for FREE

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you want to transcribe your videos to make the dialogs and speeches available in text format, you can use YouTube Transcribe feature that the streaming site offers for free. In this article, I’ll share with you a couple of methods to transcribe a YouTube video for free.

• Part 1: Transcribe YouTube Video Automatically for Free [2 Ways]
• Part 2: Transcribe YouTube Video to Text Online with Third-Party Service
• Part 3: Benefits of Transcribing YouTube Videos
• Part 4: YouTube Video Transcription FAQs

Part 1: How to Transcribe YouTube Video Automatically for Free [2 Ways]

Besides the basic video editing features on the YouTube platform, you can now quickly transcribe YouTube videos to the text as well. The good thing is, you can either use the automatic transcription feature that YouTube offers, or upload it manually while adjusting the timing as you go further.

Below are the two methods to transcribe your YouTube videos for free:

Method 1: Use the Automated Transcription Service on YouTube

As the name suggests, YouTube automatic transcription service works automatically. This means you don’t even have to click the ‘Transcribe’ button anymore to transcribe a YouTube video, and the website takes care of it on its own. All you need to do is, choose English as the language of the video when setting up subtitles. You can follow the instructions given below to do so:

Step 1 Upload a Video

Sign in to your YouTube account, click your profile picture from the top-right corner, and click YouTube Studio from the menu. Next, click CREATE from the upper-right corner, click Upload videos from the menu, and drag and drop a video from your computer to the Upload videos box that appears next.

Step 2 Select Transcription Language

On the Details page of the next box that appears, scroll down and click MORE OPTIONS, and select English in the Video language drop-down list under the Language, subtitles, and closed captions (CC) section.

Step 3 Publish the Video

Follow the on-screen instructions from this point to publish the video, and wait while YouTube automatically transcribes and adds the close captions to it.

Note: Depending on the duration of the clip, the time YouTube would take to transcribe may vary.

After YouTube has transcribed the video, you can download the transcription file in your preferred format. The instructions are given below explain how you can do so:

1. Get to the Subtitles Window

While on the YouTube Studio page, click Subtitles from the left pane to go to the Channel subtitles page. And then click the video you want to modify.

1. Get to Classic Studio

In the video subtitle page of the target video, hover mouse on the Published Automatic status under the Subtitles column, click the Options icon (with three vertical dots) that appears, and click Edit on Classic Studio.

1. Download Transcription File

Click and open the Actions drop-down list from the top-left corner of the left pane, click your preferred transcription format including .vtt, .srt and .sbv from the list, and save the file on your local hard disk.

Method 2: Get YouTube Transcription when Watching

In addition, if you are watching any other video, you can make YouTube transcribe that for you as well. You can follow the instructions given below to get the YouTube video to text transcription:

Step 1: Play the Video

Go to the video on YouTube and start playing it. Make sure NOT to get to full-screen mode as doing so would hide the option to transcribe the clip.

Step 2: Enable Transcription

Click the More icon (with three horizontal dots) from under the bottom-right corner of the video player, and click Open transcript to see the video transcription in the Transcript pane that appears in the right.

Step 3: Manage Timestamps

Click the Options icon (with three vertical dots) from the top-right corner of the Transcript pane, and click Toggle timestamp to enable or disable the timestamps in the video transcription.

Limitations of Using YouTube Transcribe

Although YouTube’s automatic transcription is a decent feature that saves you a lot of time, since Google uses machine learning algorithms to convert the speech to text, the level of accuracy may vary depending on the accent of the speaker, and the clarity of the audio the video has. Also, even sometime you may not be satisfied with the end-results.

Alternatively, you can use Kapwing to transcribe a YouTube video and download the transcription file with the below step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Add YouTube Video

Copy the URL of YouTube video you want to transcribe, go to https://www.kapwing.com/subtitles , paste the URL in the Paste a URL field, wait while Kapwing fetches the content of the video, and opens the Add subtitles to Video page.

Step 2: Transcribe the Video

Click Auto-generate from the right window, and follow the on-screen instructions to transcribe YouTube video to text.

Step 3: Download the Transcription File

Click Download SRT from the left pane, and follow the instructions from there to download the transcription file in *.srt format.

Pros

• Kapwing is free to use
• The auto-transcription process is quick and less tedious
• Kapwing also allows manual transcription and uploading of an existing *.srt file

Cons

• The auto-transcribed text might lack accuracy as the task is done by the speech-to-text tools that work in the background

You can follow the step-by-step instructions to transcribe a YouTube video and download the transcription file using Kapwing:

Step 1: Add YouTube Video

Copy the URL of YouTube video you want to transcribe, go to https://www.kapwing.com/subtitles , paste the URL in the Paste a URL field, wait while Kapwing fetches the content of the video, and opens the Add subtitles to Video page.

Step 2: Transcribe the Video

Click Auto-generate from the right window, and follow the on-screen instructions to transcribe YouTube video to text.

Step 3: Download the Transcription File

Click Download SRT from the left pane, and follow the instructions from there to download the transcription file in *.srt format.

Pros

• Kapwing is free to use
• The auto-transcription process is quick and less tedious
• Kapwing also allows manual transcription and uploading of an existing *.srt file

Cons

• The auto-transcribed text might lack accuracy as the task is done by the speech-to-text tools that work in the background

Part 3: Benefits of Transcribing YouTube Videos

You may need video transcriptions for several reasons, such as analyzing the summary of the entire speech in the video, extracting a single phrase or quote that was spoken in the clip, or making the video helpful even for those suffering from hearing impairment. When you transcribe a YouTube video, the transcript can be useful in many ways. Some of the most common benefits of transcribing a video include:

• Search Engine Optimization

When you add subtitles, the text can appear in Google search results when someone types a similar phrase in the search box. This helps get more views to your videos, thus giving your channel popularity, and you, monetary gains in the long run.

• Accent

If the speaker in the video is from a different region and is using an accent that you are not much comfortable with, you can turn on the subtitles and read the dialogs along with the video.

• Repurposing on Blogs

If you own a blog that you have embedded your video to, the transcription could be used to add text to it so the target audience can get a fair idea of what the video is all about. This is useful because many people prefer reading over watching.

YouTube Video Transcription FAQs

1. How to Transcribe YouTube Video to Text

Usually the transcription files have *.srt extension that are globally accepted and supported by almost all media players. However, there might be instances when you want to have the subtitles in plain text.

That said, to convert an SRT file to TXT, you can:

• Right-click the SRT file
• Go to Rename
• Replace srt with txt and press Enter
• Click OK on the confirmation box that appears next to convert SRT to TXT

After this, you can simply double-click the file, and read and modify the transcribed content as needed.

2. How to Edit and Upload Edited Transcript to YouTube

If you made any modifications to the transcript that was automatically generated by YouTube or any other third-party transcription tool, you can follow the steps given below to upload the new file to the YouTube video:

• Go to YouTube Studio and then to the Channel subtitles page as explained earlier
• Expand the Languages column of the target video
• Click the Options icon that appears under the Subtitles column when you hover mouse on to it
• Click Edit on Classic Studio
• On the next page, click Edit from the top-right corner

• Click to open the Actions drop-down list from the upper-left corner
• Click Upload a file
  • Follow the on-screen instructions from there to upload the modified transcription file
  • Click Save Changes from the top-right corner of the page when done

Conclusion

If you are looking for a quick and easy way of adding subtitles to your videos, letting YouTube transcribe for you could be a good approach. However, because these auto-generated transcriptions are created by machine learning algorithms, their accuracy cannot be counted on. Therefore, the best way to get the job done accurately is, let YouTube auto-transcribe your video, download the transcription file, make the necessary changes to it, and then upload the file back to the video.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you want to transcribe your videos to make the dialogs and speeches available in text format, you can use YouTube Transcribe feature that the streaming site offers for free. In this article, I’ll share with you a couple of methods to transcribe a YouTube video for free.

• Part 1: Transcribe YouTube Video Automatically for Free [2 Ways]
• Part 2: Transcribe YouTube Video to Text Online with Third-Party Service
• Part 3: Benefits of Transcribing YouTube Videos
• Part 4: YouTube Video Transcription FAQs

Part 1: How to Transcribe YouTube Video Automatically for Free [2 Ways]

Besides the basic video editing features on the YouTube platform, you can now quickly transcribe YouTube videos to the text as well. The good thing is, you can either use the automatic transcription feature that YouTube offers, or upload it manually while adjusting the timing as you go further.

Below are the two methods to transcribe your YouTube videos for free:

Method 1: Use the Automated Transcription Service on YouTube

As the name suggests, YouTube automatic transcription service works automatically. This means you don’t even have to click the ‘Transcribe’ button anymore to transcribe a YouTube video, and the website takes care of it on its own. All you need to do is, choose English as the language of the video when setting up subtitles. You can follow the instructions given below to do so:

Step 1 Upload a Video

Sign in to your YouTube account, click your profile picture from the top-right corner, and click YouTube Studio from the menu. Next, click CREATE from the upper-right corner, click Upload videos from the menu, and drag and drop a video from your computer to the Upload videos box that appears next.

Step 2 Select Transcription Language

On the Details page of the next box that appears, scroll down and click MORE OPTIONS, and select English in the Video language drop-down list under the Language, subtitles, and closed captions (CC) section.

Step 3 Publish the Video

Follow the on-screen instructions from this point to publish the video, and wait while YouTube automatically transcribes and adds the close captions to it.

Note: Depending on the duration of the clip, the time YouTube would take to transcribe may vary.

After YouTube has transcribed the video, you can download the transcription file in your preferred format. The instructions are given below explain how you can do so:

1. Get to the Subtitles Window

While on the YouTube Studio page, click Subtitles from the left pane to go to the Channel subtitles page. And then click the video you want to modify.

1. Get to Classic Studio

In the video subtitle page of the target video, hover mouse on the Published Automatic status under the Subtitles column, click the Options icon (with three vertical dots) that appears, and click Edit on Classic Studio.

1. Download Transcription File

Click and open the Actions drop-down list from the top-left corner of the left pane, click your preferred transcription format including .vtt, .srt and .sbv from the list, and save the file on your local hard disk.

Method 2: Get YouTube Transcription when Watching

In addition, if you are watching any other video, you can make YouTube transcribe that for you as well. You can follow the instructions given below to get the YouTube video to text transcription:

Step 1: Play the Video

Go to the video on YouTube and start playing it. Make sure NOT to get to full-screen mode as doing so would hide the option to transcribe the clip.

Step 2: Enable Transcription

Click the More icon (with three horizontal dots) from under the bottom-right corner of the video player, and click Open transcript to see the video transcription in the Transcript pane that appears in the right.

Step 3: Manage Timestamps

Click the Options icon (with three vertical dots) from the top-right corner of the Transcript pane, and click Toggle timestamp to enable or disable the timestamps in the video transcription.

Limitations of Using YouTube Transcribe

Although YouTube’s automatic transcription is a decent feature that saves you a lot of time, since Google uses machine learning algorithms to convert the speech to text, the level of accuracy may vary depending on the accent of the speaker, and the clarity of the audio the video has. Also, even sometime you may not be satisfied with the end-results.

Alternatively, you can use Kapwing to transcribe a YouTube video and download the transcription file with the below step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Add YouTube Video

Copy the URL of YouTube video you want to transcribe, go to https://www.kapwing.com/subtitles , paste the URL in the Paste a URL field, wait while Kapwing fetches the content of the video, and opens the Add subtitles to Video page.

Step 2: Transcribe the Video

Click Auto-generate from the right window, and follow the on-screen instructions to transcribe YouTube video to text.

Step 3: Download the Transcription File

Click Download SRT from the left pane, and follow the instructions from there to download the transcription file in *.srt format.

Pros

• Kapwing is free to use
• The auto-transcription process is quick and less tedious
• Kapwing also allows manual transcription and uploading of an existing *.srt file

Cons

• The auto-transcribed text might lack accuracy as the task is done by the speech-to-text tools that work in the background

You can follow the step-by-step instructions to transcribe a YouTube video and download the transcription file using Kapwing:

Step 1: Add YouTube Video

Copy the URL of YouTube video you want to transcribe, go to https://www.kapwing.com/subtitles , paste the URL in the Paste a URL field, wait while Kapwing fetches the content of the video, and opens the Add subtitles to Video page.

Step 2: Transcribe the Video

Click Auto-generate from the right window, and follow the on-screen instructions to transcribe YouTube video to text.

Step 3: Download the Transcription File

Click Download SRT from the left pane, and follow the instructions from there to download the transcription file in *.srt format.

Pros

• Kapwing is free to use
• The auto-transcription process is quick and less tedious
• Kapwing also allows manual transcription and uploading of an existing *.srt file

Cons

• The auto-transcribed text might lack accuracy as the task is done by the speech-to-text tools that work in the background

Part 3: Benefits of Transcribing YouTube Videos

You may need video transcriptions for several reasons, such as analyzing the summary of the entire speech in the video, extracting a single phrase or quote that was spoken in the clip, or making the video helpful even for those suffering from hearing impairment. When you transcribe a YouTube video, the transcript can be useful in many ways. Some of the most common benefits of transcribing a video include:

• Search Engine Optimization

When you add subtitles, the text can appear in Google search results when someone types a similar phrase in the search box. This helps get more views to your videos, thus giving your channel popularity, and you, monetary gains in the long run.

• Accent

If the speaker in the video is from a different region and is using an accent that you are not much comfortable with, you can turn on the subtitles and read the dialogs along with the video.

• Repurposing on Blogs

If you own a blog that you have embedded your video to, the transcription could be used to add text to it so the target audience can get a fair idea of what the video is all about. This is useful because many people prefer reading over watching.

YouTube Video Transcription FAQs

1. How to Transcribe YouTube Video to Text

Usually the transcription files have *.srt extension that are globally accepted and supported by almost all media players. However, there might be instances when you want to have the subtitles in plain text.

That said, to convert an SRT file to TXT, you can:

• Right-click the SRT file
• Go to Rename
• Replace srt with txt and press Enter
• Click OK on the confirmation box that appears next to convert SRT to TXT

After this, you can simply double-click the file, and read and modify the transcribed content as needed.

2. How to Edit and Upload Edited Transcript to YouTube

If you made any modifications to the transcript that was automatically generated by YouTube or any other third-party transcription tool, you can follow the steps given below to upload the new file to the YouTube video:

• Go to YouTube Studio and then to the Channel subtitles page as explained earlier
• Expand the Languages column of the target video
• Click the Options icon that appears under the Subtitles column when you hover mouse on to it
• Click Edit on Classic Studio
• On the next page, click Edit from the top-right corner

• Click to open the Actions drop-down list from the upper-left corner
• Click Upload a file
  • Follow the on-screen instructions from there to upload the modified transcription file
  • Click Save Changes from the top-right corner of the page when done

Conclusion

If you are looking for a quick and easy way of adding subtitles to your videos, letting YouTube transcribe for you could be a good approach. However, because these auto-generated transcriptions are created by machine learning algorithms, their accuracy cannot be counted on. Therefore, the best way to get the job done accurately is, let YouTube auto-transcribe your video, download the transcription file, make the necessary changes to it, and then upload the file back to the video.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you want to transcribe your videos to make the dialogs and speeches available in text format, you can use YouTube Transcribe feature that the streaming site offers for free. In this article, I’ll share with you a couple of methods to transcribe a YouTube video for free.

• Part 1: Transcribe YouTube Video Automatically for Free [2 Ways]
• Part 2: Transcribe YouTube Video to Text Online with Third-Party Service
• Part 3: Benefits of Transcribing YouTube Videos
• Part 4: YouTube Video Transcription FAQs

Part 1: How to Transcribe YouTube Video Automatically for Free [2 Ways]

Besides the basic video editing features on the YouTube platform, you can now quickly transcribe YouTube videos to the text as well. The good thing is, you can either use the automatic transcription feature that YouTube offers, or upload it manually while adjusting the timing as you go further.

Below are the two methods to transcribe your YouTube videos for free:

Method 1: Use the Automated Transcription Service on YouTube

As the name suggests, YouTube automatic transcription service works automatically. This means you don’t even have to click the ‘Transcribe’ button anymore to transcribe a YouTube video, and the website takes care of it on its own. All you need to do is, choose English as the language of the video when setting up subtitles. You can follow the instructions given below to do so:

Step 1 Upload a Video

Sign in to your YouTube account, click your profile picture from the top-right corner, and click YouTube Studio from the menu. Next, click CREATE from the upper-right corner, click Upload videos from the menu, and drag and drop a video from your computer to the Upload videos box that appears next.

Step 2 Select Transcription Language

On the Details page of the next box that appears, scroll down and click MORE OPTIONS, and select English in the Video language drop-down list under the Language, subtitles, and closed captions (CC) section.

Step 3 Publish the Video

Follow the on-screen instructions from this point to publish the video, and wait while YouTube automatically transcribes and adds the close captions to it.

Note: Depending on the duration of the clip, the time YouTube would take to transcribe may vary.

After YouTube has transcribed the video, you can download the transcription file in your preferred format. The instructions are given below explain how you can do so:

1. Get to the Subtitles Window

While on the YouTube Studio page, click Subtitles from the left pane to go to the Channel subtitles page. And then click the video you want to modify.

1. Get to Classic Studio

In the video subtitle page of the target video, hover mouse on the Published Automatic status under the Subtitles column, click the Options icon (with three vertical dots) that appears, and click Edit on Classic Studio.

1. Download Transcription File

Click and open the Actions drop-down list from the top-left corner of the left pane, click your preferred transcription format including .vtt, .srt and .sbv from the list, and save the file on your local hard disk.

Method 2: Get YouTube Transcription when Watching

In addition, if you are watching any other video, you can make YouTube transcribe that for you as well. You can follow the instructions given below to get the YouTube video to text transcription:

Step 1: Play the Video

Go to the video on YouTube and start playing it. Make sure NOT to get to full-screen mode as doing so would hide the option to transcribe the clip.

Step 2: Enable Transcription

Click the More icon (with three horizontal dots) from under the bottom-right corner of the video player, and click Open transcript to see the video transcription in the Transcript pane that appears in the right.

Step 3: Manage Timestamps

Click the Options icon (with three vertical dots) from the top-right corner of the Transcript pane, and click Toggle timestamp to enable or disable the timestamps in the video transcription.

Limitations of Using YouTube Transcribe

Although YouTube’s automatic transcription is a decent feature that saves you a lot of time, since Google uses machine learning algorithms to convert the speech to text, the level of accuracy may vary depending on the accent of the speaker, and the clarity of the audio the video has. Also, even sometime you may not be satisfied with the end-results.

Alternatively, you can use Kapwing to transcribe a YouTube video and download the transcription file with the below step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Add YouTube Video

Copy the URL of YouTube video you want to transcribe, go to https://www.kapwing.com/subtitles , paste the URL in the Paste a URL field, wait while Kapwing fetches the content of the video, and opens the Add subtitles to Video page.

Step 2: Transcribe the Video

Click Auto-generate from the right window, and follow the on-screen instructions to transcribe YouTube video to text.

Step 3: Download the Transcription File

Click Download SRT from the left pane, and follow the instructions from there to download the transcription file in *.srt format.

Pros

• Kapwing is free to use
• The auto-transcription process is quick and less tedious
• Kapwing also allows manual transcription and uploading of an existing *.srt file

Cons

• The auto-transcribed text might lack accuracy as the task is done by the speech-to-text tools that work in the background

You can follow the step-by-step instructions to transcribe a YouTube video and download the transcription file using Kapwing:

Step 1: Add YouTube Video

Copy the URL of YouTube video you want to transcribe, go to https://www.kapwing.com/subtitles , paste the URL in the Paste a URL field, wait while Kapwing fetches the content of the video, and opens the Add subtitles to Video page.

Step 2: Transcribe the Video

Click Auto-generate from the right window, and follow the on-screen instructions to transcribe YouTube video to text.

Step 3: Download the Transcription File

Click Download SRT from the left pane, and follow the instructions from there to download the transcription file in *.srt format.

Pros

• Kapwing is free to use
• The auto-transcription process is quick and less tedious
• Kapwing also allows manual transcription and uploading of an existing *.srt file

Cons

• The auto-transcribed text might lack accuracy as the task is done by the speech-to-text tools that work in the background

Part 3: Benefits of Transcribing YouTube Videos

You may need video transcriptions for several reasons, such as analyzing the summary of the entire speech in the video, extracting a single phrase or quote that was spoken in the clip, or making the video helpful even for those suffering from hearing impairment. When you transcribe a YouTube video, the transcript can be useful in many ways. Some of the most common benefits of transcribing a video include:

• Search Engine Optimization

When you add subtitles, the text can appear in Google search results when someone types a similar phrase in the search box. This helps get more views to your videos, thus giving your channel popularity, and you, monetary gains in the long run.

• Accent

If the speaker in the video is from a different region and is using an accent that you are not much comfortable with, you can turn on the subtitles and read the dialogs along with the video.

• Repurposing on Blogs

If you own a blog that you have embedded your video to, the transcription could be used to add text to it so the target audience can get a fair idea of what the video is all about. This is useful because many people prefer reading over watching.

YouTube Video Transcription FAQs

1. How to Transcribe YouTube Video to Text

Usually the transcription files have *.srt extension that are globally accepted and supported by almost all media players. However, there might be instances when you want to have the subtitles in plain text.

That said, to convert an SRT file to TXT, you can:

• Right-click the SRT file
• Go to Rename
• Replace srt with txt and press Enter
• Click OK on the confirmation box that appears next to convert SRT to TXT

After this, you can simply double-click the file, and read and modify the transcribed content as needed.

2. How to Edit and Upload Edited Transcript to YouTube

If you made any modifications to the transcript that was automatically generated by YouTube or any other third-party transcription tool, you can follow the steps given below to upload the new file to the YouTube video:

• Go to YouTube Studio and then to the Channel subtitles page as explained earlier
• Expand the Languages column of the target video
• Click the Options icon that appears under the Subtitles column when you hover mouse on to it
• Click Edit on Classic Studio
• On the next page, click Edit from the top-right corner

• Click to open the Actions drop-down list from the upper-left corner
• Click Upload a file
  • Follow the on-screen instructions from there to upload the modified transcription file
  • Click Save Changes from the top-right corner of the page when done

Conclusion

If you are looking for a quick and easy way of adding subtitles to your videos, letting YouTube transcribe for you could be a good approach. However, because these auto-generated transcriptions are created by machine learning algorithms, their accuracy cannot be counted on. Therefore, the best way to get the job done accurately is, let YouTube auto-transcribe your video, download the transcription file, make the necessary changes to it, and then upload the file back to the video.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

If you want to transcribe your videos to make the dialogs and speeches available in text format, you can use YouTube Transcribe feature that the streaming site offers for free. In this article, I’ll share with you a couple of methods to transcribe a YouTube video for free.

• Part 1: Transcribe YouTube Video Automatically for Free [2 Ways]
• Part 2: Transcribe YouTube Video to Text Online with Third-Party Service
• Part 3: Benefits of Transcribing YouTube Videos
• Part 4: YouTube Video Transcription FAQs

Part 1: How to Transcribe YouTube Video Automatically for Free [2 Ways]

Besides the basic video editing features on the YouTube platform, you can now quickly transcribe YouTube videos to the text as well. The good thing is, you can either use the automatic transcription feature that YouTube offers, or upload it manually while adjusting the timing as you go further.

Below are the two methods to transcribe your YouTube videos for free:

Method 1: Use the Automated Transcription Service on YouTube

As the name suggests, YouTube automatic transcription service works automatically. This means you don’t even have to click the ‘Transcribe’ button anymore to transcribe a YouTube video, and the website takes care of it on its own. All you need to do is, choose English as the language of the video when setting up subtitles. You can follow the instructions given below to do so:

Step 1 Upload a Video

Sign in to your YouTube account, click your profile picture from the top-right corner, and click YouTube Studio from the menu. Next, click CREATE from the upper-right corner, click Upload videos from the menu, and drag and drop a video from your computer to the Upload videos box that appears next.

Step 2 Select Transcription Language

On the Details page of the next box that appears, scroll down and click MORE OPTIONS, and select English in the Video language drop-down list under the Language, subtitles, and closed captions (CC) section.

Step 3 Publish the Video

Follow the on-screen instructions from this point to publish the video, and wait while YouTube automatically transcribes and adds the close captions to it.

Note: Depending on the duration of the clip, the time YouTube would take to transcribe may vary.

After YouTube has transcribed the video, you can download the transcription file in your preferred format. The instructions are given below explain how you can do so:

1. Get to the Subtitles Window

While on the YouTube Studio page, click Subtitles from the left pane to go to the Channel subtitles page. And then click the video you want to modify.

1. Get to Classic Studio

In the video subtitle page of the target video, hover mouse on the Published Automatic status under the Subtitles column, click the Options icon (with three vertical dots) that appears, and click Edit on Classic Studio.

1. Download Transcription File

Click and open the Actions drop-down list from the top-left corner of the left pane, click your preferred transcription format including .vtt, .srt and .sbv from the list, and save the file on your local hard disk.

Method 2: Get YouTube Transcription when Watching

In addition, if you are watching any other video, you can make YouTube transcribe that for you as well. You can follow the instructions given below to get the YouTube video to text transcription:

Step 1: Play the Video

Go to the video on YouTube and start playing it. Make sure NOT to get to full-screen mode as doing so would hide the option to transcribe the clip.

Step 2: Enable Transcription

Click the More icon (with three horizontal dots) from under the bottom-right corner of the video player, and click Open transcript to see the video transcription in the Transcript pane that appears in the right.

Step 3: Manage Timestamps

Click the Options icon (with three vertical dots) from the top-right corner of the Transcript pane, and click Toggle timestamp to enable or disable the timestamps in the video transcription.

Limitations of Using YouTube Transcribe

Although YouTube’s automatic transcription is a decent feature that saves you a lot of time, since Google uses machine learning algorithms to convert the speech to text, the level of accuracy may vary depending on the accent of the speaker, and the clarity of the audio the video has. Also, even sometime you may not be satisfied with the end-results.

Alternatively, you can use Kapwing to transcribe a YouTube video and download the transcription file with the below step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Add YouTube Video

Copy the URL of YouTube video you want to transcribe, go to https://www.kapwing.com/subtitles , paste the URL in the Paste a URL field, wait while Kapwing fetches the content of the video, and opens the Add subtitles to Video page.

Step 2: Transcribe the Video

Click Auto-generate from the right window, and follow the on-screen instructions to transcribe YouTube video to text.

Step 3: Download the Transcription File

Click Download SRT from the left pane, and follow the instructions from there to download the transcription file in *.srt format.

Pros

• Kapwing is free to use
• The auto-transcription process is quick and less tedious
• Kapwing also allows manual transcription and uploading of an existing *.srt file

Cons

• The auto-transcribed text might lack accuracy as the task is done by the speech-to-text tools that work in the background

You can follow the step-by-step instructions to transcribe a YouTube video and download the transcription file using Kapwing:

Step 1: Add YouTube Video

Copy the URL of YouTube video you want to transcribe, go to https://www.kapwing.com/subtitles , paste the URL in the Paste a URL field, wait while Kapwing fetches the content of the video, and opens the Add subtitles to Video page.

Step 2: Transcribe the Video

Click Auto-generate from the right window, and follow the on-screen instructions to transcribe YouTube video to text.

Step 3: Download the Transcription File

Click Download SRT from the left pane, and follow the instructions from there to download the transcription file in *.srt format.

Pros

• Kapwing is free to use
• The auto-transcription process is quick and less tedious
• Kapwing also allows manual transcription and uploading of an existing *.srt file

Cons

• The auto-transcribed text might lack accuracy as the task is done by the speech-to-text tools that work in the background

Part 3: Benefits of Transcribing YouTube Videos

You may need video transcriptions for several reasons, such as analyzing the summary of the entire speech in the video, extracting a single phrase or quote that was spoken in the clip, or making the video helpful even for those suffering from hearing impairment. When you transcribe a YouTube video, the transcript can be useful in many ways. Some of the most common benefits of transcribing a video include:

• Search Engine Optimization

When you add subtitles, the text can appear in Google search results when someone types a similar phrase in the search box. This helps get more views to your videos, thus giving your channel popularity, and you, monetary gains in the long run.

• Accent

If the speaker in the video is from a different region and is using an accent that you are not much comfortable with, you can turn on the subtitles and read the dialogs along with the video.

• Repurposing on Blogs

If you own a blog that you have embedded your video to, the transcription could be used to add text to it so the target audience can get a fair idea of what the video is all about. This is useful because many people prefer reading over watching.

YouTube Video Transcription FAQs

1. How to Transcribe YouTube Video to Text

Usually the transcription files have *.srt extension that are globally accepted and supported by almost all media players. However, there might be instances when you want to have the subtitles in plain text.

That said, to convert an SRT file to TXT, you can:

• Right-click the SRT file
• Go to Rename
• Replace srt with txt and press Enter
• Click OK on the confirmation box that appears next to convert SRT to TXT

After this, you can simply double-click the file, and read and modify the transcribed content as needed.

2. How to Edit and Upload Edited Transcript to YouTube

If you made any modifications to the transcript that was automatically generated by YouTube or any other third-party transcription tool, you can follow the steps given below to upload the new file to the YouTube video:

• Go to YouTube Studio and then to the Channel subtitles page as explained earlier
• Expand the Languages column of the target video
• Click the Options icon that appears under the Subtitles column when you hover mouse on to it
• Click Edit on Classic Studio
• On the next page, click Edit from the top-right corner

• Click to open the Actions drop-down list from the upper-left corner
• Click Upload a file
  • Follow the on-screen instructions from there to upload the modified transcription file
  • Click Save Changes from the top-right corner of the page when done

Conclusion

If you are looking for a quick and easy way of adding subtitles to your videos, letting YouTube transcribe for you could be a good approach. However, because these auto-generated transcriptions are created by machine learning algorithms, their accuracy cannot be counted on. Therefore, the best way to get the job done accurately is, let YouTube auto-transcribe your video, download the transcription file, make the necessary changes to it, and then upload the file back to the video.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

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