AI Subtitle & Transcript Generator for YouTube
No captions? No problem. When a YouTube video has no subtitles, or the video was deleted together with its captions, Archivarix Tube Search can transcribe the video to text with AI. A Whisper-class speech-recognition model listens to the audio and produces a regular SRT/VTT transcript with timestamps, ready to download or feed into AI summaries. It is also the only YouTube transcript generator that handles deleted videos, using audio preserved by the Wayback Machine.
What the AI Transcript Generator Does
- Extracts the audio. From the Wayback Machine copy for deleted videos, or straight from the source for live ones.
- Transcribes speech to text. A self-hosted AI model turns the audio into timestamped captions.
- Detects the language. The spoken language is recognized automatically.
- Outputs SRT and VTT. Generated tracks are labeled separately from archived ones, so you always know the source.
Who Can Generate AI Subtitles
| Feature | Anonymous | Registered | Plus | Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| View / download existing AI subtitles | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Trigger AI subtitle generation | — | — | — | Per-tier quota |
On lower tiers the "Create AI Subtitles" button appears faded, and only on deleted videos that have no subtitles at all (neither archived nor AI-generated). It links to the Pricing page. Per-tier daily quotas are listed there and on your Profile → Plan & Usage tab.
How to Generate a Transcript
Transcribe Deleted YouTube Videos
Even a deleted video can be transcribed, as long as the Wayback Machine holds an audio copy. Filter a channel by "Has Video" to see deleted videos with archived media. Each of them offers Create AI Subtitles, and usually a "Watch on archive.org" link too. Web-archive audio plus AI speech-to-text recovers the speech of videos that no longer exist anywhere on YouTube. No other transcript tool can do this.
Which Videos Qualify
- Deleted videos. Need an audio copy in the Wayback Machine. Most popular videos have one; long-tail content often does not.
- Live videos. Audio is fetched on demand, so almost any public video qualifies.
- Age-restricted, private, region-blocked. Currently skipped: they are not reliably reachable, and the archive rarely has a complete audio track for them.
Limitations
- Audio quality. Low-bitrate archive copies, loud music, or overlapping voices degrade recognition. Archived Wayback audio is particularly noisy.
- Language detection. Rare languages or heavy accents may be misidentified. The detected language is shown next to the transcript.
- Speed. Generation takes from one to several minutes depending on video length. It runs in the background, so you can keep browsing.
- Accuracy. AI transcription is not human-perfect. Proper names, technical jargon, and brand spellings may need manual correction.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get the transcript of a YouTube video that has no captions?
Search for the video here and click Create AI Subtitles. The AI transcribes the audio into a timestamped SRT/VTT file in a few minutes. If the video ever had captions, check the archived subtitles first: those download instantly.
Can AI transcribe a deleted YouTube video?
Yes, if the Wayback Machine preserved an audio copy of the video. Use the "Has Video" filter to find deleted videos with archived media, then click Create AI Subtitles.
What format is the generated transcript?
SRT and VTT, both with timestamps. Both are plain-text files: open them in any editor to read or copy the transcript as text.
How long does transcription take?
Usually one to five minutes, depending on video length. Generation runs in the background and progress is shown in the video row.
How accurate are AI-generated subtitles?
The Whisper-class model handles clear speech very well. Expect mistakes on proper names, technical jargon, and noisy or low-bitrate archived audio. Review before publishing.
Which languages are supported?
The spoken language is detected automatically, and major languages give the best results. The detected language is shown next to the transcript.
Who can generate AI subtitles?
Generation is available on the Pro tier with a daily quota. Viewing and downloading already-generated AI subtitles is available to everyone.
