To transcribe a YouTube video, paste its link into the Potok bot on Telegram, switch on timestamps and send it. No download is needed. The bot reads the video and returns the text, with 6 export formats, including SRT and VTT if you also want captions.
Transcribe a recording
Send your voice message, audio or video to @potok_now_bot on Telegram and the text comes back in the chat.
Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram
Files up to 2 GB · export to TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, SRT and VTT · speaker labels and timestamps · about 30 languages
Key facts
- You only need to paste a link, which saves downloading a large video file and uploading it again.
- Study notes work best with timestamps, since you can return to the exact moment of a definition.
- The link must point to a video you may use. Copyright and permission for reuse stay your responsibility.
How to do it
- Copy the video link. Use the share button in YouTube or copy the address from the browser. Make sure it is a single video, not a playlist.
- Open the bot. Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram and start a chat with it.
- Switch on timestamps. Do this before sending the link. You will want times for notes and captions.
- Paste the link. Send the YouTube address as a message and wait for the reply.
- Read the result. A short transcript appears in the chat. A long one arrives as a file you can open or export.
- Choose an export. Take TXT or MD for notes, DOCX for editing, and SRT or VTT if you plan to build captions.
- Check names and terms. Play a few minutes of the video beside the text and fix names, jargon and numbers.
What the result looks like
[00:00] Speaker 1: Hi everyone, in this video I will show you how to organise a spreadsheet.
[00:08] Speaker 1: First, we create one sheet for the raw data.
[00:14] Speaker 1: Then we add a second sheet for the summary.
Sample text written by us to show the layout of a transcript. It is not the output of the recognition engine and not a real recording.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Where it works | Telegram bot @potok_now_bot; large files go through the bot's mini app |
| File size | Up to 2 GB |
| Export | TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT |
| Speakers and time | Speaker labels and timestamps can be switched on |
| Languages | About 30 languages with good published results; a few more with warnings |
| Translation | The transcript is not translated into another language |
| Dictation | A separate Potok desktop app lets you dictate text into any program; it recognises Russian speech |
Common mistakes
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sending a playlist address | The bot cannot tell which video you mean. | Open the video itself and copy its own link. |
| Reusing someone's transcript without permission | Publishing another creator's words may breach their rights. | Use the text for study or ask the creator before you repost. |
| Expecting links from other video sites to work | The request fails and you lose time. | Open the video in YouTube, or download the clip yourself and send it as a file if you have the right to. |
| Trusting jargon spelled by ear | Technical terms and names come out as the nearest common words. | Keep a short list of key terms and search for each one. |
More
See the full list of languages, the tools and the glossary.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to download the video first?
No. Paste the YouTube link into the chat with the bot. If you have the file itself, you can send that instead.
Can I get captions from the transcript?
Yes. Switch on timestamps and export SRT or VTT. Check the timing against the video before you publish.
Which links does the bot accept?
YouTube links. Links from other video sites are not promised, so send those videos as files.
How can students use it?
Take the text with timestamps, mark key points and go back to the moment in the video when something is unclear.
Is it fine to publish the transcript of any video?
Not always. Copyright and the creator's wishes apply, so get permission before you repost another person's words.
Sources
Each source was opened by hand on the date shown. Pages change, so open the source if a detail matters to you.
- YouTube (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked
- WebVTT (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked
Try it on your own recording
Send your voice message, audio or video to @potok_now_bot on Telegram and the text comes back in the chat.
Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram