# YouTube Transcript & Audio to Text (Whisper) - SRT/VTT (`admirala/audio-to-subtitles`) Actor

YouTube transcripts from existing captions for $0.0045/video, plus Whisper speech to text for your own MP3, WAV, M4A or MP4 file URLs. Text, SRT and VTT subtitles, 99 languages.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/admirala/audio-to-subtitles.md
- **Developed by:** [Ja doei](https://apify.com/admirala) (community)
- **Categories:** Videos, AI
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.01 / 1,000 youtube transcript from existing captions

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## YouTube Transcript & Audio to Text (Whisper) - SRT/VTT

> ✅ **Tested daily** with its default input (Apify's automated QA plus our own smoke test before every release).

**YouTube transcript** and **audio to text** in one Actor: get the transcript of a YouTube video from its existing captions for $0.0045, or turn **your own audio or video files** (MP3, WAV, M4A, MP4, WebM by direct file URL) into **text, SRT and VTT subtitles** with Whisper speech recognition. 99 languages, automatic language detection, timestamps included.

### Why this Actor

- **Cheapest YouTube transcripts**: $0.0045 per video when the video already has captions.
- **Your own files**: AI transcription (Whisper) for any audio/video file you provide by direct URL.
- **Subtitles ready to use**: every result includes plain text, **SRT** and **VTT** with timestamps.
- **Sources**: YouTube links (existing captions only) and direct audio/video file URLs. Media downloads from video platforms (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Vimeo, X, Facebook) are not supported, in line with those platforms' terms; such links without captions return an error and are not charged.
- **No setup**: paste URLs, click Start. Bulk input supported.

### Input

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `urls` | List of URLs. Either YouTube video links (only existing captions are read, $0.0045 each) or direct audio/video file URLs ending in .mp3, .wav, .m4a, .mp4, .webm that you have the rights to (Whisper, billed per audio minute). Video-platform downloads are not supported. Example: \["https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw"]. |
| `model` | Whisper model for audio files and caption-less videos: tiny/base = fast, $0.02 per audio minute; small/medium = more accurate, $0.035 per audio minute. Not used when YouTube captions are found. |
| `language` | Optional ISO 639-1 code of the spoken language, e.g. 'en', 'de', 'nl'. Leave empty to auto-detect. |
| `useCaptions` | true (recommended) = use the YouTube video's existing captions: fastest and cheapest ($0.0045 per video). false = always run Whisper (billed per audio minute). |

### Output (per URL)

```json
{
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...",
  "source": "captions",
  "language": "en",
  "duration_s": 211.3,
  "text": "We're no strangers to love ...",
  "srt": "1\n00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,000\n...",
  "vtt": "WEBVTT\n\n00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:04.000\n..."
}
```

### Pricing (pay per event)

| Event | Price |
|---|---|
| YouTube transcript from existing captions | $0.0045 per video |
| AI transcription (Whisper base) | $0.02 per audio minute |
| Premium AI transcription (Whisper small/medium) | $0.035 per audio minute |

### Use cases

YouTube transcript extraction, video subtitles (SRT/VTT), podcast transcription, meeting and interview transcription, content repurposing, SEO, research, accessibility, feeding transcripts to LLMs and AI agents.

### Notes

Only process content you are allowed to use. The Actor processes the videos and files you provide; it does not collect profiles or personal data.

### Use with AI agents (MCP)

This Actor can be used as a tool by AI agents (Claude, Cursor, VS Code, other MCP clients) through the official [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp):

- Add only this Actor as a tool: `https://mcp.apify.com?tools=admirala/audio-to-subtitles` (sign in with OAuth or an Apify API token).
- Or connect `https://mcp.apify.com` and let the agent find it with `search-actors` (e.g. "youtube transcript"), read the input schema with `fetch-actor-details` and run it with `call-actor`.

Example input an agent can pass:

```json
{
  "urls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw"
  ],
  "useCaptions": true
}
```

Cost per call: $0.0045 per YouTube transcript from captions; $0.02 per audio minute (Whisper base) or $0.035 (small/medium) for your own files. Failed items are not charged. Results come back as dataset items (`get-dataset-items`).

### FAQ

**How do I get the transcript of a YouTube video?**
Paste the video URL in `urls` and keep `useCaptions` on. The Actor returns the existing captions as plain text, SRT and VTT for $0.0045 per video.

**Can it transcribe an MP3 or MP4 file to text?**
Yes, if you give a direct file URL (for example from your own storage, S3 or Dropbox direct link). Whisper transcribes it and you pay per audio minute.

**Does it download videos from YouTube, TikTok or Instagram?**
No. For video platforms only existing captions are read. Platform links without captions return an error and are not charged.

**Which languages are supported?**
Whisper supports 99 languages with auto-detection; set `language` (e.g. `en`, `de`, `nl`) to force one.

### Related actors

- YouTube Transcript Scraper - Text, Timestamps & SRT (coming soon to Apify Store)
- Podcast Transcription - RSS Feed to Text, SRT & VTT (coming soon to Apify Store)
- RSS Feed Reader - RSS & Atom to JSON (bulk, auto-discovery) (coming soon to Apify Store)

# Actor input Schema

## `urls` (type: `array`):

List of URLs. Either YouTube video links (only existing captions are read, $0.0045 each) or direct audio/video file URLs ending in .mp3, .wav, .m4a, .mp4, .webm that you have the rights to (Whisper, billed per audio minute). Video-platform downloads are not supported. Example: \["https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw"].

## `model` (type: `string`):

Whisper model for audio files and caption-less videos: tiny/base = fast, $0.02 per audio minute; small/medium = more accurate, $0.035 per audio minute. Not used when YouTube captions are found.

## `language` (type: `string`):

Optional ISO 639-1 code of the spoken language, e.g. 'en', 'de', 'nl'. Leave empty to auto-detect.

## `useCaptions` (type: `boolean`):

true (recommended) = use the YouTube video's existing captions: fastest and cheapest ($0.0045 per video). false = always run Whisper (billed per audio minute).

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "urls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw"
  ],
  "model": "base",
  "useCaptions": true
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "urls": [
        "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("admirala/audio-to-subtitles").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "urls": ["https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("admirala/audio-to-subtitles").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "urls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw"
  ]
}' |
apify call admirala/audio-to-subtitles --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,admirala/audio-to-subtitles"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/8qmCHY3sGghZ15HgR/builds/JkeGqzABQugIAVhR9/openapi.json