# Video Transcript & Translation: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram (`ai_admin/social-video-transcript`) Actor

Transcripts and SRT/VTT subtitles of YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook and X videos, translated into Ukrainian and 20 other languages in the same run. Captions first, Whisper large-v3 when there are none. Failed videos are free. No API key.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/ai_admin/social-video-transcript.md
- **Developed by:** [Andriy Kuzmenko](https://apify.com/ai_admin) (community)
- **Categories:** Videos, AI, Social media
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $10.00 / 1,000 video transcripts

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

## Video Transcript & Translation: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook

Paste video links, get the **transcript, timestamped segments, SRT / VTT subtitles and an optional translation** —
for YouTube videos and Shorts, TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook videos and Reels, X (Twitter), Vimeo and 1,000+ other
sites.

### What makes it different

1. **Translation into Ukrainian and 20 other languages in the same run.** You get the translated transcript and
   ready-to-use SRT/VTT subtitles for it, not only for the original. Of the transcript Actors we found in the Apify
   Store (October 2026), only one other offers translation, at $0.045 / $0.013 per video. Here it costs from $0.007
   per minute. Languages: English, Ukrainian, Russian, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Polish, Dutch,
   Turkish, Czech, Romanian, Swedish, Arabic, Hindi, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean.
2. **All platforms in one Actor.** One input list takes YouTube videos and Shorts, TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook
   videos and Reels, X (Twitter), Vimeo and 1,000+ other sites. Most alternatives cover one platform per Actor.
3. **Works when there are no captions.** Captions are used first: fast, any length, one flat price. Without them
   the speech is recognised with **Whisper large-v3**, so TikToks, Reels and YouTube videos without captions still
   get a transcript. Many YouTube transcript tools return nothing in that case.
4. **Failed videos are free.** Private, deleted, blocked or too-long videos get an `error` field and are not
   charged. You pay only for the transcripts you receive.
5. **No API key of your own.** You don't need an OpenAI or any other account: you pay per video through Apify.

Also included: timestamped segments, SRT and VTT subtitle files with download links, and the video's title, author,
upload date, duration and views next to the text. Speech recognition covers 99 spoken languages, including
Ukrainian. Recognition in Ukrainian is common; what is rare is translation into Ukrainian and the other languages.

### Input

```json
{
  "videoUrls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLgYJh6OFbY",
    "https://www.tiktok.com/@nasa/video/7698805564884733198"
  ],
  "translateTo": "es",
  "useCaptions": true,
  "maxDurationMinutes": 60
}
```

| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `videoUrls` | Links to single videos. Profile, playlist and search pages are not supported. |
| `translateTo` | Optional language code (`en`, `es`, `de`, `uk`…) to also translate the transcript and subtitles |
| `language` | Spoken language code, or empty to detect it automatically |
| `useCaptions` | Use the video's captions when available (default). Off: always recognise the speech with Whisper |
| `maxDurationMinutes` | Videos without captions longer than this are skipped (free). Captions work for any length |
| `quality` | `accurate` (Whisper large-v3, default) or `fast` (large-v3-turbo) — same price |
| `subtitles` | Save SRT and VTT files (free) |
| `includeSegments` | Include timestamped segments, not only the full text |

### Output

```json
{
  "url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@nasa/video/7698805564884733198",
  "platform": "tiktok",
  "title": "…",
  "author": "nasa",
  "uploadDate": "20261020",
  "durationSeconds": 45,
  "language": "en",
  "transcriptSource": "speech-recognition",
  "text": "…",
  "segments": [{ "start": 0.0, "end": 3.2, "text": "…" }],
  "srtUrl": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/.../records/0001-7698805564884733198.srt?signature=...",
  "vttUrl": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/.../records/0001-7698805564884733198.vtt?signature=...",
  "translation": { "language": "es", "text": "…", "segments": [], "srtUrl": "…", "vttUrl": "…" }
}
```

`transcriptSource` is `uploaded-captions`, `automatic-captions` or `speech-recognition`.

### Pricing

You pay per result. On any paid Apify plan you get the lower price.

| Event | Free plan | Paid plans | What counts |
|---|---|---|---|
| `video` | $15 / 1,000 | **$10 / 1,000 videos** | one transcript, from captions (any length) or up to 3 minutes of recognised speech |
| `audio-minute` | $5 / 1,000 | $4 / 1,000 minutes | speech recognition only (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X…): each started minute after the first 3 |
| `youtube-audio-minute` | $12 / 1,000 | $10 / 1,000 minutes | YouTube videos **without** captions: each started minute, charged instead of `video` |
| `translated-minute` | $10 / 1,000 | $7 / 1,000 minutes | only with `translateTo`: each started minute of translated video (text and subtitles) |

Examples on a paid plan:

- a YouTube video with captions: $0.01, whatever its length;
- a 1-minute TikTok: $0.01;
- the same TikTok translated into Ukrainian: $0.017;
- a 10-minute YouTube video without captions: $0.10.

Each run also carries Apify's standard start fee of $0.05 per 1,000 runs. Subtitles are free. If a run reaches your
maximum charge, the remaining videos are skipped.

### Privacy

Audio is sent to [Groq](https://groq.com)'s speech-to-text API (Whisper) only when a video has no captions; transcripts
are sent to Groq's language model API only when you ask for a translation. See
[Groq's privacy policy](https://groq.com/privacy-policy/). Results stay in your own Apify run storage. Transcribe only
videos you are allowed to use.

### Related Actors

- [Audio & Video Transcriber](https://apify.com/ai_admin/audio-transcriber) — your own audio and video files to text and subtitles
- [Text to Speech](https://apify.com/ai_admin/text-to-speech) · [Video Frame Extractor](https://apify.com/ai_admin/video-frame-extractor)

### Use with AI agents and code

- **MCP (Claude, Cursor, VS Code, any MCP client):** add `https://mcp.apify.com?tools=ai_admin/social-video-transcript`
  as an MCP server — the agent gets one tool with this Actor's input schema and pays per use through your Apify account.
- **One HTTP call that returns the results:**

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/ai_admin~social-video-transcript/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"videoUrls": ["https://www.tiktok.com/@nasa/video/7698805564884733198"], "translateTo": "es"}'
```

### Limits

- Private videos, videos that need a login and live streams are not supported.
- Instagram often blocks downloads from servers; such Reels get an `error` and are free.
- Speaker labels (diarization) are not included.

# Actor input Schema

## `videoUrls` (type: `array`):

Links to single videos: YouTube (videos, Shorts), TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook videos and Reels, X (Twitter), Vimeo and 1,000+ other sites. Profile, playlist and search pages are not supported.

## `translateTo` (type: `string`):

Optional: also translate the transcript and subtitles into this language. Leave empty for the original language only.

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

ISO 639-1 code of the spoken language (en, uk, es, de, ...). Leave empty to detect it automatically.

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

On: uploaded or automatic captions are used when the video has them (fast, any length, one flat price). Off: the speech is always recognised with Whisper (better punctuation, charged per minute).

## `maxDurationMinutes` (type: `integer`):

Videos without captions that are longer than this are skipped (not charged). Captions are used for any length.

## `quality` (type: `string`):

accurate = Whisper large-v3 (best for non-English languages); fast = Whisper large-v3-turbo. Same price.

## `subtitles` (type: `boolean`):

Also save SRT and VTT files (original and translation) with download links (free).

## `includeSegments` (type: `boolean`):

Include the timestamped segments (start, end, text) in the output, not only the full text.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "videoUrls": [
    "https://www.tiktok.com/@nasa/video/7698805564884733198"
  ],
  "translateTo": "",
  "language": "",
  "useCaptions": true,
  "maxDurationMinutes": 60,
  "quality": "accurate",
  "subtitles": true,
  "includeSegments": true
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `transcripts` (type: `string`):

Dataset items: url, title, language, text, segments, translation, srtUrl, vttUrl or error.

## `subtitles` (type: `string`):

SRT and VTT files in the run's key-value store.

# 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 = {
    "videoUrls": [
        "https://www.tiktok.com/@nasa/video/7698805564884733198"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("ai_admin/social-video-transcript").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 = { "videoUrls": ["https://www.tiktok.com/@nasa/video/7698805564884733198"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("ai_admin/social-video-transcript").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 '{
  "videoUrls": [
    "https://www.tiktok.com/@nasa/video/7698805564884733198"
  ]
}' |
apify call ai_admin/social-video-transcript --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,ai_admin/social-video-transcript"
        }
    }
}
```

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/schj3W39co6dWaBaP/builds/erhDa1NSQZzHpGXgP/openapi.json