# YouTube & Bandcamp Lyrics Transcriber (`peroxo/youtube-lyrics-transcriber`) Actor Extract approximate timestamped lyric transcripts from YouTube, Bandcamp, and direct audio/video URLs. - **URL**: https://apify.com/peroxo/youtube-lyrics-transcriber.md - **Developed by:** [Michael Beetz](https://apify.com/peroxo) (community) - **Categories:** AI, Videos, Developer tools - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing $40.00 / 1,000 transcribed audio minutes This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. 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. Actors are written with capital "A". ## 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. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## YouTube & Bandcamp Lyrics Transcriber Extract approximate, timestamped lyric transcripts from user-provided YouTube videos, direct audio/video URLs, or Bandcamp track/album pages. Provide one or more audio/video pages and the Actor returns structured transcription results with timestamps, source metadata, warnings, and billing information. ### Input ```json { "startUrls": [ { "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=..." }, { "url": "https://artist.bandcamp.com/album/...", "trackTitle": "Track Name" } ], "quality": "balanced", "language": "en", "audioFilter": false, "maxDurationSeconds": 900, "includeSegments": true, "includeFullText": true } ```` #### Input fields | Field | Default | What it does | | --- | --- | --- | | `startUrls` | required | List of audio/video pages to transcribe. Supports YouTube video URLs, direct audio/video URLs, Bandcamp track URLs, and Bandcamp album URLs. For Bandcamp albums, add `trackTitle` to the individual item so the Actor selects the intended track instead of guessing. | | `quality` | `balanced` | Transcription quality/speed tradeoff. `fast` is quicker and cheaper for previews. `balanced` is recommended for most songs. `accurate` can improve difficult vocals but takes longer. `multilingual` is recommended for non-English or mixed-language audio. | | `language` | `en` | Optional language hint, e.g. `en` or `de`. Leave empty if you want automatic language detection with multilingual mode. | | `maxItems` | `5` | Maximum number of input URLs processed from `startUrls`. | | `maxDurationSeconds` | `900` | Safety limit for one audio item. Audio longer than this is skipped with an error. Set `0` to disable the limit, but long files cost more and take longer. | | `audioFilter` | `false` | Enables an optional voice/silence filter. For songs, `false` often preserves repeated sung lines better; for speech-heavy audio, `true` can reduce silence/noise. | | `includeSegments` | `true` | Include timestamped segments (`start`, `end`, `text`) in the dataset output. Disable if you only need metadata/full text. | | `includeFullText` | `true` | Include joined transcript text as `transcriptText`. Disable if you only want timestamped segments or want smaller output items. | ### Output Each dataset item contains: - `url`, `sourceType`, `title`, `artist`, `duration` - `billableAudioMinutes`: audio duration rounded up to full minutes for pay-per-event billing - `segments`: timestamped transcript segments - `transcriptText`: joined text when enabled - `transcriptMeta`: language, duration, quality mode, and filter settings used for the run - `warnings` and `error` fields when extraction/transcription is partial ### Pricing This Actor is priced per started audio minute. A 4:12 track counts as 5 billable minutes. Failed items are not charged. ### Notes - Music vocals are hard for automated transcription. Treat output as approximate, especially for electronic, processed, layered, or reverberated vocals. - Some video pages may block automated access or require user/session verification; those URLs will return an error instead of silently fabricating output. - For Bandcamp album pages with several tracks, pass `trackTitle` in the startUrl item to select the intended track. # Actor input Schema ## `startUrls` (type: `array`): YouTube video URLs, direct audio/video URLs, or Bandcamp track/album URLs. For Bandcamp album pages, optionally provide trackTitle on the item. ## `quality` (type: `string`): Quality/speed tradeoff. Fast is quicker for previews, balanced is recommended for most songs, accurate is slower for difficult vocals, multilingual is best for non-English or mixed-language audio. ## `language` (type: `string`): Optional spoken/sung language code, e.g. en or de. Leave empty for automatic language detection when using multilingual quality. ## `maxItems` (type: `integer`): Stop after processing this many input URLs. ## `maxDurationSeconds` (type: `integer`): Skip audio longer than this limit to avoid runaway cost. Set 0 to disable. ## `audioFilter` (type: `boolean`): Enable optional voice/silence filtering. For music lyrics, false often preserves repeated sung lines better; for speech-heavy audio, true can reduce silence/noise. ## `includeSegments` (type: `boolean`): Include the segment list with start/end timestamps and recognized text. ## `includeFullText` (type: `boolean`): Include the joined transcript text. Disable if you only need metadata/segment timing or want to avoid returning long lyric text. ## Actor input object example ```json { "startUrls": [ { "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" } ], "quality": "balanced", "language": "en", "maxItems": 5, "maxDurationSeconds": 900, "audioFilter": false, "includeSegments": true, "includeFullText": true } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `results` (type: `string`): Timestamped lyric transcription result items. # 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 '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "startUrls": [ { "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" } ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("peroxo/youtube-lyrics-transcriber").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 '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "startUrls": [{ "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" }] } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("peroxo/youtube-lyrics-transcriber").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "startUrls": [ { "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" } ] }' | apify call peroxo/youtube-lyrics-transcriber --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=peroxo/youtube-lyrics-transcriber", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "YouTube & Bandcamp Lyrics Transcriber", "description": "Extract approximate timestamped lyric transcripts from YouTube, Bandcamp, and direct audio/video URLs.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "CXmEDO5j1iCrR3iPe" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/peroxo~youtube-lyrics-transcriber/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-peroxo-youtube-lyrics-transcriber", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/peroxo~youtube-lyrics-transcriber/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-peroxo-youtube-lyrics-transcriber", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/peroxo~youtube-lyrics-transcriber/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-peroxo-youtube-lyrics-transcriber", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "startUrls" ], "properties": { "startUrls": { "title": "Audio/video URLs", "type": "array", "description": "YouTube video URLs, direct audio/video URLs, or Bandcamp track/album URLs. For Bandcamp album pages, optionally provide trackTitle on the item.", "items": { "type": "object", "required": [ "url" ], "properties": { "url": { "type": "string", "title": "URL of a web page", "format": "uri" } } } }, "quality": { "title": "Transcription quality", "enum": [ "fast", "balanced", "accurate", "multilingual" ], "type": "string", "description": "Quality/speed tradeoff. Fast is quicker for previews, balanced is recommended for most songs, accurate is slower for difficult vocals, multilingual is best for non-English or mixed-language audio.", "default": "balanced" }, "language": { "title": "Language hint", "type": "string", "description": "Optional spoken/sung language code, e.g. en or de. Leave empty for automatic language detection when using multilingual quality.", "default": "en" }, "maxItems": { "title": "Maximum items", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 50, "type": "integer", "description": "Stop after processing this many input URLs.", "default": 5 }, "maxDurationSeconds": { "title": "Maximum audio duration", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 7200, "type": "integer", "description": "Skip audio longer than this limit to avoid runaway cost. Set 0 to disable.", "default": 900 }, "audioFilter": { "title": "Use audio filter", "type": "boolean", "description": "Enable optional voice/silence filtering. For music lyrics, false often preserves repeated sung lines better; for speech-heavy audio, true can reduce silence/noise.", "default": false }, "includeSegments": { "title": "Include timestamped segments", "type": "boolean", "description": "Include the segment list with start/end timestamps and recognized text.", "default": true }, "includeFullText": { "title": "Include full transcript text", "type": "boolean", "description": "Include the joined transcript text. Disable if you only need metadata/segment timing or want to avoid returning long lyric text.", "default": true } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```