Instagram Reel Transcript Scraper — @handle in, reels to text with 3-second hooks

A creator's handle in, their reels back as text — full speech-to-text, the first-3-seconds hook, language and timestamped segments, one row per reel. No scraper, no login, any length. Paste zachking (or a profile URL) and the actor lists that creator's reels itself and transcribes them, in one box. You can still paste reel links, pass CDN media URLs, or chain any Instagram scraper by dataset ID. You are charged only when a transcript is delivered — private accounts, missing handles, expired URLs, music-only reels and image posts charge nothing. (Optional: switch on Read on-screen text on silent reels and a music-only reel's on-screen copy is read from its own frames and delivered instead, charged like a transcript.)

This is a transcript of what is said in the audio — not the caption text under the post.

Unofficial. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Instagram or Meta Platforms, Inc. This actor reads publicly available reels; Instagram is a trademark of Meta Platforms, Inc.

You give it	You get back
An Instagram handle (nasa, @nasa, or a profile URL)	transcript — full speech-to-text, any length
…or plain reel links (instagram.com/reel/… / instagram.com/p/…)	hook3s — what's said in the first 3 seconds
…or reel video/audio URLs (videoUrl / audioUrl from any Instagram scraper)	language, durationSeconds, timestamped segments
…or your scraper run's dataset ID (one-click chaining), or pasted dataset rows	the reel's shortCode, postUrl, ownerUsername, caption, takenAt, plays, likes, comments, thumbnailUrl, urlExpiresAt

Output

One reel in, one JSON row out. Delivered rows carry the transcript and charged: true; anything that could not be delivered carries a status saying why, and charged: false. Real rows from the live example run below (long text trimmed with … for the page):

status	charged	hook3s	transcript	language	durationSeconds
transcribed	true	I think we got my mom the perfect Mother's Day gift this year, and I'm so excited.	I think we got my mom the perfect Mother's Day gift this year, and I'm so excited. There's nothing like gifting a good gift. I'm not going to lie. I haven't always hit the nail on…	English	61.09
transcribed	true	I am just a girl on a healthy hair journey of over eight years and one of the things that I've	…realized is that most people tend to focus on the hair itself and forget to take care of the scalp…	English	51.15
transcribed	true	What I eat in a day to serve a look.	What I eat in a day to serve a look. The Sephora savings event is happening and everything is on sale at Sephora. This only happens, by the way, two times a year…	English	110.41

The first row above in full, exactly as it sits in the example dataset (transcript trimmed with … for the page):

{
  "status": "transcribed",
  "charged": true,
  "retryable": false,
  "statusReason": null,
  "videoUrl": "https://instagram.fruh4-1.fna.fbcdn.net/o1/v/t2/f2/m86/AQMZN…",
  "audioUrl": null,
  "urlExpiresAt": "2026-08-23T03:49:55.000Z",
  "shortCode": null,
  "postUrl": null,
  "ownerUsername": null,
  "caption": null,
  "transcript": "I think we got my mom the perfect Mother's Day gift this year, and I'm so excited. There's nothing like gifting a good gift…",
  "onScreenText": null,
  "hook3s": "I think we got my mom the perfect Mother's Day gift this year, and I'm so excited.",
  "language": "English",
  "durationSeconds": 61.09,
  "segments": [{ "start": 0, "end": 3.72, "text": " I think we got my mom the perfect Mother's Day gift this year, and I'm so excited." }],
  "chargeEvents": { "transcript": 1, "surchargeMinutes": 0 }
}

Browse the full live example dataset → — real output from a verified run. That run was fed direct media URLs, which is why shortCode, postUrl, ownerUsername and caption come back null above. Run it with a handle instead and every one of those columns is filled — plus takenAt, plays, likes, comments and thumbnailUrl, which ride along free inside the listing the actor already reads.

Every field is always present (explicit null over silent omission). Delivered rows are transcribed, or onscreen_text_extracted when the optional on-screen-text switch is on and a silent reel's copy was read from its frames (that row carries onScreenText instead of a transcript). Every row also carries retryable — true only when another run could plausibly get a different answer, so you can re-run the rows worth re-running and leave the rest. Non-delivered rows carry status + statusReason instead and are never charged:

status	what it means
no_reels_found	a real public profile with no video posts in the reels we read
private_account	the creator's posts are not publicly readable
not_found	no public Instagram profile with that handle
unavailable_schema	Instagram's own profile service errors on that handle (their bug, not yours)
rate_wall / rate_limited / source_unavailable	temporary — nothing was charged, re-run
unavailable_expired	a signed media URL that expired before we fetched it
private_or_removed / resolve_blocked	a pasted link to a private/removed post, or a reel Instagram won't expose to embeds
no_audio	music-only reel (never sold as a transcript)
no_onscreen_text	with on-screen text switched on: a silent reel with no readable copy on screen either — uncharged
demo	the sample row a run with no input returns
no_audio_stream	video-only stream — pass the audioUrl field too
no_video_found	image post: its metadata ships with no result fee
input_error	with guidance naming the fix
failed_*	after bounded retries; also listed in the run's ERRORS record

For AI agents & LLMs — copy this block

Actor:   steadyfetch/instagram-reel-transcript-scraper  (Apify Store)
Does:    An Instagram handle -> that creator's reels -> full audio transcript +
         first-3-seconds hook + language + timestamped segments + post metadata.
         One JSON row per reel, any video length. No Instagram login or cookies.
Run:     POST https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/steadyfetch~instagram-reel-transcript-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=APIFY_TOKEN
Input    (any ONE of these fields is enough):
  {
    "handles": ["nasa"],          // handle, @handle or profile URL - the actor
                                  // lists that creator's reels itself
    "maxReelsPerHandle": 10,      // optional, best-effort, hard cap 500
    "reelUrls": ["https://www.instagram.com/reel/DX7lzTOJ1p6/"],
                                  // plain reel/post links, exactly as copied from the app
    "videoUrls": ["https://scontent-....cdninstagram.com/....mp4"],
                                  // videoUrl / audioUrl from any Instagram scraper
    "datasetId": "<dataset id of any Instagram scraper run>",
    "datasetItems": [ { /* pasted scraper rows, any shape */ } ],
    "includeOnScreenText": false, // optional: read a SILENT reel's on-screen
                                  // text from its frames and deliver that
                                  // instead (charged as a transcript)
    "maxItems": 1000,             // optional cap on transcribable reels
    "maxRunSeconds": 3600         // optional wall-clock bound, 30-3600
  }
Output   one row per reel: status, charged, retryable, statusReason, handle,
         shortCode, postUrl, ownerUsername, caption, transcript, onScreenText,
         hook3s, language, durationSeconds, segments[], takenAt, plays, likes,
         comments, thumbnailUrl, videoUrl, audioUrl, urlExpiresAt
Pricing  pay per event, platform usage INCLUDED, no start fee:
  reel-transcript       $0.015 -> $0.005 per delivered transcript (falls with your Apify plan tier)
  long-video-surcharge  $0.005 per started minute past the first 3 minutes
  Charged only on delivery — private accounts, missing handles, expired links,
  music-only reels, image posts and failures cost $0. With includeOnScreenText
  on, a silent reel WITH readable on-screen text is delivered and charged one
  reel-transcript event; one with no readable text stays uncharged.
  Cap any run with maxTotalChargeUsd (minimum $0.05).
MCP:     reachable through Apify's MCP server; ask for "instagram reel transcripts".

Why this Instagram transcript scraper?

• The whole chain in one box. Handle in, transcripts out: the actor finds the creator's reels, gets each one's video, and transcribes it. No scraper to run first, no dataset to copy between actors, no login and no cookies.
• A transcript, not a caption. Some tools sell the post caption as a "transcript". This actor downloads the reel's audio and transcribes the actual speech — the caption ships alongside it, clearly labeled, so you can compare.
• Charged only on delivery. A transcript either lands in your dataset or the row carries no result fee. Expired URL → uncharged row that says so. Music-only reel → uncharged row that says so. No "it ran and charged me but returned nothing."
• Music-only detection. Speech-recognition models hallucinate filler text ("Thank you.") on music. We detect that and return an honest, uncharged no_audio row instead of selling you a fake transcript — on a music-heavy platform, this fires a lot, and it's the point.
• Optional: the silent reels, too. About 1 in 6 reels is music-only, and its message is on the screen rather than in the audio. Switch on Read on-screen text on silent reels and those reels come back with the on-screen copy read from the reel's own frames — no second download, no extra event, charged at the same per-transcript price. Leave it off (the default) and nothing changes: silent reels stay uncharged.
• Any video length. Long-form videos transcribe fine — the first 3 minutes are included, longer videos add a small per-started-minute surcharge instead of failing or being cut off.
• Post metadata rides along free. Every handle-mode row carries takenAt, plays, likes, comments, caption and thumbnailUrl — they arrive inside the same listing the actor already reads, so they cost you nothing extra.
• Works with any scraper's output. The input deep-scans your dataset rows for the reel media URLs and metadata (including reels nested inside profile results) — no field mapping, no glue code.
• Knows when your URLs expire. Every row includes urlExpiresAt, decoded from the signed URL itself — so you can see at a glance whether a dataset is still transcribable before spending anything.

This actor may fail when the platform changes things — failed items are never charged.

How to transcribe a creator's Instagram reels (no code)

1. Type the creator's handle into Instagram creators — nasa, @nasa, or https://www.instagram.com/nasa/. Add as many creators as you like.
2. Set Max reels per creator (default 10) and click Start.
3. Each reel comes back as one JSON row: transcript + hook + post metadata. That's the whole flow — no scraper, no dataset ID, no login.

Max reels per creator is best-effort. Instagram serves a creator's reels 12 at a time and sometimes stops part-way; when that happens the run keeps what it listed, says so in the run message, and charges only for transcripts it delivered.

Already holding links? Paste them into Instagram reel links instead. Coming from a scraper you already run? Paste that run's dataset ID here (or use Apify's Connect Actor integration to chain it automatically), or paste videoUrl / audioUrl values into videoUrls. Mixing modes is fine — a reel supplied twice is delivered and charged once. Export as JSON/CSV, or read it via API.

Why do Instagram video URLs expire?

Instagram's CDN signs every media URL with an expiry (typically 1–3 days from when your scraper ran). Transcribe soon after scraping — a dataset from last week will have dead links. Expired rows come back as uncharged unavailable_expired with the exact expiry time, so you can re-scrape and re-run just those. Every row's urlExpiresAt field tells you how long you have.

Pasted reel links don't have this problem — the actor resolves each link to a fresh media URL at run time and transcribes it immediately. A link that can't be resolved (private, removed, or embed-restricted post) comes back as an uncharged private_or_removed or resolve_blocked row with the reason stated — never a silent charge.

How much does it cost to transcribe Instagram reels?

One result = one reel's full transcript payload (transcript + hook + language + segments + metadata). The first 3 minutes of each video are included; longer videos add a small per-started-minute surcharge. No start fee, no subscription, no third-party API key to buy.

Job	Approx. cost
One creator's last 10 reels	≈ $0.15
100 reels from a creator's profile	≈ $1.50
1,000 reels (a serious content teardown)	≈ $15
Apify free plan ($5 credit)	≈ 330 reel transcripts

Platform usage (compute + transfer) is included in the event price — the per-transcript price you see is the whole price. Rows that don't deliver a transcript carry no result fee. Cap any run with Maximum cost per run (any amount from $0.05 up) and it stops cleanly before your ceiling.

Use it via API, MCP, and integrations

• API: standard Apify run API — POST .../acts/steadyfetch~instagram-reel-transcript-scraper/runs with { "handles": ["nasa"] }, { "reelUrls": ["https://www.instagram.com/reel/…/"] }, { "datasetId": "..." }, or { "videoUrls": ["..."] }. Python/Node clients work as with any actor.
• MCP: works from Claude, Cursor, and any MCP client through Apify's MCP server — give it a handle, reel links or a dataset ID and ask for "instagram reel transcripts".
• n8n: a free ready-made template, no community nodes needed — Instagram Reel Transcripts → (scrape a profile's reels → transcribe by dataset ID → spreadsheet-shaped rows, 3-minute setup).
• Make / Zapier: call it as a regular Apify actor step right after your Instagram scraper node.

Works with — Instagram scrapers you can chain from

This actor reads the media URL value in each row (any Instagram CDN .mp4 link), not a fixed field name, so it works with any Instagram scraper that exports direct media links. Verified shapes on this store:

Scraper	Where the media URL lives in its output
apify/instagram-scraper	videoUrl (posts), latestPosts[].videoUrl (profiles)
apify/instagram-reel-scraper	videoUrl + audioUrl
apify/instagram-post-scraper	videoUrl, childPosts[].videoUrl
apify/instagram-api-scraper	videoUrl + audioUrl (same output shape as the reel/post scrapers)

How to chain: run the scraper → copy the run's dataset ID into this actor's Dataset ID field, or use Apify's Connect Actor integration to pass it automatically → Start. Using a scraper that isn't listed? If its rows contain the Instagram CDN media link, it works the same way — and if a row doesn't, it comes back as an uncharged no_video_found with its metadata intact.

Steadyfetch Instagram suite

Handle in, structured rows out. All-inclusive pay per event, no start fee, charged only on delivery.

What you want	Actor
Reels turned into text, with the 3-second hook	this actor
A profile's recent posts, capped where you say	Instagram Profile Posts · Capped

The rest of the steadyfetch shelf — same contract everywhere: all-inclusive pay per event, no start fee, charged only on delivery.

Family	Actors
Ad creative intelligence	Facebook · Google Ads video · TikTok · LinkedIn · Google Ads text & OCR
Trends & keywords	Google Trends · Trends Now · Breakout keywords · Autocomplete keywords · Keyword volume & CPC · Social trends
YouTube transcripts	YouTube videos · YouTube channels
Instagram	Reel transcripts · Profile posts
Jobs	Indeed · Career sites by domain · Glassdoor · Multi-board · Google Jobs
Amazon	Products · Search · Bestsellers · Sellers
Any media file	Speech to Text · any link or file

Unlinked names are publishing shortly on the same account — search steadyfetch on Apify Store.

All free n8n templates in one place: github.com/steadyfetch/n8n-templates — no community nodes needed.

FAQ

Is this the same as the caption? No. The caption is text the creator typed under the post; the transcript is what's actually said in the video's audio. You get both, clearly labeled.

Do I need a scraper at all? No. Give it a handle and it lists that creator's reels itself, then transcribes them. Links you already have go into Instagram reel links. A separate scraper still earns its keep for jobs this actor doesn't do — hashtags, search, or a full post archive — and you can chain its run here by dataset ID.

What if a creator has no reels, or the account is private? You get one uncharged row per creator saying exactly that (no_reels_found, private_account, not_found). A creator we could not read is never a failed run and never a charge.

How deep does it go? As deep as Max reels per creator (up to 500), newest first. Instagram serves reels 12 at a time, so deeper asks take a few more upstream calls; the run stops cleanly and tells you if Instagram cut it short.

Music-only reels? You get an honest, uncharged no_audio row. We never sell hallucinated filler as a transcript. If those reels matter to you, switch on Read on-screen text on silent reels: the actor reads the copy off five frames of the reel and delivers it as onScreenText, charged like a transcript. A silent reel with no readable text on screen is still uncharged.

What does no_audio_stream mean? Some scrapers export a video-only stream (no audio track) plus a separate audioUrl. If we get the video-only stream, the row says so — pass the audioUrl field too and the audio path is used automatically.

Languages? Whisper-class multilingual speech recognition — Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Japanese, and ~90 more transcribe out of the box; the detected language ships on every row.

Is it legal to transcribe Instagram reels? The reels are public content, and your scraper already collected the media URLs. US courts have held that logged-out collection of public Meta data does not breach Meta's terms (Meta v. Bright Data, 2024). As always, how you use the data is on you.

What happens on a failed download? Bounded retries, then an uncharged failed_download row plus an entry in the run's ERRORS record. This actor may fail when the platform changes things — failed items are never charged.

Feedback & support

Found an issue? Open it on the Issues tab — we respond within one business day. Feature requests welcome.