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Nie, dziękuję Przekieruj mnie tamhow to download subtitles from YouTube videos
Yes—there are three practical ways to get subtitles from a YouTube video, depending on what you need: as of May 13, 2026, if you are watching someone else’s video, the official YouTube method is to open the transcript and copy it; if you need an actual subtitle file such as .srt or .vtt, a common technical method is to use yt-dlp; if it is your own uploaded video, YouTube Studio lets you download the caption file directly. (support.google.com)
Key points
yt-dlp with subtitle options such as --list-subs, --write-subs, --write-auto-subs, and --sub-format. (github.com)The main distinction is between a transcript and a subtitle file:
| Need | Best method | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Read/copy the spoken text | YouTube transcript | Plain text you can copy |
| Get timed subtitles for VLC/editing | yt-dlp |
.srt, .vtt, or other subtitle formats |
| Download captions from your own upload | YouTube Studio | Caption track file from your channel |
This distinction matters because YouTube’s official viewer interface exposes a transcript panel for videos that have captions, but the official help for creators separately documents downloading caption files inside YouTube Studio. That strongly implies that, for ordinary viewers, YouTube’s built-in path is transcript access rather than a direct subtitle-file download button. (support.google.com)
If the video has captions, YouTube says you can view the full transcript from the video description by clicking Show transcript. You can also click transcript lines to jump to that point in the video, and some videos allow transcript search. (support.google.com)
Steps
.txt if you only need readable text.This is the safest and simplest method, but it does not give you a proper timed subtitle file as cleanly as a downloader does. That is the practical limitation of the official viewer workflow. The transcript is ideal for notes, summaries, quotations, or feeding text into another tool. (support.google.com)
.srt or .vtt subtitle file: use yt-dlpFor technical users, yt-dlp is the most controlled method. Its official documentation exposes the exact subtitle-related switches:
--list-subs to list subtitle tracks,--write-subs to download subtitle files,--write-auto-subs to download auto-generated subtitles,--sub-format to choose output preference such as "srt" or "ass/srt/best",--sub-langs to choose languages,--skip-download to avoid downloading the video itself. (github.com)Typical workflow
yt-dlp --list-subs "VIDEO_URL"This shows which languages and subtitle types are available. (github.com)
Download manually uploaded English subtitles only
yt-dlp --skip-download --write-subs --sub-langs en --sub-format "srt/best" "VIDEO_URL"This tells yt-dlp not to fetch the video media, only the subtitle-related files. The --sub-format option officially accepts values such as "srt" or "ass/srt/best". (github.com)
Download auto-generated English subtitles
yt-dlp --skip-download --write-auto-subs --sub-langs en --sub-format "srt/best" "VIDEO_URL"Use this if the video has only YouTube’s automatic captions. (github.com)
Download all subtitle languages
yt-dlp --skip-download --write-subs --sub-langs all --sub-format "srt/best" "VIDEO_URL"The documentation states that --sub-langs accepts specific languages, regex, or all. (github.com)
From an engineering standpoint, this is the most reproducible method because it is scriptable, automatable, and suitable for batch processing.
For creators, YouTube officially supports caption-file download inside Studio. The documented flow is:
That downloaded track can then be edited and re-uploaded if needed. YouTube’s official documentation also notes that subtitle files contain spoken text plus timestamps, and that YouTube supports several caption formats including SubRip .srt. (support.google.com)
The current official YouTube Help documentation indicates that:
yt-dlp currently documents full subtitle options including format and language selection, making it the most flexible current technical approach. (github.com)A practical trend is that users increasingly want subtitles not just for accessibility, but also for:
YouTube’s official help lists several supported caption formats and specifically notes SubRip .srt as a basic format. .srt is widely compatible with VLC, media servers, and editors, while other formats may carry more styling or broadcaster-specific metadata. (support.google.com)
There are two common cases:
--list-subs first is best practiceIn engineering terms, --list-subs is a discovery step. It prevents trial-and-error and tells you:
Downloading subtitles for personal study, accessibility, note-taking, or internal processing is generally the least problematic use case. However:
From a security standpoint, avoid entering your Google credentials into random subtitle-downloader websites. If you need automation, a well-known local tool is generally preferable to an unknown ad-heavy web service.
Use this decision rule:
.srt or .vtt file → use yt-dlp. (github.com)Recommended commands
# See what subtitles exist
yt-dlp --list-subs "VIDEO_URL"
# Download normal subtitles in English, no video
yt-dlp --skip-download --write-subs --sub-langs en --sub-format "srt/best" "VIDEO_URL"
# Download auto-generated English subtitles, no video
yt-dlp --skip-download --write-auto-subs --sub-langs en --sub-format "srt/best" "VIDEO_URL"These options are directly documented by the project. (github.com)
Potential challenges
--list-subs. (github.com)If you plan to do this frequently, useful next steps are:
yt-dlp batch processing for playlists,.srt versus richer subtitle formats depending on your player or editor,The shortest answer is: for a normal viewer, open the YouTube transcript and copy it; for a true subtitle file, use yt-dlp; for your own uploads, download the caption track from YouTube Studio. That is the cleanest and most reliable workflow today. (support.google.com)
If you want, I can give you:
yt-dlp command for your language, or