Can I translate a YouTube video that has no subtitles?
Yes. WhoScribe transcribes the audio in the original language, then adds the English translation, so no subtitle track is needed.
Translate a YouTube video into English text
Paste the YouTube link into WhoScribe, choose the language spoken in the video and tick "Translate to English". WhoScribe transcribes the audio in the original language and adds an English version, which opens first. You keep both, with timestamps. Because the audio is transcribed rather than the captions, this works for videos with no captions or no English subtitles, in 90+ languages, up to 10 hours per video.
Key facts
| Fact | WhoScribe |
|---|---|
| Spoken languages | 90+, including Persian, Arabic, Hindi, Russian, Urdu, Amharic and Burmese |
| Needs captions or subtitles? | No: the audio is transcribed |
| Output | The transcript in the original language plus an English version, both timestamped |
| Other target languages | Translate the finished transcript into another language afterwards |
| Longest video | 10 hours |
| Free | The first 15 minutes of each video with a free account (3 files a day) |
| Whole video | $5 per file, paid once, the same price at any length up to 10 hours; or Unlimited at $20 a month or $120 a year |
| Exports | TXT on the free plan; TXT, SRT, VTT, DOCX and PDF on Unlimited or on a file you unlocked |
Why YouTube's own translation is often not there
YouTube translates captions, so a video needs a caption track before there is anything to translate. Many videos have none, especially in languages with less automatic captioning. Transcribing the audio first gives you a source text for every public video.
How to do it
- Copy the link of the YouTube video.
- Paste it into WhoScribe and pick the spoken language, for example Persian. Picking it improves accuracy; automatic detection also works.
- Tick "Translate to English" before you start.
- Read the English version. It opens first; switch to the original at any time. Click a line to hear the original audio at that point.
- Export the English text as TXT, or as DOCX, PDF, SRT or VTT on Unlimited or on a file you unlocked. The SRT works as English subtitles.
Checking a translation you will quote
Machine translation of speech is a draft. For anything you publish or cite, keep the original transcript open beside the English: every line carries the same timestamp, so you can check a sentence against the audio or ask a speaker of the language.
What the free plan covers
The translation covers the part of the transcript you can read: the first 15 minutes of each video on a free account. Unlimited opens whole videos up to 10 hours, and so does one payment for a single file: $5 per file, paid once, the same price at any length up to 10 hours. Until December 1, Unlimited is 30% off.
Language pages
Facts and examples for some of the languages people translate most often:
FAQ
Questions before you upload
Which languages can it translate from?
Any of the 90+ spoken languages WhoScribe recognises. You can also translate the finished transcript into other languages, not only English.
Do I get English subtitles?
Yes. Export the English version as SRT or VTT (on Unlimited or on a file you unlocked) and load it in your player or editor.
Is it free?
With a free account you can read the first 15 minutes of each video, in the original language and in English. The whole video is $5 per file, paid once, the same price at any length up to 10 hours, or included in Unlimited ($20 a month or $120 a year).
How long can the video be?
Up to 10 hours.
Can it translate a livestream while it is live?
No. WhoScribe works on recordings. Once the stream is saved as a video, paste its link.
Transcribe a YouTube video
Paste the link. The first 5 minutes are free without an account, 15 with a free account. The whole file is $5, a one-time payment.
Paste a YouTube linkFacts about other services come from each vendor's own page, checked on Nov 4, 2026. Prices change, so follow the source link to see their current page.