The easiest way to download YouTube subtitles and captions?

Using browser extensions to download YouTube subtitles is a popular and convenient method, especially if you want a quick, one-click solution directly within your web browser. On a Windows computer, you can install extensions for browsers that specialize in saving subtitles from YouTube videos.

1. Find and install a reputable extension

• Search for YouTube subtitle downloader extensions.
• Examples include “4K Vide0 Downloader,” “Y2Mete,” (which also downloads subtitles in some cases).
• Install the extension by clicking “Add to Chrome” or “Get” in Edge.

2. Use the extension on YouTube

• Navigate to the YouTube video you want subtitles from.
• The extension icon will usually appear in the browser toolbar.
• Click the icon while on the video page.
• The extension will detect available subtitles (if any are present, including auto-generated ones).
• Choose the subtitle language you want.
• Select the option to download or save the subtitles.

3. Save the subtitles

• The extension downloads the subtitle file, often in .srt or .txt format.
• Files are typically saved to your default downloads folder unless you specify otherwise.

Somthings about downloading YouTube subtitles: Not all videos have subtitles, especially auto-generated ones.

Using Noteped++ with the NPPExec plugin to download YouTube subtitles on a Windows computer is a method some people explore to automate or simplify the process of getting subtitles from YouTube videos. Here's how it typically works in a nutshell:

1. Setup Noteped++ and NPPexec Plugin:
You install Noteped++, a popular text editor, and add the NPPExec plugin, which allows you to run scripts and commands directly from within Noteped++.

2. Use Command-Line Tools:
You would then use command-line utilities like youtube--d1 or its forks (such as yt--d1p), which are powerful tools capable of downloading videos, audio, and subtitles from YouTube.

3. Create a Script:
With NPPExec, you can write a script that runs these command-line tools. For example, the script can specify the URL of the YouTube video and instruct youtube--d1 or yt--d1p to fetch only the subtitles (often in formats like .srt).

4. Run the Script from Noteped++:
You execute this script inside Notepad++, and it runs in the background, downloading YouTube subtitles directly to your computer.

This approach leverages Noteped++ as a convenient interface to run command-line commands for downloading YouTube subtitles, making the process semi-automated and accessible from a familiar text editor environment.

The YouTube Subtitle Downloader by antonkhoteev is a popular Google Chrome extension designed to simplify the process of extracting text and caption files directly from the YouTube interface. This extension acts as an integrated transcript manager.

It is particularly popular because it supports Manifest V3 (the latest Chrome security standard) and includes a "Featured" badge from the Chrome Web Store, indicating it follows Google’s best practices for safety and performance.

Step 1: Visit the Chrome Web Store link and click "Add to Chrome."

Step 2: Open any YouTube video. A new green button will appear directly on the YouTube video control panel or just below the video title.

Step 3: Click the button to open the extension's side panel. From here, you can toggle Timestamps on or off.

Step 4: If the video has multiple languages, select your preferred language from the dropdown menu. You can also use the Translation feature within the extension to convert the subtitles into one of over 150 languages.

Step 5: Select your desired format: SRT (for video players), VTT (for web use), or TXT (for plain text). Click the download icon or the "Copy" button to save the text to your clipboard.

Cons ❌

Browser Dependency: It only works on Chrome (or Chromium-based browsers like Edge, Brave, and Opera). It will not work on mobile apps or Firefox. Make sure about this if you really want to download youtube subtitles.

Data Collection: While the developer states data is not sold, the extension does collect a unique identifier and your email for identification purposes.

Performance: Having many extensions installed can occasionally slow down your browser's startup time or interfere with the layout of specific websites.

Update Risks: If YouTube changes its site code, extensions often "break" and stop working until the developer releases a manual update.

When you use these tools for downloading youtube subtitles or captions, you should understand the file formats first. 

SRT (SubRip): The "gold standard." It is a small text file with timestamps. Almost every video player (Windows Media Player, Plex) and video editor supports this.

TXT (Plain Text): This removes all timing data. Choose this if you just want to read the transcript like a book or copy it into a school essay/report.

VTT (WebVTT): Similar to SRT but used more often for web-based video players (like on a personal website).

Please pick up the right file format before starting to download youtube captions or subtitles.

Pro-Tips for Better Results

Check for "Auto-generated" vs. "Manual": If a video has human-written subtitles, they will be much more accurate. DownSub usually labels these clearly.

The "URL Shortcut": On some sites like DownSub, you can simply add "subtitle.to/" before the "https" in the YouTube URL and press Enter to go straight to the download page.

Using PowerShell to download YouTube subtitles on a Windows computer is possible, but it requires some technical setup and the use of third-party tools or scripts. It's a more advanced method compared to using online services like other tools. Here’s an overview of what you need to know:

Using PowerShell to Download YouTube Subtitles

1. Prerequisites
YouTube--D1L or yt--dlq: These are command-line tools that allow you to download videos, audio, and subtitles from YouTube and other sites.
PowerShell: Your Windows PC already has PowerShell installed.
Python (optional): Some tools depend on Python, but yt--dlq is a standalone executable.

2. Installing yt--dlq
yt--dlq is a fork of youtube--d1 with more features and better support.
Download the yt--dlq executable:
Download the yt--dlq.exe file.
Save it to a folder, e.g., C:\Tools\yt--dlq.exe.

3. Using PowerShell to download subtitles
You can run yt--dlq commands directly from PowerShell.

Example command:

& "C:\Tools\yt--dlq.exe" --write-subs --sub-lang en --skip-download --output "subtitle.%(ext)s" "https://youtube,com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"

4. Benefits of this method
Free and scriptable: Automate multiple downloads.
Customizable: Choose specific languages, formats.
Offline access: Save subtitles locally.

Online youtube subtitle downloaders are highly effective because they can pull both manually uploaded captions (created by the author) and auto-generated captions (created by YouTube's AI).

And DownSub is one of the most stable and long-running tools. It supports not just YouTube but also Viki, VIU, and other video sites.

How to download youtube subtitles online free

Copy the URL: Go to the YouTube video and copy the link from the address bar.

Paste & Process: Go to the downloader site (e.g., DownSub.com) and paste the link into the search box. Click Download.

Choose the Language: The site will list every language available for that video.

Select Format: Click on the format you need (SRT is most common). The file will download immediately to your "Downloads" folder.

Safety Tip: These sites are free because they run on ads. Use an ad-blocker and never click on "System Update" or "Virus Detected" pop-ups that might appear on the sides of the page—these are fake ads. Only click the specific "Download SRT" or "Download TXT" buttons.

What if it doesn't work? If a tool says "No subtitles found," it usually means:

The video has no captions at all (neither auto-generated nor manual).

The video is private or age-restricted, which prevents third-party tools from accessing it.

The video creator has disabled the ability for third parties to crawl the transcript.

Using YouTube's built-in transcript feature is a convenient and free way to download subtitles or captions directly from YouTube videos on a Windows computer.

Here's how you can download YouTube subtitles:

1. Open the YouTube video from which you want to download YouTube subtitles.

2. Click on the three-dot menu (More options) below the video.

3. Select "Open transcript" from the menu. The transcript will appear to the right of the video.

4. The transcript displays the dialogue along with timestamps. You can copy the entire transcript by highlighting it with your mouse, right-clicking, and selecting "Copy."

5. Paste the copied transcript into a text editor like Notepad or Word.

6. If needed, remove timestamps manually or use a text editor to clean up the transcript.

Limitations:

- This method works only if the video has subtitles or automatic captions enabled.

- The transcript is in plain text; it does not include the subtitle file format (like .srt) directly, so you'll need to format it if you want it in that style.