How to Get the Lyrics From a YouTube Video
Where the Lyrics Come From
YouTube has no lyrics button. What this page reads is the video's captions, the same lines you see when you turn on subtitles. When the uploader wrote the captions, they are usually the lyrics, line by line. When YouTube made them automatically, they are a guess at the sung words.
Official lyric videos and many fan uploads carry proper captions, so they work best. Live recordings and covers often have only the automatic kind.
When the Song Has No Captions
A lot of music videos have no captions at all. About one in eight videos has no caption track, and music is the most common reason.
In that case the workspace offers to write the words from the audio with AI. That is a Pro feature with a free trial. It works best when the voice is clear. A track that is mostly instruments may give little or nothing, and sung words are harder to hear than speech, so check the result against the song. See how to get a transcript of a video without captions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get the lyrics from a YouTube video?
Copy the video's link, paste it into the box above, and the words appear in a few seconds when the video has captions. Copy them with one tap, or download them as a file.
Why does my song show no lyrics?
The words come from the video's caption track, and many music videos have none. If the video has no captions, AI transcription can write the words from the audio. That part is a Pro feature with a free trial.
Are the lyrics always correct?
Captions the uploader wrote are usually close to the real lyrics. Captions YouTube generates by itself, and AI transcription of audio, can mishear sung words, especially with loud music, fast singing or heavy accents. Read through the result before you rely on it.
Can I save the lyrics with their timing?
Yes. Download the SRT file to get every line with the time it appears. Download the text file if you only want the words.
Can I translate the lyrics?
Yes. Pick a target language and read the lyrics translated, or both languages side by side. How to translate a YouTube video shows where to set the language.
Is it free?
Yes. Getting and copying the words is free, with no account. Only AI transcription of videos without captions needs Pro.
User Reviews
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Used to get content for Instagram. Directly uploaded the transcription to AI tools and got the carousel copy. Which with the video would never have been possible.
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