How to Transcribe YouTube Videos: Tools & Process Guide
June 8, 2025


For those of you, this article explains how to transcribe videos uploaded to YouTube.
Transcribing the audio from YouTube videos can be incredibly useful.
Especially for video creators (YouTubers), transcribing your videos and adding subtitles can help you reach a wider audience.
When transcribing, using an AI transcription service is highly recommended.
Transcribing videos uploaded to YouTube also helps with monetization.
Why not use this article as a guide to add subtitles to your videos?
What are the benefits of transcribing YouTube videos?
First, let's explain why you should transcribe YouTube videos.
Transcribing YouTube videos allows you to add "subtitles"
The main reason to transcribe YouTube videos is to add subtitles to them.
You've probably seen subtitles when watching YouTube videos.
This article will explain how to add these subtitles.
Subtitles boost viewership
The biggest reason to add subtitles to YouTube videos is that it increases viewership.
With subtitles, more people can conveniently watch your videos, leading to an increase in views.
What's also very important is that videos with subtitles can be watched by international viewers who can translate the subtitles.
YouTube has an automatic translation feature for subtitles.
(It's located next to the playback speed menu)
This automatic translation feature cannot be used if subtitles are not set for the video.
For example, videos uploaded before the subtitle feature existed cannot use the translation function because they lack subtitle settings.
By adding subtitles to your YouTube videos, you can target a global audience and significantly increase your viewership.
AI transcription services are better than auto-generated subtitles
This article will introduce two methods:
- YouTube's auto-generated subtitles
- AI transcription services
However, if you're adding subtitles to videos uploaded to YouTube, it's better to use an external AI transcription service to create your own subtitles rather than relying on auto-generated ones.
The reason is that YouTube's auto-generated subtitles often contain transcription errors.
If you've ever displayed subtitles while watching YouTube, you've likely seen incorrect captions appear.
While Google, which operates YouTube, possesses advanced technology, the speech recognition for YouTube's auto-generated subtitles seems to be slightly less accurate than the AI used by specialized transcription services.
To avoid misinterpretations and speech recognition errors, it's recommended to use the AI transcription services introduced in this article to set your own subtitles.
For YouTube subtitle transcription, 'Mojiokoshi-san' is recommended
If you're transcribing YouTube video subtitles, AI transcription is recommended.
We recommend "Mojiokoshi-san", a transcription service.
"Mojiokoshi-san" is a Japanese transcription service that uses the latest AI technology.
Recommended Features of "Mojiokoshi-san"
"Mojiokoshi-san" is ideal for creating YouTube video subtitles.
It's very easy to use because you can upload your YouTube video file directly and transcribe it.
Furthermore, you can download the transcribed content in a subtitle-specific file format (.srt file), so all you have to do is upload that file to YouTube to add high-quality subtitles.
We'll explain how to use it in detail later in this article, so why not try adding subtitles to your videos with "Mojiokoshi-san"?
Features of "Mojiokoshi-san"
"Mojiokoshi-san" allows you to use two types of cutting-edge AI.
Each has the following features:
- PerfectVoice: Transcribes in about the same time as the video file, supports 100 languages.
- AmiVoice: Transcribes long files in about the same time as the video, includes speaker diarization (transcribes each speaker separately), supports Japanese and English.
It can handle videos containing non-Japanese audio, and the transcription speed and accuracy are excellent.
What's more, you can transcribe files up to 1 minute for free without registration or login.
If you're struggling with YouTube video transcription, why not try "Mojiokoshi-san" first?
How to Add Subtitles to YouTube Videos
So, how exactly do you add subtitles to YouTube videos?
From here, we will explain the following for video creators (YouTubers):
- How to automatically generate subtitles on YouTube
- How to add subtitles using an AI transcription service
How to Automatically Generate Subtitles on YouTube
First, let's look at how to use YouTube's automatic subtitle generation feature.
1. Set the "Language" for your uploaded video
To generate subtitles on YouTube, you need to set which language is used in your video.
You can set the video's language in the video details screen.
Under "Language and caption certification", set "Video language" to Japanese.
Now you can use YouTube's automatic subtitle generation feature.
It's also a good idea to set the "Title and description language" to Japanese.
[Recommended] Default upload settings
This language setting can be automatically applied when you upload videos by going to "Settings" in the bottom left of your YouTube channel management screen, then "Upload defaults" → "Advanced settings".
Setting "Video language" and "Title and description language" to Japanese is recommended to prevent forgetting to set them.
2. Click the settings icon on the video playback screen
Now you can set automatically generated subtitles for your video and transcribe it.
To use automatically generated subtitles for a video, first, click the settings icon (gear icon) on the playback screen.
Click on "Subtitles" in the settings.
After that, simply play the video, and the auto-generated English subtitles will appear.
For example, in the image above, "Ondoku-san" is mistranslated as "Ondokusan."
To prevent such mistranslations and transcription errors, we recommend using an AI transcription service, which will be explained next.How to Add Subtitles Using the AI Transcription Service "Mojiokoshi-san"
Next, we will explain how to add subtitles to your videos using the AI transcription service "Mojiokoshi-san".
By transcribing your videos with an AI transcription service, you can create highly accurate and error-free subtitles.1. Transcribe Your Video File with "Mojiokoshi-san"
Upload the same video file you uploaded to YouTube from the top page of "Mojiokoshi-san".
You can upload by dragging and dropping or by clicking the "Select" button.
"Mojiokoshi-san" supports .mp4 video files, so you can upload them as is.
"Mojiokoshi-san" supports the following video file formats:- .mp4
- .mov.avi
- .flv
- .mkv
- .webm
- .wmv
- .3gp
2. Transcription Complete
Once you upload your video to "Mojiokoshi-san," transcription will start automatically.
Transcription usually completes in about 10 minutes.
Once transcription is complete, the transcription results will be displayed.
※ If you close the browser tab after the upload is complete, you can also view the results from "History" in the menu.
3. Download Subtitle Files
On the transcription results page, click the "Subtitle File" button.
This will allow you to download the subtitle files.
The subtitle file format is .srt file.
.srt files are a widely used subtitle file format for videos and are compatible with YouTube.
Reference: Supported subtitle file formats - YouTube Help
4. Upload the subtitle file to YouTube
Open the "Video details" screen on YouTube and click "Subtitles" on the right side.
This will display the screen to add subtitles.
On this screen, click "Upload file".
Since the .srt file downloaded from 'Mojiokoshi-san' includes timecodes, select "With timing".
Click "Continue" to open the upload screen, then upload the .srt file.
The subtitle file will then be loaded, and subtitles will automatically be added to match the video's playback time.
Unlike YouTube's auto-generated captions, the transcription is accurate with no incorrect conversions.
Click "Done" in the top right to save the subtitles.
The process is now complete.
You have successfully added subtitles created with 'Mojiokoshi-san' to your YouTube video.
As demonstrated, 'Mojiokoshi-san' is ideal for creating high-quality YouTube subtitles due to its subtitle file download feature.
Why not try 'Mojiokoshi-san' to enhance the quality of your YouTube subtitles?
Tip 1: How to manually set subtitles
On YouTube's subtitle editing screen, it's also possible to manually edit subtitles.
You can directly type in subtitle content using the keyboard, and manually adjust the display time and transition timing of subtitles.
You can also use it to add annotations for content not spoken in the audio, so it's recommended to utilize manual settings for a more viewer-friendly video.
Tip 2: How to add foreign language subtitles
This guide focused on adding Japanese subtitles, but you can also add subtitles in other languages to your YouTube videos.
To add foreign language subtitles, click "Subtitles" on the left side of the "Video details" screen.
This will bring up the detailed subtitle management screen.
Clicking "Add language" allows you to select the language for the subtitles you want to add.
When you select English, English is added as shown.
Clicking "Add" (the pen icon) opens the subtitle addition screen.
After that, simply add the subtitles the same way you added the Japanese subtitles.
*You will need to prepare subtitle files for foreign languages separately.
Boost YouTube Views by Adding Subtitles!
As you can see, adding subtitles to your uploaded YouTube videos is straightforward.
YouTube's auto-generated captions often contain errors, so if you want high-quality subtitles, we recommend generating them with an AI transcription service.
With 'Mojiokoshi-san', you can download subtitle files, making it easy to add high-quality captions.
Why not try adding high-quality subtitles to your YouTube videos with 'Mojiokoshi-san'?
■ AI transcription service "Mr. Transscription"
"Mr. Transcription" is an online transcription tool that can be used from zero initial cost and 1,000 yen per month (* free version available).
- Supports more than 20 file formats such as audio, video, and images
- Can be used from both PC and smartphone
- Supports technical terms such as medical care, IT, and long-term care
- Supports creation of subtitle files and speaker separation
- Supports transcription in approximately 100 languages including English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, French, Italian, etc.
To use it, just upload the audio file from the site. Transcription text is available in seconds to tens of minutes.
You can use it for free if you transcribe it for up to 10 minutes, so please try it once.
Email: mojiokoshi3.com@gmail.com
Transcription for audio / video / image transcription. It is a transcription service that anyone can use for free without installation.
- What is Mr. Transcription?
- Transcript images, sounds, and videos with Mr. Transcription
- Free registration
- Rate plan
- manual