Fact · Transcription
YouTube's terms say you may not download any part of the service or its content unless the service expressly authorizes it.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“You are not allowed to: access, reproduce, download, distribute, transmit, broadcast, display, sell, license, alter, modify or otherwise use any part of the Service or any Content except: (a) as expressly authorized by the Service; or (b)”
YouTube Terms of Service, YouTube (Google), n.d., Restrictions on use of the Service.
Open the original- What it measures
- The restriction covers the YouTube service and its content. Captions that YouTube provides for a video are one way to get text without a download.
- What it does not show
- This is the platform's contract, not a court ruling. Check the terms, and the rights to the video, before you download a video to transcribe it.