Convert a Video to Markdown

If your notes live in Markdown, a transcript should arrive as Markdown: a heading, a link back to the source, and the text, with timestamps you can keep or drop. That is what the MD export gives you, and it opens without fuss in Obsidian, Notion, Logseq, Bear, iA Writer, or a plain text editor.

Paste the link, wait for the transcript, set the Timestamps toggle the way you want the file, and click MD.

What the Markdown file contains

The file starts with the video title as a level-one heading, then a short block of metadata: the channel, the source as a clickable link, the caption language, the date the transcript was generated, the word count, and the reading time. A horizontal rule separates that from the transcript. With timestamps on, each line begins with its time in inline code, like `[12:34]`, followed by the text, one line per paragraph, which keeps the times visible without cluttering the prose. With timestamps off, the transcript is joined into flowing paragraphs.

Obsidian

Drop the file into your vault, or paste the MD export into a new note. The source link is a normal Markdown link, so it stays clickable. If you use a video-notes plugin that jumps the player to a timestamp, the inline-code times are easy to convert with a find-and-replace into that plugin's link format. Many people keep one folder per channel or course and let the title heading do the naming; Obsidian's search then covers every transcript in the vault.

Notion

Paste the export into a Notion page and Notion converts the Markdown as it lands: the heading becomes a heading block, the link stays a link, the inline-code timestamps stay code. For a database of videos, make the page title the video title and put the source link in a URL property; the transcript sits in the page body. If you would rather import than paste, Notion's Import accepts .md files.

Logseq and outliner apps

Logseq treats each line as a block, which works well with timestamps on: every cue becomes its own block with its time, so you can reference a single line from anywhere else in your graph. With timestamps off you get one long block per paragraph, which is easier to read but harder to reference. Pick based on whether you want to link into the transcript or just read it.

Making it yours

A raw transcript is source material, not a note. The useful habit is to read it once, bold or highlight the lines that matter, add your own headings for the topics the speaker moved through, and write a two-line summary at the top. The timestamps let you go back to the video for anything you want to hear again, and the source link means the note can always be traced to where it came from.

Frequently asked questions

What is in the Markdown export?+

A title heading, channel, clickable source link, language, generation date, word count and reading time, then the transcript with or without timestamps.

Can I exclude timestamps?+

Yes. Turn the Timestamps toggle off before exporting and the transcript is joined into paragraphs.

Does it work with Notion and Obsidian?+

Yes. Obsidian opens the file directly; Notion converts pasted Markdown into blocks, or you can import the .md file.

Will the timestamps jump the video from my notes?+

Not on their own. They are plain text. Convert them to your app's link format if it supports timestamped video links.

Is it free?+

Yes. The Markdown export is free, with no account and no watermark.

Try it on your video

Paste a YouTube link and get a clean transcript in seconds.