Transkrio: YouTube Transcript API

Everything you need, nothing you don't

A small, fast API that does one job well, with billing that doesn't punish you for videos that have no captions.

Failures are free

No transcript, private video, bad URL: you are not charged. One credit per successful transcript, that's it.

Credits roll over

Unused monthly credits carry over to the next month, up to twice your plan. No "use it or lose it".

4 output formats

Timestamped JSON segments, plain text for LLM prompts, or SRT / VTT subtitle files ready to use.

Any language

Ask for a language with lang=es. Manual captions are preferred; auto-generated and translated tracks are used as fallback.

Playlists, channels, batch

List a playlist or a channel's uploads with /v1/videos, then get up to 50 transcripts in one /v1/batch call. Same 1 credit per transcript.

Metadata and cache

Title, channel, duration, views and caption languages from /v1/metadata. Repeated requests come from cache in milliseconds.

Use it from Claude, Cursor and any MCP client

Transkrio is also a remote MCP server. Connect it once and just ask your assistant: "summarize this video", "pull the key quotes from this talk". Same API key, same credits.

Listed in the official MCP Registry and checked live by mcptry.

Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport http transkrio \
  https://api.transkrio.com/mcp \
  --header "x-api-key: YOUR_KEY"

Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "transkrio": {
      "url": "https://api.transkrio.com/mcp",
      "headers": { "x-api-key": "YOUR_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

Claude.ai / Claude Desktop

Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector. Authentication: none. Then add a request header:

URL:    https://api.transkrio.com/mcp
Header: x-api-key: YOUR_KEY

Tools: get_transcript (text, timestamps, SRT, VTT), get_video_metadata and list_videos (playlists and channels).

Simple, fair pricing

1 credit = 1 successful transcript or metadata request. Cancel anytime. Prices in USD.

Free

100 credits, once
All formats
No card required

Get free key

Starter

$9/mo

3,000 credits / month
$3 per 1,000
Rollover up to 6,000

Choose Starter

Pro

$29/mo

15,000 credits / month
$1.93 per 1,000
Rollover up to 30,000

Choose Pro

Scale

$99/mo

75,000 credits / month
$1.32 per 1,000
Rollover up to 150,000

Choose Scale

Need a one-off batch? Credit pack: 2,000 credits for $10. Credits never expire.

Buy credit pack

Tip: sign up for the free key first and use the same email at checkout, so your paid credits land on the key you already have.

FAQ

Which platforms are supported?

YouTube today: regular videos, Shorts, live replays and embeds. Podcasts and other platforms are on the roadmap.

What if a video has no captions?

The API returns a clear no_transcript error and you are not charged.

Are there rate limits?

60 requests per minute per key. Need more? Write to us.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes. Your plan stays active until the end of the billing period you already paid for, and any credits left stay on your key.

Who handles payments?

Payments are processed by Lemon Squeezy, our merchant of record, which also takes care of invoices and sales tax.