Instagram transcript generator
Paste the link to a public Reel or video up to 3 minutes long. Get the words as text, plus SRT and VTT captions.
Free, no sign-up. The video isn’t stored on our server.
How to get a Reel’s transcript in 3 steps
Copy the link
In the Instagram app, tap the paper plane icon on the Reel and choose Copy link. On a computer, copy the address from the browser bar.
Paste it and tap Transcribe
Tap Paste, or press and hold the box and paste, then tap Transcribe. The cost is written under the button, and the button shows “Transcribing…” while it works.
Copy or download the text
Use Copy text, or save SRT subtitles. VTT and TXT are under Other formats.
The AI detects the spoken language and shows it above the text. If it gets it wrong, which can happen when a Reel opens with music or with a line in another language, tap Another language and pick English, Spanish or Portuguese. Your first change for each Reel is free that day; after that, each change uses 1 transcription, and the cost is shown before you tap.
It works with public Reels and feed videos. In a carousel, it transcribes the first video that has sound. Stories, Highlights, private accounts and YouTube videos don’t work, and pasting one of those links shows a message that says why.
What you get
Under the Transcript heading:
- The full text, with punctuation and capital letters added automatically. The first 5 lines show at once, and Show full text opens the rest.
- The detected language and the word count, on a line such as “Spanish, detected · 182 words”.
- Copy text and SRT subtitles, with VTT and TXT under Other formats. SRT and VTT are caption files with a start and end time for every line. TXT is the plain text.
- Your usage, in a line like “You’ve used 1 of 4 transcriptions in these 15 min. It resets at 2:45 PM.”
A short Reel is ready in about 10 seconds, and a 3-minute one takes up to a minute. Transcription runs on our own server, one at a time: at peak times a short line can form, and the screen shows your place in it (“You’re number 2 in line”).
Want the video file as well? Tap Download this Reel at the end of the transcript, or use the Reels downloader.
Free limits
- Up to 3 minutes per video. The cut is strict, at 180 seconds, and a video that Instagram shows as 3:00 can run a fraction of a second longer. For a longer video, the screen shows its real length and says nothing was taken from your quota.
- Up to 4 transcriptions every 15 minutes. When you run out, the screen says how many minutes are left and the time it frees up again; downloading stays free. There’s no daily cap, and a 20-second Reel counts the same as a 3-minute one.
- Counted per connection. There’s no sign-up, so the count is kept per internet connection (IP address). On shared Wi-Fi, other people’s transcriptions count toward the same quota.
What counts and what doesn’t:
- A Reel that was already transcribed in the last 7 days, in the same language, comes back from our cache and doesn’t count.
- Changing the language with Another language makes a new transcript. Your first language change for each Reel is free that day; further changes of the same Reel count as one each.
- Attempts that end in an error don’t count. That includes “Transcription is unavailable right now. Try again in a few minutes.”
- A video over 3 minutes is refused before it uses any of your quota.
Why have a limit at all? Transcription runs on our own server, one job at a time, and that server also delivers your downloads. The cap every 15 minutes is what keeps the tool fast and free for everyone.
How it works
PegaClip fetches only the audio track of the post when Instagram has one, and runs it through a speech-to-text model (Whisper) on our own server. The model returns the text in short segments, each with its start and end time, and we turn them into the SRT and VTT files. If our server’s line is full, a backup provider takes the job, and you don’t need to do anything different.
A few things follow from that:
- It only listens. Text on the screen, stickers and Instagram’s own auto captions aren’t read. A Reel with music and text overlays but no one talking has nothing to transcribe.
- Clear speech comes out close to word for word. Loud music, people talking over each other, slang and unusual names cause most mistakes.
- Song lyrics get transcribed too, because the model can’t tell singing from talking.
- Speakers aren’t labeled. In an interview, add the names yourself.
- Numbers can come out as digits or as words, like 25 or twenty-five, depending on how they were said. Read the text once before you publish it.
When a transcript looks off, why is my transcript wrong goes through each cause and its fix, and how to transcribe a video to text has a longer walkthrough.
What to do with the transcript
- Captions for your own videos. Import the SRT into CapCut or Premiere Pro, or upload it to YouTube Studio, so people watching with the sound off can follow along. The steps are in how to make an SRT file, and SRT vs VTT helps you pick a format.
- A script for your next video. Transcribe one of your Reels that did well and look at how it’s built: the first line, the order of the points, the ending.
- Quotes, with credit. It’s easier to quote someone from text than from video. Name the creator and link to the Reel.
- A caption that fits. Paste your caption into the character counter to check its length before you post.
On iPhone and Android
On a phone, Copy text is often all you need: tap it, then paste into Notes, a message or the Instagram caption box. If copying fails, press and hold the text, drag the handles over it and tap Copy. If your browser won’t let Paste read what you copied, press and hold the box and paste instead.
The SRT, VTT and TXT files are saved like any other download:
- iPhone: Safari puts them in the Files app, under Downloads. From there, you can share them to CapCut or another editor.
- Android: Chrome saves them in the Download folder, where Files by Google and editing apps can open them.
The file names start with instagram- and the Reel’s code, so the three files from one Reel sit side by side.
Privacy
We don’t keep the video. The server fetches only the audio, transcribes it on our own machine and deletes the temporary file when the job ends. Only when our server is full or down does a backup provider get the audio, never your IP address. The transcript of a public video can stay in our cache for up to 7 days, saved under the video’s ID only, with no IP address or anything else about you. Transcripts never become public pages and don’t show up in search engines. The privacy policy has the details.
Rights
Transcribing a Reel to study it, take notes or caption your own work is personal use. Publishing someone else’s words is different: quote short parts, credit the creator and link to the Reel, and ask before you republish a full transcript or use it in a product. Creators who don’t want their Reels transcribed here can ask us to block them, or a whole profile, on the content removal page. We reply within 2 business days.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free? Do I need an account?
Yes, it’s free, and there’s no sign-up. Ads on the site pay for the server that runs the speech-to-text. The free limits are 3 minutes per video and 4 transcriptions every 15 minutes.
How long can the video be?
Up to 3 minutes, counted strictly at 180 seconds. A longer video is refused before it uses any of your quota, and you can still download it.
How many videos can I transcribe?
Up to 4 every 15 minutes per connection. After that, they’re free again, and there’s no cap for the whole day. When you run out, the screen says how many minutes until you can transcribe again. A Reel already transcribed in the same language in the last 7 days comes from our cache and doesn’t count. Changing the language makes a new transcript: your first change for each Reel is free that day, and further changes count as one each.
Which languages does it support?
Automatic detection handles many languages and does best with clear speech in widely spoken ones. If it picks the wrong language, tap Another language above the text and choose English, Spanish or Portuguese. The first language change for each Reel is free that day.
Does it read text shown on screen?
No. It transcribes speech only. Text overlays, stickers and Instagram’s auto captions aren’t read, so a Reel with no one talking returns little or nothing.
How do I get an SRT file for a Reel?
Transcribe the Reel and tap SRT subtitles. The file has numbered captions with start and end times, ready for CapCut, Premiere Pro or YouTube Studio. How to make an SRT file has the import steps.
Can I transcribe a Reel from a private account?
No. Only public posts work. A Reel from a private account can’t be found by the tool.
Why are some words wrong?
Music, people talking over each other, slang, strong accents and names cause most mistakes. Download the TXT or SRT and fix them with find and replace. Why is my transcript wrong covers each case.
Do you store the video or the transcript?
The video, no. The transcript of a public video stays in our cache for up to 7 days, under the video’s ID only, with no IP address or anything that identifies you.
Can I upload a video file instead of a link?
Not yet. Right now the tool only takes links to public Instagram posts.
Can I publish the transcript of someone else's video?
Not as your own work. Quote short parts with credit and a link to the Reel, and ask the creator before you publish the full text. The rights to what they said in the video are theirs.