How to transcribe an Instagram video.

Copy the link to one video.

Start at the individual Reel or video post. A creator profile, audio page, or hashtag page does not identify the video you want to transcribe.

On your phone

Open the video in Instagram and use its sharing or more-options menu to copy the link. Switch to your browser and paste it into the field above. Menu labels can vary with the Instagram app version.

On desktop

Open the individual video in a browser. Copy its direct address, or use the post's copy-link action if it opens in an overlay. Paste that address into the tool.

Reel links contain /reel/ or /reels/. A video post may use /p/. The link must lead to a video with speech; a photo post does not become transcribable just because its address uses /p/.

The video must be publicly accessible to the service. Being able to watch it inside your logged-in Instagram account does not guarantee the service can open it.

Paste the link and get the spoken words.

1. Paste the complete URL into Instagram Reel or video URL.
2. Select Get transcript and keep the page open while the video is processed. Wait for the current attempt before submitting again.
3. When the result is ready, read the transcript beside the original video. The tool returns speech in the detected language; it does not translate it.

You do not need visible captions on the Reel. Transcription follows audible speech. Written descriptions and silent text overlays are different sources; use the guide to copying Reel text for those.

Check the words before saving.

Listen to the original while reading the result. Replay names, amounts, dates, and quoted statements. Music, accents, and overlapping voices can cause omissions or incorrect words. Mark unclear passages rather than guessing.

Keep the original transcript separate from your corrections. If you shorten it into notes or rewrite a sentence, label that version so it is not mistaken for a verbatim quote.

Copy or TXT

Use for reading, notes, or a text document. Save the source URL beside the words so you can return to the original.

SRT or VTT

Use for timed caption workflows. These exports require timing for every segment and stay disabled when timing is missing.

See how to download TXT, SRT, or VTT for format details. To work with the hook and structure of the speech, continue to the Reel script guide.

You can also transcribe by hand.

For a short clip or an unclear phrase, manual listening can be useful. Open the original video and a text note side by side, listen to a short passage, pause, and type what you hear. Replay it to check the wording before moving on.

If subtitles are visible, use them as a reference and compare them with the audio. They may abbreviate speech or omit a sentence. Manual listening can correct a transcript, but it cannot recover speech that is absent or inaudible.

Check the cause before retrying.

• Invalid link: copy a fresh URL from the individual Reel or video post.
• Private, deleted, or restricted video: the service cannot bypass access controls. Your logged-in view may have different access.
• No speech detected: confirm the clip contains an audible voice. Music-only content may have no transcript.
• Busy or temporarily unavailable service: wait before retrying. Repeated submissions do not resolve an access restriction.

For specific error messages, follow the Instagram transcript troubleshooting guide. The tool does not accept Stories, private voice messages, screenshots, or uploaded files.

Questions about transcribing Instagram videos