Utilities

POST /v1/video/transcript

Video File Transcript API

Whisper transcription of an uploaded video or audio file — 1 credit per minute of audio.

1 credit/min per request

TL;DR

Whisper transcription of an uploaded video or audio file — 1 credit per minute of audio. The Video File Transcript API (Utilities) is a single authenticated POST request to /v1/video/transcript that responds with clean JSON and costs 1 credit/min. Pass cache=true for a free 24h cache hit; default is always fresh. Start with 100 free credits — no credit card.

What is the Video File Transcript API?

Upload a video or audio file (multipart form field `file`) and get a Whisper transcript as structured JSON — full text, segments, word count, language, and duration. Billed at 1 credit per minute of audio (rounded up, minimum 1).

What you get

Full transcript text with start/end timestamps when available
Auto-detected language and segment count
AI audio transcription fallback when no captions exist
Clean JSON ready for search, subtitles, or AI pipelines

Try it

Fill in the parameters below and copy a ready-to-run request in your language of choice.

Parameters

file*fileVideo or audio file to transcribe (multipart form upload).

API keyoptionalPaste your key to get a ready-to-run snippet. It stays in your browser.

curl "https://api.captapi.com/v1/video/transcript?file=%40video.mp4" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer capt_live_..."
# or: -H "x-api-key: capt_live_..."

Edit the parameters and the code updates instantly. Switch languages and hit copy.

Example response

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "transcript": "Hey everyone, welcome back to the channel. Today we're breaking down structured data APIs.",
    "wordCount": 1240,
    "segments": 86,
    "transcriptSegments": [
      {
        "text": "Hey everyone, welcome back to the channel.",
        "start": 0,
        "duration": 4.12,
        "timestamp": "00:00"
      },
      {
        "text": "Today we're breaking down structured data APIs.",
        "start": 4.12,
        "duration": 4.28,
        "timestamp": "00:04"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Billing metadata is returned in response headers: X-Captapi-Credits (credits charged), X-Captapi-Cache (hit or miss), and X-Captapi-Source. Failed requests (4xx/5xx) are never charged. See the full list of error codes in the error reference.

Response structure

A successful call returns success, cached, creditsUsed, and a data object with the following fields:

Full transcript

transcriptComplete text transcript of the video.
wordCountTotal number of words in the transcript.
segmentsTotal number of transcript segments.

Timestamped segments

Each item in transcriptSegments contains:

textThe spoken text for this segment.
startStart time in seconds.
durationDuration of the segment in seconds.
timestampHuman-readable timestamp (MM:SS format).

Parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
file	file	Yes	Video or audio file to transcribe (multipart form upload).

Authentication: send your key as Authorization: Bearer capt_live_.... A typical call costs 1 credit/min. Pass cache=true for a free 24h cache hit; default is always fresh.

Using an AI agent? This endpoint is the MCP tool video_transcript via @captapi/mcp. Set it up →

How it works

1. Sign up — get 100 free credits, no card required.
2. Create a key from your dashboard.
3. Send one request to /v1/video/transcript and parse the JSON response.

Use cases

Accessibility

Provide captions and transcripts for hearing-impaired users.

Content Analysis

Analyze spoken content for keywords, topics, and sentiment.

Search & Discovery

Make video content searchable by text.

Content Creation

Extract quotes and key phrases from videos.

Language Learning

Provide text alongside audio for language learners.

Research

Analyze large volumes of video content efficiently.

SEO

Extract text content for search engine optimization.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Video File Transcript API do?+

The Video File Transcript API lets you extract the full, timestamped transcript from a public Utilities uploaded video or audio file using one POST request to /v1/video/transcript. It returns clean JSON — no OAuth or infrastructure setup required.

How many credits does the Video File Transcript API cost?+

Billing is 1 credit per minute of audio (rounded up, minimum 1). Failed or empty results are never charged.

Do I need a Utilities API key or OAuth?+

No. A single Captapi key works across every platform Captapi supports — YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, Reddit, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Rumble, Spotify, Kwai, and more. We handle proxies, rate limits, retries, and authentication for you.

Is the Video File Transcript API suitable for production use?+

Yes. It is a stable REST endpoint with predictable JSON and automatic retries. Pass cache=true to serve from the 24h shared cache (0 credits on hit); default is always fresh. Use it for analytics, monitoring, and content automation.

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