How to transcribe a TikTok video to text

Have you ever seen a TikTok clip and been frustrated at the thought that you can’t capture all of the spoken words from it as text? If you plan to edit the content or add subtitles, among other things, you can transcribe a TikTok video in minutes.

Short clips are hard to listen to and follow, especially since most people consume TikTok without audio. Therefore, a TikTok transcript will help with subtitles, accessibility, SEO, and reusing content for publishing wherever you choose.

Fortunately, you don’t have to write down anything manually anymore, thanks to tools like SubtitleBee, which can automatically transcribe a TikTok video with amazing accuracy. This AI-powered technology will not only save you time but also translate the transcription into more than 120 languages.

In this article, we’ll look at several ways you can use to transcribe a TikTok video, such as with built-in TikTok features, transcription software, and other options online, like TikTok transcript generator services. Plus, you’ll find out everything else to do after transcribing your TikTok video.

Can you transcribe a TikTok video?

Absolutely. The process of transcribing a TikTok video to text is fast and most often free. Advanced transcribing software listens to your recording and transcribes each spoken phrase into plain text, usually with the ability to modify or save the resulting timestamps.

There are three popular approaches to achieve this task. One can use TikTok’s own captions feature, upload a video to a specialized transcription service, or insert a URL into a transcription service for TikToks. Each method works better for a particular purpose, which will be discussed further on.

For users who make their own videos, the most versatile way is to transcribe their recordings using professional software so that the resulting transcript can be edited or translated. It is exactly where uploading becomes a better option.

Why transcribe your TikTok videos?

The purpose of an immaculate TikTok video transcript transcends beyond simply sparing yourself another viewing of the same video. Below are some reasons why people use transcription services on their TikTok videos.

Accessibility

A transcript and accurate captioning help make your videos accessible to people that are deaf or hearing impaired. For more information on why this should be a priority for content creators and marketers, check out how subtitles benefit the deaf and hard of hearing.

Content Repurposing

Easily turn one TikTok into a blog post, newsletter article, a tweet thread, or even YouTube videos description without having to rewrite it from scratch. Transcription is the first step to a content repurposing workflow.

Increased Engagement

Videos that have captions attract more viewers and keep them engaged for longer periods of time.

SEO & Searchability

Adding text makes content searchable via both humans and AI algorithms that use search engines like Google.

Translation

After translating your audio to text, you’ll find translation much easier and simpler.

In summary, when you transcribe TikTok video to text, you change fast-paced content into something digestible and shareable.

Method 1: Use TikTok’s built-in captions

TikTok allows users to utilize the built-in captioning function that transcribes the voice of the speaker into on-screen texts through an audio-to-text function. This is the fastest approach if you only need basic captions for a video post.

Step 1: Post your video

Go to TikTok and press the + button where you can choose to either shoot a video or upload one.

Step 2: Access the captions feature

Press the Captions button from the sidebar menu where the system will create captions based on audio text.

Step 3: Review and Edit your text

Press on any caption to correct errors related to mishearing, spelling, and name issues. Correct editing is important as the system doesn’t produce flawless texts. It’s possible to edit captions on TikTok manually using the app prior to publishing.

Step 4: Share your video

If the text is corrected, save it and share. Users will be able to turn on captions on TikTok within their account settings.

Pros and cons

The process is very easy, yet there are some downsides: texts are embedded into the video, it’s not easy to download the full transcript, and it’s hard to translate. If you want to have more control, try add captions to TikTok correctly or use one of the alternative solutions mentioned above.

Method 2: Transcribe your TikTok videos with SubtitleBee

For a TikTok transcript that you could edit, export, and even translate into subtitles, upload-based tools are best for you. SubtitleBee, for instance, is a state-of-the-art audio transcription and subtitle generation platform that works by uploading a video. It offers an accuracy rate of up to 99%, and it supports over 120 languages.

The reason for opting for SubtitleBee is that it uses the upload option. As such, the first step would be to save the TikTok to your device before uploading it. Below are the steps on how to upload a TikTok video to SubtitleBee.

The following video summarizes the process of how to subtitle and transcribe a TikTok video with SubtitleBee:

Let’s look at each of these steps in detail.

Step 1: Save your TikTok video

Navigate to your TikTok video and click on Share, then Save video to save your clip to your device. Alternatively, if you made the video yourself, just save/export it to your device from your camera roll.

Step 2: Upload the video on SubtitleBee

Click on the SubtitleBee upload page, and upload your video file. The platform allows for standard video file types, which means you don’t need to convert the video at all.

Step 3: Pick your language and have the text generated

Pick the language that is used in your video and proceed to having the AI do the transcription for you. The process will take only minutes to produce accurate TikTok videos to text conversion thanks to SubtitleBee.

Step 4: Edit the text

Proceed to reviewing the text with the help of the editor. Correct any slang, proper names, or phrases that were difficult to understand. It will only take minutes for editing, as the bulk of work was already done by the AI.

Step 5: Translation and export

Is it necessary to translate your text? Go for the subtitle translation feature to make sure it is available in one of more than 120 languages. Once done, simply export the transcript or download styled and burned-in subtitles for re-posting.

The advantage of using this technique is that everything can be done in one place: transcription, captioning, translation, and exporting. In case of frequent video transcription needs, this technique will work much better than using just the app.

Read about all the steps here in our guide on the Quick and Easy Way to Transcribe Video to Text in 5 Minutes.

Start transcribing for free and discover how easily your TikTok becomes text!

Method 3: Use an online TikTok transcript generator

An online TikTok transcript creator can come handy if you only want to view or extract the text from your clip without any editing or translating. These services will transcribe the audio into text, and some of them even have a free version.

Step 1: Prepare your video

The vast majority of online services give users the opportunity to either upload their clips or provide a link to the video. So get your clip ready.

Step 2: Transcribe the video

Upload your video, pick the correct audio language, and hit the button. Your service will transcribe your clip within a minute.

Step 3: Copy the transcript

Now that the transcription is complete, you can either copy the text or save it in a file format. You will have obtained a basic version of TikTok video transcript for your use.

This is the quickest method to get a transcript of a TikTok video for free but with certain limitations because the process will be less accurate than using an actual transcription software program. When doing your own transcriptions, the best method is always the uploading method.

Also read: Transcribing video to text: the complete guide

This process can easily be replicated if you post videos on other platforms too. You can find instructions in our guide titled How to get the transcript of a YouTube video.

What to do with your TikTok transcript

Reuse your video as another type of content

Take the same TikTok and turn it into a blog post, email, carousel, or X post thread. Having a transcript lets you avoid rewriting your thoughts altogether.

Add captioning to all your videos

With a transcript at hand, adding clear and precise captioning to your videos will ensure they engage even the silent viewers.

Translate into multiple languages

Translate your transcripts into different languages and reach an international audience. Thanks to SubtitleBee, with 120+ languages to choose from, one video can appeal to multiple markets.

Increase accessibility

Match your transcript with captions so that viewers who are hard of hearing or even those watching muted videos can understand everything.

Increase visibility

By including text in your videos, you’re giving AI systems something to work with – and they will help improve your visibility in searches and summaries.

Store your content in a library

Transcribe your favorite videos and save their transcripts in an archive that you can access later on. Transcripts serve as a basis for repurposing content efficiently.

Tips for more accurate transcriptions

• Ensure good audio quality: Try to minimize background noise or music that could interfere with AI transcription of every word said by speakers.
• Keep a steady pace: Rapid speech or overlaps will be much harder for transcription in any service, including TikTok.
• Choose a proper language option: Never forget to adjust language settings before starting a transcription to avoid mistakes.
• Always revise the text: The software used might work perfectly well but fail to recognize certain slang or names. Take some time to improve the text.
• Work with a proper transcription service: Transcriptions intended for further translation or adding captions require editing options.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a transcription of my TikTok video?

Yes, using TikTok’s automatic captioning option, a transcript generator online, or a tool like SubtitleBee, among others, will help you generate a transcript.

Is there any free TikTok video-to-text transcription tool?

Yes, there are some free tools available. There are many online platforms which provide users with free versions for transcribing videos from TikTok. However, if users want more accurate results along with editing and translation capabilities, they can try out a specialized platform called SubtitleBee.

How accurate are TikTok transcriptions?

The accuracy level of the generated transcript relies on the sound quality and the tool being used.

How accurate is the transcription of videos on TikTok?

The precision varies based on the quality of the audio and the type of transcription tool used. The clearest audio recordings without much background noise yield the most precise transcriptions. Artificial intelligence-based transcription tools such as SubtitleBee can achieve accuracies of up to 99%.

Could I translate a TikTok transcript to another language?

Sure. You have translated your transcript already, and now you can translate it further. SubtitleBee offers subtitle generation into more than 120 languages, so you can translate your TikToks all over the world from one uploaded file.

Conclusion

However, learning to transcribe TikTok videos will not only be limited to copying text. Transcribed text is used to create captions, make the content more accessible, enable translations, improve SEO, and repurpose the content elsewhere.

There are three main options available to you in terms of transcription – captions within the TikTok app for quick work, an online transcript generator for text transcriptions of TikTok videos, or uploading the file on one of many platforms that offer more advanced services. The latter would be your best bet if working on your videos.

SubtitleBee offers the quickest way to transcribe TikToks. It transcribes the audio into text fast and translates it into 120+ languages right away. Get started for free and transcribe your next TikTok in just a few clicks.