MCP YouTube Transcript
An MCP server retrieving transcripts of YouTube videos
Description from the maker (original English)
Transcript retrieval for YouTube, TikTok and Instagram: whole channels, playlists and searches.
These three are never merged into one score: opinions, measurements and popularity are different things.
We have not written a plain-language summary for this one yet. Below are the facts we read from the registry.
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Works in Claude on the web, desktop and mobile:
https://transcriptfetch.com/mcpRun this in your terminal
claude mcp add --transport http youtube-transcripts https://transcriptfetch.com/mcpPaste into .cursor/mcp.json in your project, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"youtube-transcripts": {
"url": "https://transcriptfetch.com/mcp"
}
}
}Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.
Paste into .vscode/mcp.json in your project
{
"servers": {
"youtube-transcripts": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://transcriptfetch.com/mcp"
}
}
}Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.
ChatGPT connects only to servers on the internet:
https://transcriptfetch.com/mcpMenu names can differ slightly by plan and over time.
Your choice stays on this device in a cookie; no account needed.
These settings are generated from the maker’s registry entry. If the README says otherwise, follow the README.
We have not read this server’s tool list yet; we check endpoints in rotation.
We check information anyone can see; we have not read the code. Checks that do not apply are left out of the count. · Checked Nov 7, 2026
The registry name was verified against the domain transcriptfetch.com (the registry checks domain ownership)
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
Not checked yet; we check endpoints in rotation
Not checked yet; we check endpoints in rotation
Not checked yet; we read the tool list when we check the endpoint
Compared with every active server in this category in the registry. Stars count only when the publisher owns the repo.
It passed 1 of 1 applicable basic checks. We have not read the code. Before adding a key or token, see what access the server asks for and use a key with only the permissions you need.
The registry does not list a required key, though some servers ask you to sign in on first use.
It runs in the maker’s cloud. Connect over the internet with nothing to install, but what you send passes through the maker’s servers.
The GitHub repo last changed –, and the latest version (1.2.3) reached the registry 14 days ago.
Apps that support MCP, such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code. It connects by URL, so apps that accept remote MCP servers work too, such as ChatGPT in developer mode.
In the same category: MCP YouTube Transcript, Google Analytics MCP, BibiGPT YouTube Video Summarizer
Servers in the same category from other makers, sorted by stars.
Reading a card:★ GitHub starsiThree pillars: reviews · checks · usageiUpdated = latest version published to the registryi
An MCP server retrieving transcripts of YouTube videos
GA4 MCP server for AI agents: schema discovery, server-side aggregation, analysis-ready defaults.
AI video summarizer: summarize and transcribe YouTube, Bilibili, TikTok and podcast videos.
Copied from the maker’s repo as written. PopNx MCP has not reviewed or endorsed it. HTML, images and scripts are removed. Links lead off this site.
A Model Context Protocol server that gives any MCP client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, and others) access to the TranscriptFetch API: a production transcript API for YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, with AI transcription when captions are missing. Fetch transcripts, search videos, list channels and playlists, and check your credit balance.
tf_live_.TRANSCRIPTFETCH_API_KEY in the client configuration below.Every account gets 50 free credits a month. Failures are free: a fetch that returns no transcript is never charged.
Runs locally over stdio and calls the TranscriptFetch API with your key. Prefer a hosted, remote server? Point your client at https://transcriptfetch.com/mcp instead (OAuth or API key). The hosted server waits inline for short-form AI transcription, so no polling is needed there.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
get_transcript | Transcript for a video: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or a direct media URL. When a video has no captions but has speech, the audio is transcribed automatically; ai_fallback: true goes straight to the audio. Optional markdown (timestamped, linked paragraphs), chunks (about 500 tokens each, for a vector store) and timestamps: false for text only |
search_videos | Search YouTube (default), TikTok or Instagram. On YouTube, filter by upload_date, duration and captions, and sort by views |
search_channels | Find YouTube channels (default) or playlists by keyword |
list_channel_videos | A YouTube channel's videos, Shorts or live streams (tab), sorted newest, popular or oldest, or searched with query; also a TikTok or Instagram profile |
list_channel_playlists | A YouTube channel's playlists, or its podcasts |
list_playlist_videos | A YouTube or TikTok playlist's videos |
get_credits | Remaining credit balance for the key. Never billed |
These are the same seven tools, with the same inputs, as the hosted server at https://transcriptfetch.com/mcp: npm run sync-tools regenerates them from its public card.
Pricing is per successful result: a caption fetch or a video list costs 1 credit, and AI transcription of the audio costs 1 credit per started 5 minutes of audio, charged only on delivery. Failed, blocked and empty results are never charged, which matters on short-form video where many clips have no speech at all.
No install needed. Run it on demand with npx:
TRANSCRIPTFETCH_API_KEY=tf_live_... npx -y transcriptfetch-mcp
Or install globally:
npm install -g transcriptfetch-mcp
Requires Node 18+.
git clone https://github.com/TranscriptFetch/mcp-server
cd mcp-server && npm install && npm run build
Then point your client at the built entrypoint with "command": "node" and "args": ["/absolute/path/to/mcp-server/dist/index.js"].
Add this to claude_desktop_config.json (Settings then Developer then Edit Config):
{
"mcpServers": { "transcriptfetch": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "transcriptfetch-mcp"], "env": { "TRANSCRIPTFETCH_API_KEY": "tf_live_..." } } } }
Add the same block under mcpServers in your Cursor MCP settings.
Restart the client, and the five tools appear.
Once connected, ask your assistant naturally:
Get the transcript for https://youtu.be/aircAruvnKk and summarize the key points.
Search YouTube for "how transformers work" and list the top 5 videos.
List the latest videos from @lexfridman and pull the transcript of the newest one.
How many TranscriptFetch credits do I have left?
The assistant picks the matching tool and works from the returned transcript or video list.
| Env var | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|
TRANSCRIPTFETCH_API_KEY | yes | none |
TRANSCRIPTFETCH_BASE_URL | no | https://transcriptfetch.com |
The server speaks MCP over stdio, so there is no port to expose. -i is required: without an attached stdin the transport closes immediately and the container looks like it crashed.
docker build -t transcriptfetch-mcp .
docker run --rm -i -e TRANSCRIPTFETCH_API_KEY=tf_live_... transcriptfetch-mcp
MIT