SubExtract for Journalists

Extract transcripts and captions from YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and X for fact-checking, citation, and source verification — fast, accurate, and permanently archivable.

Workflows

Quoting a video source in an article

  1. Paste the YouTube URL into the Captions tool to extract the full transcript with timestamps
  2. Locate the exact quote in the transcript and copy it verbatim — the timestamp doubles as your citation locator
  3. Save the transcript file (SRT or plain text) into your story folder as a permanent record
  4. Cite the video URL plus the timestamped quote in your published piece — if the video is later edited or pulled, your archive proves what was said
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Tracking a politician's or CEO's public statements

  1. Use Channel Videos to pull the full upload history of the target's official channel
  2. Sort by date and filter to recent uploads relevant to your beat
  3. Run each video through the Captions tool and save transcripts in a single folder
  4. Grep or full-text search the transcript folder for keywords — names, policy terms, contradictions across statements
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Verifying a viral claim from social video

  1. Capture the original post URL from TikTok, X, or Instagram before it gets deleted
  2. Run it through the matching transcript tool to extract the spoken or caption text
  3. Cross-reference the claim against primary sources, official records, or other reporting
  4. Publish the verified text alongside your fact-check — the transcript itself becomes part of the evidence
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Recommended tool combinations

YouTube research stack

Deep coverage of a single video subject — the transcript for what was said, the comments for audience reaction, and the channel history for context and prior statements.

Real-world examples

Citing a CEO statement with a permanent record

A tech CEO drops a controversial line during a 90-minute earnings call livestream. Run the YouTube URL through Captions, copy the exact quote with its timestamp, and save the full SRT to your story folder. Even if the company unlists or edits the video later, your transcript and timestamp are dated evidence — and your citation in the published piece points to a specific moment a reader can search for.

Mining TikTok captions during a viral story

A 15-second TikTok claim about a public health figure goes viral and starts shaping the news cycle. Pull the transcript before the account privates or deletes the post, then check the spoken claim against primary sources. You publish the fact-check with the original text quoted in full — readers see exactly what was said, not a paraphrase.

Frequently asked questions

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