Zero-Cost YouTube Transcriptions using NotebookLM

NotebookLM is a powerful free tool for generating transcripts from YouTube videos.

It helps content creators, researchers, and learners extract value from lengthy videos like the Charlie Munger episode on Acquired.FM podcast without spending a dollar.

You can turn a 1-hour of episode into 10 minutes worth of valuable insights.

Transcribe Videos Fast with NotebookLM

Google provides this transcription service at no cost. The process works for any YouTube video, making it perfect for long-form content. Users gain access to:

• Complete transcripts

• Timeline views

• FAQs

• Brief summaries

• Study notes

Unlisted videos aren't transcribed. You can use alternative methods mentioned below for unlisted videos.

NotebookLM generates complete transcripts ready for copy-and-paste use. This system works best with YouTube content due to its speed and cost structure.

Alternative Solutions

For non-YouTube videos or unlisted YouTube videos, several options exist:

• DeepGram: Offers $200 of free transcription credit upon registration

• Riverside FM: Includes a free tier with transcription capabilities

• TurboScribe: Costs $20 monthly but uses the less accurate OpenAI Whisper model

• ScribeWave: Delivers high-quality results but at premium pricing

Just download the YouTube video with Cobalt Tools and put it through these services to get a transcription. You can then upload the text to NotebookLM to generate Timelines, Study Notes, and FAQ.

Transcription Technology Rankings

Current model performance ranks:

1. Deepgram Nova 3

2. ElevenLabs Scribe

3. Assembly AI

OpenAI Whisper is cheaper but less accurate. It doesn't really matter unless you are a doctor who needs medicinal transcription as you can easily watch videos with OpenAI's transcriptions. It has its misses at times.

Transcriptions are extremely useful at 2x or higher speeds. You can transcribe essentially 700 hours worth of content using Deepgram's Nova 3 for $200.

Beyond Basic Transcription: Timelines That Cut Through Noise

NotebookLM creates enhanced content formats that add value to the raw transcript:

The timeline feature highlights key moments with timestamps for easy navigation.

Study Guides Built for Clarity

Study guides include knowledge points, question-answer pairs, and jargons to simplify info. This is the new way of learning fast.

These tools transform lengthy videos into structured, searchable text resources that save time and improve information retention. Try them next time you want to watch a dense YouTube video like a TED Talk.

Top Tweets of the day

1/

One of my favorite Mungerisms.

You can be the biggest fish in a small pond if you are not in an ocean with sharks and whales.

2/

If you really want to work at a big company (especially if its a rocketship startup which will make you 10s of millions of dollars), then this is the easiest way to stand out and get an interview.

Do it early so you get stock options. Great way to optimize for returns without massive risk.

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Lots of developers with no marketing knowledge build sick products and sell them for cheap. Great way to take advantage.

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