How Transcription Works

SageTube automatically transcribes all video content you add, making it searchable and ready for your Expert to reference.

Automatic Processing

When you add a video to an Expert, transcription happens automatically in the background. You don't need to do anything—just add the video and wait for processing to complete.

YouTube Caption Reuse

YouTube videos with existing captions are processed differently:

• Instant processing: No AI transcription needed
• Free of charge: No transcription cost deducted from your balance
• Same quality: Captions are cleaned and indexed just like transcribed content

Most popular YouTube videos have captions, making them free and instant to add to your Experts.

AI Speech-to-Text

For videos without existing captions, SageTube uses advanced AI speech-to-text technology:

• Processing time: 1-3 minutes per video (depending on length)
• Cost: $0.05 per minute (videos that already have captions cost only $0.01/min — most do, so the blended average is ~$0.025/min)
• Accuracy: Professional-grade transcription quality
• Multi-language support: Automatically detects and transcribes over 50 languages

What Happens During Transcription

1. Video audio is extracted and analyzed
2. AI converts speech to text with timestamps
3. Text is indexed for semantic search
4. Your Expert can now reference this content in chat responses

You can track transcription progress from your Expert's content page.

Transcription Quality

Transcription accuracy depends on audio quality. Clear audio with minimal background noise produces the best results. Accents, technical terminology, and multiple speakers are handled automatically.