Troubleshooting Transcription Issues

If a video or PDF fails to process, here are common issues and solutions.

Common YouTube Video Issues

Private or Members-Only Videos

SageTube cannot access private, members-only, or age-restricted videos. Make sure the video is public or unlisted.

Deleted or Unavailable Videos

Videos that have been removed from YouTube cannot be processed. Verify the video still exists by opening the URL in your browser.

Region-Restricted Content

Some videos are blocked in certain regions. If a video is restricted in your location, it cannot be processed.

Audio Quality Problems

Poor Transcription Accuracy

If transcription results are inaccurate:

• Check if the audio is clear and audible
• Heavy background noise, music, or multiple overlapping speakers reduce accuracy
• Consider using a video with better audio quality

No Audio Track

Some videos don't have an audio track (silent videos, music-only with no speech). These cannot be transcribed.

Long Videos

Videos over 3 hours may take longer to process (up to 10 minutes). Very long videos (8+ hours) may occasionally timeout. If this happens, try breaking the content into shorter segments.

PDF Issues

Scanned PDFs with Poor Quality

Low-resolution scans or images may produce incomplete OCR results. Use high-quality scans (300 DPI or higher) for best results.

Password-Protected PDFs

Encrypted or password-protected PDFs cannot be processed. Remove password protection before uploading.

Retry Options

If processing fails:

1. Check the error message on your Expert's content page
2. Verify the content is accessible
3. Try removing and re-adding the content
4. Contact support@sagetube.ai if the issue persists

Our support team can manually review failed transcriptions and help resolve technical issues.