youtube-summarize

What is youtube-summarize?

youtube-summarize is an MCP server that fetches YouTube video transcripts and optionally summarizes them for LLM clients like Claude. It provides tools to retrieve transcripts in multiple formats and to return transcripts with customized summarization instructions.

How to use youtube-summarize?

Install and run with uvx youtube-summarize (requires Python 3.13+ and the uv package manager). For Claude Desktop, add the server configuration to claude_desktop_config.json. For Claude Code, run claude mcp add youtube-summarize -- uvx youtube-summarize. The server exposes three tools: get_transcript, summarize_transcript, and list_transcripts.

Key features of youtube-summarize

• Fetch transcripts in text, JSON, SRT, WebVTT, and pretty-print formats.
• Summarize videos with custom or default LLM instructions.
• List available transcript languages for any YouTube video.
• Accept full YouTube URLs or bare video IDs.
• Request transcripts in specific languages with fallback priority.

Use cases of youtube-summarize

• Extract and analyze video content for research or note-taking.
• Integrate video summaries into AI‑assisted workflows.
• Retrieve transcripts for accessibility or translation purposes.
• Build automated content processing pipelines for YouTube videos.

FAQ from youtube-summarize

What are the runtime requirements?

Python 3.13 or later and the uv package manager.

How do I install youtube-summarize?

Run uvx youtube-summarize in your terminal.

Can I get just the transcript without a summary?

Yes, use the get_transcript tool. It returns the transcript in your chosen format.

What transcript formats are supported?

text, json, pretty, webvtt, and srt.

How do I configure youtube-summarize for Claude Desktop?

Add the following to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube-summarize": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["youtube-summarize"]
    }
  }
}