YouTube Transcript MCP Server

What is YouTube Transcript MCP Server?

A Model Context Protocol server that enables Claude to fetch and analyze YouTube video transcripts. It is built for Claude Desktop users who want to retrieve transcript text from YouTube videos directly through conversational prompts.

How to use YouTube Transcript MCP Server?

Install dependencies with npm install, build the project with npm run build, then add the server configuration pointing to dist/index.js in the Claude Desktop configuration file. Restart Claude Desktop and ask "Get me the transcript for [YouTube URL]" to retrieve a transcript.

Key features of YouTube Transcript MCP Server

• Fetches transcripts from YouTube videos.
• Delivers transcript text directly to Claude.
• Simple one‑command installation and build.
• Straightforward Claude Desktop configuration.
• Lightweight Node.js implementation.

Use cases of YouTube Transcript MCP Server

• Retrieve a video’s transcript for summarization.
• Analyze spoken content without watching the video.
• Extract quotes or key points from YouTube talks.
• Automate note‑taking from video lectures.
• Enable offline reading of video content.

FAQ from YouTube Transcript MCP Server

What does this server do?

It enables Claude to fetch and analyze YouTube video transcripts by providing a transcript when given a YouTube URL.

How do I install it?

Run npm install then npm run build in the project directory, and add the server configuration to your Claude Desktop config file.

What runtime does it require?

Node.js is required (implied by the npm and node commands in the setup instructions).

Does it handle authentication or private videos?

The README does not discuss authentication or support for private/restricted videos.

What transport does it use?

The README does not specify a transport mechanism.