Transformative Media Tools: Best Online Video to Text Systems

Have you ever wondered why there is a need to transcribe YouTube videos? Well, let us enlighten you! Turning content from YouTube to text is essential for numerous content creators as it allows them to gain more views. Recent studies have shown that around 33% of the audience watching YouTube videos do not necessarily watch them in English. So, by converting them to text, translation becomes a whole lot easier and subtitles can be generated more efficiently.

In this article, we will explore the procedure through how one can convert a YouTube video to text, and learn about numerous effective online YouTube video to text software.

In this article

01 How to Convert YouTube Video to Texts by Copy/Paste YouTube Transcript

02 Best YouTube Video to Text Converters Online

Part 1: How to Convert YouTube Video to Texts by Copy/Paste YouTube Transcript

When people think “Get the transcript from YouTube” they believe it is going to be a daunting and lengthy procedure. Well, let us tell you that it is certainly not! All you have to do is follow the steps outlined below to transcribe YouTube video to text - that too through the YouTube player itself.

First what you have to do is open YouTube and select any video for which you require the transcript. Once you have selected the video, wait for it to load and then click the three dots located beneath the video, as shown in the image below.

Following that, a menu will appear, just select the “Open Transcript” option and the transcription will open on the top right side of your screen.

Simply select the entire transcript using your mouse, then copy and paste it into a new Word Document or Google Document. If you don’t need the timestamps, you can click the three-dot icon to toggle timestamps off.

By following the steps outlined above, you can convert a YouTube video to text in less than five seconds!

Part 2: Best YouTube Video to Text Converters Online

Aside from the basic method of getting the transcription from YouTube itself, many individuals make use of effective YouTube video to text converter online free. This allows them to get the complete video into text, small parts of the video to text, as well as options to convert the text into multiple languages. Below are some of the best software to convert YouTube video to text online.

1. Inqscribe

This high-quality cross-platform tool allows users to transcribe audio and video files into text . Whether it is a meeting recording or a YouTube video - you can convert them all to text. Making use of this free online software is extremely easy, all one has to do is just upload their file and click the process. Then the system will automatically transcribe the video into a text document for you. The software is uni code so all file formats are supported such as txt, XML, HTML, WebVTT, and more. The only drawback of this online software is that video files that are larger than a certain limit cannot be accepted.

2. Sonix

For individuals who have premium quality audio transcription, a tool by the name of Sonix is the right choice for you. This tool enables users to turn all types of YouTube videos into text. All they have to do is simply download the YouTube video they need to transcribe and then upload it to the online interface. From there, this software uses its comprehensive text reader to convert the video to text. This platform supports more than 40 different language choice inputs and outputs. Users are allowed to transcribe up to five videos for free, then they must pay a subscription fee.

3. Otter

This video-to-text converter works best in real-time. Simply play the audio of a YouTube video and let Otter do its magic. In real-time it will convert audio into text. Moreover, if you would like to only convert some parts of the audio to text, that is possible with this tool as well.

All you need to do is play the audio accordingly and the text will automatically generate itself. The AVI (Ambient Voice Intelligence) of this tool allows it to accurately understand what the audio is saying to transcribe the video. While many do find this tool handy, learning how to use it can be a tiny bit tedious and confusing.

Note: Currently, Otter doesn’t support uploading YouTube video link, you may need to download the YouTube video first and then upload it from desktop.

4. oTranscribe

This online transcription tool is extremely easy and convenient to use - and it is entirely free! All you need to do is head on over to its homepage and drop a link to the YouTube video that you would like to transcribe. Then from there, you can access the video and text all at the same time, without having to switch between videos.

The best part is that you can record and translate text according to your need, cut and miss parts that you do not require. This tool supports all file formats which just adds to convince. The only challenge is that it will only accept videos and translate them into English.

5. Go Transcribe

If you are looking to convert any sort of video format to text, then Go Transcribe might just be the tool that you require. This tool makes use of the latest voice technology to convert videos to text - and gives you the output in the form of an SRT, PDF, or DOC, which are all editable. All you need to do is upload the video in one of the formats below,

• 3PG
• FLV
• AVI
• MOV
• MPG
• MPEG

Then simply click the processing options and your video will be generated into a text file within minutes. However, this software may require a subscription fee.

files. Moreover, the output format is PDF which individuals cannot edit unless they convert the PDF to a TXT file online using different software.

6. Trint

Turn your speech to text through magic - or in other words, through state-of-the-art technology. Trint is an online transcription tool that allows individuals to turn video files into text. People can download and upload numerous video files at once and turn them into text documents.

This is an extremely handy tool to have considering it comes with numerous options such as editing the text, only inducing certain parts of the video in the text, and so much more. This tool only has one shortcoming, it only accepts English language videos.

7. Happy Scribe

If you are wondering how, you will convert YouTube video to text, then we have just the answer for you. Make use of Happy Scribe to automatically transcribe all sorts of audio and video into comprehensive and readable text. You can get numerous features and options in this tool such as advanced grammatical functions as well as timestamps.

If your videos are in different languages, do not worry because Happy Scribe has more than 60 language formats. However, to make use of added features, individuals will need to pay for the tool and upgrade to the pro version.

8. 360Converter

360Converter, as its name suggests is a video to text converter which individuals can use online and offline. All you need to do is download and then upload the YouTube video that you would like to transcribe and the tool will automatically generate the text for you. The supported video formats include 3GP, MP4, MOV, AVI, and many more. This tool uses advanced technology to get accurate language and grammatical transcriptions, so everything is word to word - the exact same as the video. While this tool is extremely user-friendly, many state that it takes a while to process videos to text.

Key Takeaways!

Technology has come a long way which is why we now have numerous options available online to help us convert YouTube videos to text in less than 5-10 minutes. All you have to do is upload the file and let the tool do its magic! You can transcribe in different languages, segments, and so much more now!

KwiCut

Transform Long Videos into Short Ones Instantly

Turn long videos into viral clips. Effortlessly transform lengthy videos into engaging, shareable clips.

Get Started Now

Download For Free

02 Best YouTube Video to Text Converters Online

Part 1: How to Convert YouTube Video to Texts by Copy/Paste YouTube Transcript

When people think “Get the transcript from YouTube” they believe it is going to be a daunting and lengthy procedure. Well, let us tell you that it is certainly not! All you have to do is follow the steps outlined below to transcribe YouTube video to text - that too through the YouTube player itself.

First what you have to do is open YouTube and select any video for which you require the transcript. Once you have selected the video, wait for it to load and then click the three dots located beneath the video, as shown in the image below.

Following that, a menu will appear, just select the “Open Transcript” option and the transcription will open on the top right side of your screen.

Simply select the entire transcript using your mouse, then copy and paste it into a new Word Document or Google Document. If you don’t need the timestamps, you can click the three-dot icon to toggle timestamps off.

By following the steps outlined above, you can convert a YouTube video to text in less than five seconds!

Part 2: Best YouTube Video to Text Converters Online

Aside from the basic method of getting the transcription from YouTube itself, many individuals make use of effective YouTube video to text converter online free. This allows them to get the complete video into text, small parts of the video to text, as well as options to convert the text into multiple languages. Below are some of the best software to convert YouTube video to text online.

1. Inqscribe

This high-quality cross-platform tool allows users to transcribe audio and video files into text . Whether it is a meeting recording or a YouTube video - you can convert them all to text. Making use of this free online software is extremely easy, all one has to do is just upload their file and click the process. Then the system will automatically transcribe the video into a text document for you. The software is uni code so all file formats are supported such as txt, XML, HTML, WebVTT, and more. The only drawback of this online software is that video files that are larger than a certain limit cannot be accepted.

2. Sonix

For individuals who have premium quality audio transcription, a tool by the name of Sonix is the right choice for you. This tool enables users to turn all types of YouTube videos into text. All they have to do is simply download the YouTube video they need to transcribe and then upload it to the online interface. From there, this software uses its comprehensive text reader to convert the video to text. This platform supports more than 40 different language choice inputs and outputs. Users are allowed to transcribe up to five videos for free, then they must pay a subscription fee.

3. Otter

This video-to-text converter works best in real-time. Simply play the audio of a YouTube video and let Otter do its magic. In real-time it will convert audio into text. Moreover, if you would like to only convert some parts of the audio to text, that is possible with this tool as well.

All you need to do is play the audio accordingly and the text will automatically generate itself. The AVI (Ambient Voice Intelligence) of this tool allows it to accurately understand what the audio is saying to transcribe the video. While many do find this tool handy, learning how to use it can be a tiny bit tedious and confusing.

Note: Currently, Otter doesn’t support uploading YouTube video link, you may need to download the YouTube video first and then upload it from desktop.

4. oTranscribe

This online transcription tool is extremely easy and convenient to use - and it is entirely free! All you need to do is head on over to its homepage and drop a link to the YouTube video that you would like to transcribe. Then from there, you can access the video and text all at the same time, without having to switch between videos.

The best part is that you can record and translate text according to your need, cut and miss parts that you do not require. This tool supports all file formats which just adds to convince. The only challenge is that it will only accept videos and translate them into English.

5. Go Transcribe

If you are looking to convert any sort of video format to text, then Go Transcribe might just be the tool that you require. This tool makes use of the latest voice technology to convert videos to text - and gives you the output in the form of an SRT, PDF, or DOC, which are all editable. All you need to do is upload the video in one of the formats below,

• 3PG
• FLV
• AVI
• MOV
• MPG
• MPEG

Then simply click the processing options and your video will be generated into a text file within minutes. However, this software may require a subscription fee.

files. Moreover, the output format is PDF which individuals cannot edit unless they convert the PDF to a TXT file online using different software.

6. Trint

Turn your speech to text through magic - or in other words, through state-of-the-art technology. Trint is an online transcription tool that allows individuals to turn video files into text. People can download and upload numerous video files at once and turn them into text documents.

This is an extremely handy tool to have considering it comes with numerous options such as editing the text, only inducing certain parts of the video in the text, and so much more. This tool only has one shortcoming, it only accepts English language videos.

7. Happy Scribe

If you are wondering how, you will convert YouTube video to text, then we have just the answer for you. Make use of Happy Scribe to automatically transcribe all sorts of audio and video into comprehensive and readable text. You can get numerous features and options in this tool such as advanced grammatical functions as well as timestamps.

If your videos are in different languages, do not worry because Happy Scribe has more than 60 language formats. However, to make use of added features, individuals will need to pay for the tool and upgrade to the pro version.

8. 360Converter

360Converter, as its name suggests is a video to text converter which individuals can use online and offline. All you need to do is download and then upload the YouTube video that you would like to transcribe and the tool will automatically generate the text for you. The supported video formats include 3GP, MP4, MOV, AVI, and many more. This tool uses advanced technology to get accurate language and grammatical transcriptions, so everything is word to word - the exact same as the video. While this tool is extremely user-friendly, many state that it takes a while to process videos to text.

Key Takeaways!

Technology has come a long way which is why we now have numerous options available online to help us convert YouTube videos to text in less than 5-10 minutes. All you have to do is upload the file and let the tool do its magic! You can transcribe in different languages, segments, and so much more now!

KwiCut

Transform Long Videos into Short Ones Instantly

Turn long videos into viral clips. Effortlessly transform lengthy videos into engaging, shareable clips.

Get Started Now

Download For Free

02 Best YouTube Video to Text Converters Online

Part 1: How to Convert YouTube Video to Texts by Copy/Paste YouTube Transcript

When people think “Get the transcript from YouTube” they believe it is going to be a daunting and lengthy procedure. Well, let us tell you that it is certainly not! All you have to do is follow the steps outlined below to transcribe YouTube video to text - that too through the YouTube player itself.

First what you have to do is open YouTube and select any video for which you require the transcript. Once you have selected the video, wait for it to load and then click the three dots located beneath the video, as shown in the image below.

Following that, a menu will appear, just select the “Open Transcript” option and the transcription will open on the top right side of your screen.

Simply select the entire transcript using your mouse, then copy and paste it into a new Word Document or Google Document. If you don’t need the timestamps, you can click the three-dot icon to toggle timestamps off.

By following the steps outlined above, you can convert a YouTube video to text in less than five seconds!

Part 2: Best YouTube Video to Text Converters Online

Aside from the basic method of getting the transcription from YouTube itself, many individuals make use of effective YouTube video to text converter online free. This allows them to get the complete video into text, small parts of the video to text, as well as options to convert the text into multiple languages. Below are some of the best software to convert YouTube video to text online.

1. Inqscribe

This high-quality cross-platform tool allows users to transcribe audio and video files into text . Whether it is a meeting recording or a YouTube video - you can convert them all to text. Making use of this free online software is extremely easy, all one has to do is just upload their file and click the process. Then the system will automatically transcribe the video into a text document for you. The software is uni code so all file formats are supported such as txt, XML, HTML, WebVTT, and more. The only drawback of this online software is that video files that are larger than a certain limit cannot be accepted.

2. Sonix

For individuals who have premium quality audio transcription, a tool by the name of Sonix is the right choice for you. This tool enables users to turn all types of YouTube videos into text. All they have to do is simply download the YouTube video they need to transcribe and then upload it to the online interface. From there, this software uses its comprehensive text reader to convert the video to text. This platform supports more than 40 different language choice inputs and outputs. Users are allowed to transcribe up to five videos for free, then they must pay a subscription fee.

3. Otter

This video-to-text converter works best in real-time. Simply play the audio of a YouTube video and let Otter do its magic. In real-time it will convert audio into text. Moreover, if you would like to only convert some parts of the audio to text, that is possible with this tool as well.

All you need to do is play the audio accordingly and the text will automatically generate itself. The AVI (Ambient Voice Intelligence) of this tool allows it to accurately understand what the audio is saying to transcribe the video. While many do find this tool handy, learning how to use it can be a tiny bit tedious and confusing.

Note: Currently, Otter doesn’t support uploading YouTube video link, you may need to download the YouTube video first and then upload it from desktop.

4. oTranscribe

This online transcription tool is extremely easy and convenient to use - and it is entirely free! All you need to do is head on over to its homepage and drop a link to the YouTube video that you would like to transcribe. Then from there, you can access the video and text all at the same time, without having to switch between videos.

The best part is that you can record and translate text according to your need, cut and miss parts that you do not require. This tool supports all file formats which just adds to convince. The only challenge is that it will only accept videos and translate them into English.

5. Go Transcribe

If you are looking to convert any sort of video format to text, then Go Transcribe might just be the tool that you require. This tool makes use of the latest voice technology to convert videos to text - and gives you the output in the form of an SRT, PDF, or DOC, which are all editable. All you need to do is upload the video in one of the formats below,

• 3PG
• FLV
• AVI
• MOV
• MPG
• MPEG

Then simply click the processing options and your video will be generated into a text file within minutes. However, this software may require a subscription fee.

files. Moreover, the output format is PDF which individuals cannot edit unless they convert the PDF to a TXT file online using different software.

6. Trint

Turn your speech to text through magic - or in other words, through state-of-the-art technology. Trint is an online transcription tool that allows individuals to turn video files into text. People can download and upload numerous video files at once and turn them into text documents.

This is an extremely handy tool to have considering it comes with numerous options such as editing the text, only inducing certain parts of the video in the text, and so much more. This tool only has one shortcoming, it only accepts English language videos.

7. Happy Scribe

If you are wondering how, you will convert YouTube video to text, then we have just the answer for you. Make use of Happy Scribe to automatically transcribe all sorts of audio and video into comprehensive and readable text. You can get numerous features and options in this tool such as advanced grammatical functions as well as timestamps.

If your videos are in different languages, do not worry because Happy Scribe has more than 60 language formats. However, to make use of added features, individuals will need to pay for the tool and upgrade to the pro version.

8. 360Converter

360Converter, as its name suggests is a video to text converter which individuals can use online and offline. All you need to do is download and then upload the YouTube video that you would like to transcribe and the tool will automatically generate the text for you. The supported video formats include 3GP, MP4, MOV, AVI, and many more. This tool uses advanced technology to get accurate language and grammatical transcriptions, so everything is word to word - the exact same as the video. While this tool is extremely user-friendly, many state that it takes a while to process videos to text.

Key Takeaways!

Technology has come a long way which is why we now have numerous options available online to help us convert YouTube videos to text in less than 5-10 minutes. All you have to do is upload the file and let the tool do its magic! You can transcribe in different languages, segments, and so much more now!

KwiCut

Transform Long Videos into Short Ones Instantly

Turn long videos into viral clips. Effortlessly transform lengthy videos into engaging, shareable clips.

Get Started Now

Download For Free

02 Best YouTube Video to Text Converters Online

Part 1: How to Convert YouTube Video to Texts by Copy/Paste YouTube Transcript

When people think “Get the transcript from YouTube” they believe it is going to be a daunting and lengthy procedure. Well, let us tell you that it is certainly not! All you have to do is follow the steps outlined below to transcribe YouTube video to text - that too through the YouTube player itself.

First what you have to do is open YouTube and select any video for which you require the transcript. Once you have selected the video, wait for it to load and then click the three dots located beneath the video, as shown in the image below.

Following that, a menu will appear, just select the “Open Transcript” option and the transcription will open on the top right side of your screen.

Simply select the entire transcript using your mouse, then copy and paste it into a new Word Document or Google Document. If you don’t need the timestamps, you can click the three-dot icon to toggle timestamps off.

By following the steps outlined above, you can convert a YouTube video to text in less than five seconds!

Part 2: Best YouTube Video to Text Converters Online

Aside from the basic method of getting the transcription from YouTube itself, many individuals make use of effective YouTube video to text converter online free. This allows them to get the complete video into text, small parts of the video to text, as well as options to convert the text into multiple languages. Below are some of the best software to convert YouTube video to text online.

1. Inqscribe

This high-quality cross-platform tool allows users to transcribe audio and video files into text . Whether it is a meeting recording or a YouTube video - you can convert them all to text. Making use of this free online software is extremely easy, all one has to do is just upload their file and click the process. Then the system will automatically transcribe the video into a text document for you. The software is uni code so all file formats are supported such as txt, XML, HTML, WebVTT, and more. The only drawback of this online software is that video files that are larger than a certain limit cannot be accepted.

2. Sonix

For individuals who have premium quality audio transcription, a tool by the name of Sonix is the right choice for you. This tool enables users to turn all types of YouTube videos into text. All they have to do is simply download the YouTube video they need to transcribe and then upload it to the online interface. From there, this software uses its comprehensive text reader to convert the video to text. This platform supports more than 40 different language choice inputs and outputs. Users are allowed to transcribe up to five videos for free, then they must pay a subscription fee.

3. Otter

This video-to-text converter works best in real-time. Simply play the audio of a YouTube video and let Otter do its magic. In real-time it will convert audio into text. Moreover, if you would like to only convert some parts of the audio to text, that is possible with this tool as well.

All you need to do is play the audio accordingly and the text will automatically generate itself. The AVI (Ambient Voice Intelligence) of this tool allows it to accurately understand what the audio is saying to transcribe the video. While many do find this tool handy, learning how to use it can be a tiny bit tedious and confusing.

Note: Currently, Otter doesn’t support uploading YouTube video link, you may need to download the YouTube video first and then upload it from desktop.

4. oTranscribe

This online transcription tool is extremely easy and convenient to use - and it is entirely free! All you need to do is head on over to its homepage and drop a link to the YouTube video that you would like to transcribe. Then from there, you can access the video and text all at the same time, without having to switch between videos.

The best part is that you can record and translate text according to your need, cut and miss parts that you do not require. This tool supports all file formats which just adds to convince. The only challenge is that it will only accept videos and translate them into English.

5. Go Transcribe

If you are looking to convert any sort of video format to text, then Go Transcribe might just be the tool that you require. This tool makes use of the latest voice technology to convert videos to text - and gives you the output in the form of an SRT, PDF, or DOC, which are all editable. All you need to do is upload the video in one of the formats below,

• 3PG
• FLV
• AVI
• MOV
• MPG
• MPEG

Then simply click the processing options and your video will be generated into a text file within minutes. However, this software may require a subscription fee.

files. Moreover, the output format is PDF which individuals cannot edit unless they convert the PDF to a TXT file online using different software.

6. Trint

Turn your speech to text through magic - or in other words, through state-of-the-art technology. Trint is an online transcription tool that allows individuals to turn video files into text. People can download and upload numerous video files at once and turn them into text documents.

This is an extremely handy tool to have considering it comes with numerous options such as editing the text, only inducing certain parts of the video in the text, and so much more. This tool only has one shortcoming, it only accepts English language videos.

7. Happy Scribe

If you are wondering how, you will convert YouTube video to text, then we have just the answer for you. Make use of Happy Scribe to automatically transcribe all sorts of audio and video into comprehensive and readable text. You can get numerous features and options in this tool such as advanced grammatical functions as well as timestamps.

If your videos are in different languages, do not worry because Happy Scribe has more than 60 language formats. However, to make use of added features, individuals will need to pay for the tool and upgrade to the pro version.

8. 360Converter

360Converter, as its name suggests is a video to text converter which individuals can use online and offline. All you need to do is download and then upload the YouTube video that you would like to transcribe and the tool will automatically generate the text for you. The supported video formats include 3GP, MP4, MOV, AVI, and many more. This tool uses advanced technology to get accurate language and grammatical transcriptions, so everything is word to word - the exact same as the video. While this tool is extremely user-friendly, many state that it takes a while to process videos to text.

Key Takeaways!

Technology has come a long way which is why we now have numerous options available online to help us convert YouTube videos to text in less than 5-10 minutes. All you have to do is upload the file and let the tool do its magic! You can transcribe in different languages, segments, and so much more now!

KwiCut

Transform Long Videos into Short Ones Instantly

Turn long videos into viral clips. Effortlessly transform lengthy videos into engaging, shareable clips.

Get Started Now

Download For Free

Dissecting YouTube’s Activities Post-Uploading Videos

How Does YouTube Work After a Video Is Uploaded

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

You use YouTube to watch videos, post your own content, and build up a following. That is how YouTube works for you. This article is about how YouTube works technically. There are a lot of steps which occur between you clicking ‘upload’ and a viewer clicking ‘play’. Understanding this process can be useful to YouTubers because it can help shed light on where problems may be occurring when you have issues uploading or watching videos. Generally when there is a problem it is on your end and there are multiple simple things you can do to fix it.

This article will explain what goes on behind the scenes when you upload a video, where that video really goes, and what happens when somebody clicks play.

How Does YouTube Work

1. What Happens When You Upload?

When you upload a video your computer or device packages it into IP packets. Packets are fragments of information containing both data from your video and the address you are sending it to, in this case YouTube. The packets are encoded into radio signals which are sent through a wifi or cellular network. Your video travels through switches and routers on the internet until they reach YouTube’s servers. Your video is then reassembled and stored.

If uploading takes a long time for you it probably has nothing to do with YouTube; there is a lot that needs to happen for your video to even get there. How long the upload process takes depends on a number of factors including how many devices share your internet connection, how strong your wifi signal is, and the age of your router. If your uploads are taking too long consider compressing your videos before you upload them. You can also try uploading from your college campus or public libraries as institutions like these tend to have fast internet speeds.

2. Where is Your Video Stored?

As it is owned by Google YouTube uses Google’s ‘Bigtable’, a compressed data storage system which allows it to store the 500+ hours of video uploaded to its servers every minute. Bigtable is software, though, not hardware. YouTube and Google both have massive amounts of data and it needs to be physically housed somewhere.

Google has Modular Data Centers all over the world where it keeps its servers. These centers could cost as much as $600 million dollars each and consume huge amounts of electricity. There are six of them in the United States, three in Europe, two in Asia, and one is South America.

3. What Happens When Someone Watches Your Video?

When a viewer clicks on your video their computer sends an encoded request through the internet to YouTube’s servers. After YouTube receives the play request it chooses which format to play the video in based on the viewer’s browser. Your video is again turned into packets, which are again sent as radio signals over the internet to your viewer. Your viewer’s computer or device reforms the packets into your video and their browser plays it.

If videos take a long time to load for you then there are a few things you can do to speed them up. First, consider changing the channel of your wifi router. Most people stay on the channel their router was set to when they first got it and so there is a good chance you and your neighbors are all on the same channel. This causes your networks to interfere with each other. You can also delete the temporary files on your computer. Besides helping you stream video faster this will free up storage space. Another thing you can do is make sure there are as few devices connected to your network as possible while you are watching videos. Besides mobile phones and laptops you may have appliances, like coffee machines and refrigerators, which are wifi enabled. Disconnect them temporarily and it will help your videos to load faster.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

You use YouTube to watch videos, post your own content, and build up a following. That is how YouTube works for you. This article is about how YouTube works technically. There are a lot of steps which occur between you clicking ‘upload’ and a viewer clicking ‘play’. Understanding this process can be useful to YouTubers because it can help shed light on where problems may be occurring when you have issues uploading or watching videos. Generally when there is a problem it is on your end and there are multiple simple things you can do to fix it.

This article will explain what goes on behind the scenes when you upload a video, where that video really goes, and what happens when somebody clicks play.

How Does YouTube Work

1. What Happens When You Upload?

When you upload a video your computer or device packages it into IP packets. Packets are fragments of information containing both data from your video and the address you are sending it to, in this case YouTube. The packets are encoded into radio signals which are sent through a wifi or cellular network. Your video travels through switches and routers on the internet until they reach YouTube’s servers. Your video is then reassembled and stored.

If uploading takes a long time for you it probably has nothing to do with YouTube; there is a lot that needs to happen for your video to even get there. How long the upload process takes depends on a number of factors including how many devices share your internet connection, how strong your wifi signal is, and the age of your router. If your uploads are taking too long consider compressing your videos before you upload them. You can also try uploading from your college campus or public libraries as institutions like these tend to have fast internet speeds.

2. Where is Your Video Stored?

As it is owned by Google YouTube uses Google’s ‘Bigtable’, a compressed data storage system which allows it to store the 500+ hours of video uploaded to its servers every minute. Bigtable is software, though, not hardware. YouTube and Google both have massive amounts of data and it needs to be physically housed somewhere.

Google has Modular Data Centers all over the world where it keeps its servers. These centers could cost as much as $600 million dollars each and consume huge amounts of electricity. There are six of them in the United States, three in Europe, two in Asia, and one is South America.

3. What Happens When Someone Watches Your Video?

When a viewer clicks on your video their computer sends an encoded request through the internet to YouTube’s servers. After YouTube receives the play request it chooses which format to play the video in based on the viewer’s browser. Your video is again turned into packets, which are again sent as radio signals over the internet to your viewer. Your viewer’s computer or device reforms the packets into your video and their browser plays it.

If videos take a long time to load for you then there are a few things you can do to speed them up. First, consider changing the channel of your wifi router. Most people stay on the channel their router was set to when they first got it and so there is a good chance you and your neighbors are all on the same channel. This causes your networks to interfere with each other. You can also delete the temporary files on your computer. Besides helping you stream video faster this will free up storage space. Another thing you can do is make sure there are as few devices connected to your network as possible while you are watching videos. Besides mobile phones and laptops you may have appliances, like coffee machines and refrigerators, which are wifi enabled. Disconnect them temporarily and it will help your videos to load faster.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

You use YouTube to watch videos, post your own content, and build up a following. That is how YouTube works for you. This article is about how YouTube works technically. There are a lot of steps which occur between you clicking ‘upload’ and a viewer clicking ‘play’. Understanding this process can be useful to YouTubers because it can help shed light on where problems may be occurring when you have issues uploading or watching videos. Generally when there is a problem it is on your end and there are multiple simple things you can do to fix it.

This article will explain what goes on behind the scenes when you upload a video, where that video really goes, and what happens when somebody clicks play.

How Does YouTube Work

1. What Happens When You Upload?

When you upload a video your computer or device packages it into IP packets. Packets are fragments of information containing both data from your video and the address you are sending it to, in this case YouTube. The packets are encoded into radio signals which are sent through a wifi or cellular network. Your video travels through switches and routers on the internet until they reach YouTube’s servers. Your video is then reassembled and stored.

If uploading takes a long time for you it probably has nothing to do with YouTube; there is a lot that needs to happen for your video to even get there. How long the upload process takes depends on a number of factors including how many devices share your internet connection, how strong your wifi signal is, and the age of your router. If your uploads are taking too long consider compressing your videos before you upload them. You can also try uploading from your college campus or public libraries as institutions like these tend to have fast internet speeds.

2. Where is Your Video Stored?

As it is owned by Google YouTube uses Google’s ‘Bigtable’, a compressed data storage system which allows it to store the 500+ hours of video uploaded to its servers every minute. Bigtable is software, though, not hardware. YouTube and Google both have massive amounts of data and it needs to be physically housed somewhere.

Google has Modular Data Centers all over the world where it keeps its servers. These centers could cost as much as $600 million dollars each and consume huge amounts of electricity. There are six of them in the United States, three in Europe, two in Asia, and one is South America.

3. What Happens When Someone Watches Your Video?

When a viewer clicks on your video their computer sends an encoded request through the internet to YouTube’s servers. After YouTube receives the play request it chooses which format to play the video in based on the viewer’s browser. Your video is again turned into packets, which are again sent as radio signals over the internet to your viewer. Your viewer’s computer or device reforms the packets into your video and their browser plays it.

If videos take a long time to load for you then there are a few things you can do to speed them up. First, consider changing the channel of your wifi router. Most people stay on the channel their router was set to when they first got it and so there is a good chance you and your neighbors are all on the same channel. This causes your networks to interfere with each other. You can also delete the temporary files on your computer. Besides helping you stream video faster this will free up storage space. Another thing you can do is make sure there are as few devices connected to your network as possible while you are watching videos. Besides mobile phones and laptops you may have appliances, like coffee machines and refrigerators, which are wifi enabled. Disconnect them temporarily and it will help your videos to load faster.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

You use YouTube to watch videos, post your own content, and build up a following. That is how YouTube works for you. This article is about how YouTube works technically. There are a lot of steps which occur between you clicking ‘upload’ and a viewer clicking ‘play’. Understanding this process can be useful to YouTubers because it can help shed light on where problems may be occurring when you have issues uploading or watching videos. Generally when there is a problem it is on your end and there are multiple simple things you can do to fix it.

This article will explain what goes on behind the scenes when you upload a video, where that video really goes, and what happens when somebody clicks play.

How Does YouTube Work

1. What Happens When You Upload?

When you upload a video your computer or device packages it into IP packets. Packets are fragments of information containing both data from your video and the address you are sending it to, in this case YouTube. The packets are encoded into radio signals which are sent through a wifi or cellular network. Your video travels through switches and routers on the internet until they reach YouTube’s servers. Your video is then reassembled and stored.

If uploading takes a long time for you it probably has nothing to do with YouTube; there is a lot that needs to happen for your video to even get there. How long the upload process takes depends on a number of factors including how many devices share your internet connection, how strong your wifi signal is, and the age of your router. If your uploads are taking too long consider compressing your videos before you upload them. You can also try uploading from your college campus or public libraries as institutions like these tend to have fast internet speeds.

2. Where is Your Video Stored?

As it is owned by Google YouTube uses Google’s ‘Bigtable’, a compressed data storage system which allows it to store the 500+ hours of video uploaded to its servers every minute. Bigtable is software, though, not hardware. YouTube and Google both have massive amounts of data and it needs to be physically housed somewhere.

Google has Modular Data Centers all over the world where it keeps its servers. These centers could cost as much as $600 million dollars each and consume huge amounts of electricity. There are six of them in the United States, three in Europe, two in Asia, and one is South America.

3. What Happens When Someone Watches Your Video?

When a viewer clicks on your video their computer sends an encoded request through the internet to YouTube’s servers. After YouTube receives the play request it chooses which format to play the video in based on the viewer’s browser. Your video is again turned into packets, which are again sent as radio signals over the internet to your viewer. Your viewer’s computer or device reforms the packets into your video and their browser plays it.

If videos take a long time to load for you then there are a few things you can do to speed them up. First, consider changing the channel of your wifi router. Most people stay on the channel their router was set to when they first got it and so there is a good chance you and your neighbors are all on the same channel. This causes your networks to interfere with each other. You can also delete the temporary files on your computer. Besides helping you stream video faster this will free up storage space. Another thing you can do is make sure there are as few devices connected to your network as possible while you are watching videos. Besides mobile phones and laptops you may have appliances, like coffee machines and refrigerators, which are wifi enabled. Disconnect them temporarily and it will help your videos to load faster.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

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