transcribe-video
Extract transcript or subtitles from a local video file. Use this skill whenever the user asks to transcribe a video, extract speech-to-text, get subtitles, or wants a text version of what's said in a video. Also trigger on "提取字幕", "视频转文字", "语音转文字", "transcribe", "extract audio text", or when the user references getting a script/transcript from any video file (mp4, mkv, mov, avi, webm). This skill is for LOCAL video files — for YouTube or other online URLs, use the download-video skill first to get the file, then transcribe it.
- Installs
- 235
- Last 24h
- —
- Trending rank
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- Security
- Not audited
Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/feiskyer/video-skills --skill transcribe-video- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads transcribe-video automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Transcribe Video
Extract transcript text from a local video file. The skill checks for embedded subtitles first (faster and more accurate), and only falls back to API-based speech recognition if none are found.
Step 1: Identify the video file
Confirm the video file path with the user. Supported formats: mp4, mkv, mov, avi, webm, and any format ffmpeg can handle.
Step 2: Check for embedded subtitles
ffprobe -v quiet -select_streams s -show_entries stream=index,codec_name:stream_tags=language,title -of json "<video_path>"
- If subtitle streams exist → go to Step 3a (extract embedded subtitles)
- If no subtitle streams → go to Step 3b (API transcription)
Step 3a: Extract embedded subtitles
If multiple subtitle tracks exist, prefer the one matching the video's primary language or ask the user which track to use.
# Extract as SRT (stream index 0 for first subtitle track; adjust if needed)
ffmpeg -i "<video_path>" -map 0:s:0 -c:s srt "<output_path>.srt" -y
After extraction, convert SRT to clean text:
- Remove sequence numbers
- Remove timestamp lines (lines matching
\d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2}) - Remove HTML-like tags (
<i>,</i>, etc.) - Join remaining non-empty lines
Save the clean transcript to <video_name>.txt next to the video file. Done — skip Step 3b.
Step 3b: API-based transcription
Use the bundled transcription script. It reads credentials from ~/.transcribe_video.env.
Prerequisites check
-
Verify the env file exists:
test -f ~/.transcribe_video.env && echo "OK" || echo "MISSING" -
If MISSING, tell the user to create
~/.transcribe_video.envwith:OPENAI_API_KEY=your-key-here # Optional Base URL: # OPENAI_API_BASE=https://<base-url>/v1/ # Optional Model Name: # TRANSCRIBE_MODEL=gpt-4o-transcribeWait for the user to confirm before proceeding.
-
Verify dependencies:
python3 -c "from openai import OpenAI; from dotenv import load_dotenv; print('OK')" 2>&1If missing:
pip install openai python-dotenv
Run transcription
python3 <skill_directory>/scripts/transcribe.py "<video_path>"
The script extracts audio (WAV, 16kHz mono), sends it to the API, and saves the transcript to <video_name>.txt next to the video file.
Step 4: Report results
Tell the user:
- Where the transcript file was saved
- How many lines / approximate word count
- Whether it came from embedded subtitles or API transcription
- Display the first few lines as a preview
FAQ
What does the transcribe-video skill do?
Extract transcript or subtitles from a local video file. Use this skill whenever the user asks to transcribe a video, extract speech-to-text, get subtitles, or wants a text version of what's said in a video. Also trigger on "提取字幕", "视频转文字", "语音转文字", "transcribe", "extract audio text", or when the user references getting a script/transcript from any video file (mp4, mkv, mov, avi, webm). This skill is for LOCAL video files — for YouTube or other online URLs, use the download-video skill first to get the file, then transcribe it.
How do I install transcribe-video?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/feiskyer/video-skills --skill transcribe-video in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/transcribe-video/ (personal) or .claude/skills/transcribe-video/ (project).
Which AI agents can use transcribe-video?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is transcribe-video safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains transcribe-video?
It is published by feiskyer in feiskyer/video-skills. It has 235 recorded installs.
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