Frequently asked questions
Everything you might want to know.
Is it free?
Yes. You can generate transcripts and summaries for free, no account required. Subscribing to channels needs a free account.
What languages are supported?
Any language the video or podcast is in. We keep both the transcript and the summary in the original language.
What if a YouTube video has no captions?
Then we can't summarize it — for YouTube we read the existing captions, we don't transcribe the audio. Podcasts are different: there's no caption to depend on, so we transcribe the audio directly, which is why podcasts always work.
Do I need an account?
Not for one-off summaries — that's anonymous. You only need a (free) account to subscribe to channels and receive summaries by email.
What are channel subscriptions?
Subscribe to a YouTube channel and Essently automatically summarizes each new video, then emails it to you — instantly, or as a daily or weekly digest. It's a way to keep up with channels without watching everything.
Can I summarize podcasts?
Yes. Paste a podcast episode link — Apple Podcasts, RSS, or Spotify — and you get the same summary and full transcript page as a video. Because we transcribe the audio, a podcast episode takes a few minutes rather than the seconds a YouTube video takes. Automatic podcast subscriptions (following a show) are still on the way; one-off podcast summaries work today.
Is Essently affiliated with YouTube?
No. Essently is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by YouTube.