Can ChatGPT transcribe a video?

ChatGPT can transcribe a TikTok, Instagram Reel or YouTube video from its link when you connect TokScript to it. TokScript works from video links, not uploaded video files. Pasting a link into ChatGPT by itself doesn't reliably give it the spoken words, so the TokScript connector pulls the transcript and brings it into your chat.

One thing to know if you're holding a video file rather than a link: TokScript doesn't transcribe uploaded files.

Last updated: October 2026

What ChatGPT can and cannot do on its own

To ChatGPT, a TikTok or YouTube link is just an address. Without a tool that fetches what was said, it can't reliably tell you the words spoken in the video. TokScript is that tool. You paste the link, TokScript returns the transcript, and ChatGPT works from the real text instead of the page title or a guess.

How to transcribe a video in ChatGPT

1. Create a free account at tokscript.com. No card is needed.
2. In ChatGPT, open Settings, then Apps. Under Advanced settings, turn on Developer mode.
3. Go back to Apps, choose Create app, name it TokScript and paste this address: https://api.tokscript.com/mcp
4. Log in with your TokScript account and allow access.
5. Open a new chat, paste a video link and ask: "Transcribe this video."
6. Keep going in the same chat: ask for a summary, the key points, or a rewrite.

ChatGPT changes where these settings live depending on your plan and version. The current screens are in How to Connect TokScript to ChatGPT and on the TokScript for ChatGPT page. Example prompts for single and bulk transcripts are in How to Transcribe a Video Using Claude or ChatGPT.

Is it free?

TokScript's side is free to start. A free account gives you 5 transcripts a day through the connector, the same limit as on the website, and the count resets every 24 hours. Paid plans have no daily limit and cost $10 a month or $39 a year. ChatGPT decides which of its plans allow custom apps, so check your ChatGPT settings. More on plans: Is TokScript free?

Does it work for Instagram Reels and YouTube videos?

Yes, it works for all of them. Paste a TikTok, Instagram Reel, YouTube Short or full-length YouTube link and ChatGPT gets the transcript through TokScript. There's no cap on video length on any plan.

Does it work in Codex?

TokScript works in Codex too, with the same address and the same TokScript login. For Claude, see Can Claude transcribe video?. The full list is in Which AI assistants work with TokScript?.

Can ChatGPT transcribe several videos at once?

With a paid plan, yes. Paste up to 50 links in one message, and they can come from different platforms. For a whole TikTok collection or a creator's profile, ask for the link and TokScript pulls up to 3,000 videos from it. Profile pulls need a paid plan.

How do I turn the transcript into a script?

Ask for it in the same chat. Something like: "Use this transcript to write a new script on the same topic, with a stronger first line." Each transcript is saved in your TokScript library too, so you can bring it into a later chat. On a paid plan, TokScript's Viral Script Writer and Viral Hook Generator on the website work from the same saved transcripts.