How to Transcribe Facebook Live Videos: Complete Guide
Facebook doesn't provide a built-in way to download transcripts of Live videos. The platform generates automatic captions for accessibility, but those captions are embedded in the video player—you can't export them as a text file for editing, searching, or content repurposing.
To get a transcript you can actually use, you need to download your Facebook Live video and run it through an external transcription service. This guide walks through the complete process.
Quick Navigation
- Why Transcribe Facebook Live Videos?
- Step 1: Download Your Facebook Live Video
- Step 2: Choose a Transcription Method
- Step 3: Upload and Transcribe
- Step 4: Edit and Format Your Transcript
- Use Cases for Facebook Live Transcripts
- Troubleshooting Common Issues
- FAQ
Why Transcribe Facebook Live Videos?
Facebook Live is a powerful content creation tool, but the value of that content is locked in video format. Transcription unlocks several opportunities:
Content Repurposing
- Turn Live sessions into blog posts and articles
- Extract quotes for social media content
- Create email newsletter content from key points
- Build SEO-friendly text content from video
Accessibility
- Provide text alternatives for hearing-impaired viewers
- Enable content consumption in sound-off environments
- Support non-native speakers with readable text
Searchability
- Make Live content searchable within your archives
- Find specific moments without watching entire videos
- Create indexed content for internal knowledge bases
Documentation
- Record Q&A sessions for reference
- Document product announcements and updates
- Archive training sessions and tutorials
Step 1: Download Your Facebook Live Video
Before you can transcribe, you need the video file. Here's how to download from different scenarios:
From Your Own Facebook Page (Creator)
- Go to your Facebook Page and find the Live video you want to transcribe
- Click on the video to open it in the video player
- Click the three-dot menu (⋯) in the top right corner of the video
- Select "Download video" from the dropdown menu
- The video downloads as an MP4 file to your default download location
Note: Only Page admins and the original creator can download Live videos this way.
From Your Personal Profile
- Navigate to your profile and find the Live video in your posts
- Click the video to open the full-screen player
- Click the three dots in the top right
- Select "Download" to save the MP4 file
From Facebook Creator Studio
If you manage content through Creator Studio:
- Open Creator Studio (business.facebook.com/creatorstudio)
- Go to Content Library → Videos
- Find your Live video in the list
- Click the three dots next to the video
- Select "Download" to save the file
Video You Don't Own
For videos posted by others:
- Public videos: Some browsers extensions can download public videos, but respect copyright
- Request from creator: Ask the original creator to share the video file
- Permission required: Don't transcribe others' content without permission
Step 2: Choose a Transcription Method
Once you have the MP4 file, you have several transcription options:
Option A: AI Transcription Service (Recommended)
Best for: Speed, cost-effectiveness, multiple speakers
Upload your video to an AI transcription service like BrassTranscripts:
| Feature | BrassTranscripts |
|---|---|
| Processing time | 1-3 minutes per hour |
| Cost | $2.50 (under 15 min) / $6.00 (15-120 min) |
| Speaker identification | ✅ Included |
| Output formats | TXT, SRT, VTT, JSON |
| Languages | 99+ supported |
Pros:
- Fast turnaround (minutes, not hours)
- Automatic speaker identification
- Cost-effective for most video lengths
- Multiple output formats included
Cons:
- Accuracy depends on audio quality
- May struggle with heavy accents or background noise
- Technical terminology may need review
Option B: Manual Transcription
Best for: Perfect accuracy requirements, complex audio
Transcribe the video yourself by listening and typing:
Pros:
- 100% accuracy (if done carefully)
- Full control over formatting
- No third-party data sharing
Cons:
- Extremely time-consuming (4-6 hours per hour of video)
- Requires good typing skills
- Easy to introduce errors from fatigue
Option C: Human Transcription Service
Best for: Legal/medical content, certification requirements
Send to a professional human transcription service:
Pros:
- High accuracy (typically 99%+)
- Human judgment for context and nuance
- Certification available for legal use
Cons:
- Expensive ($1-3 per minute)
- Slow turnaround (24-72 hours typical)
- Still requires review for technical content
Decision Matrix
| Your Situation | Best Option |
|---|---|
| Quick blog post from Live Q&A | AI transcription |
| Legal deposition or testimony | Human transcription |
| Internal meeting notes | AI transcription |
| Perfect accuracy required | Manual or human |
| Budget-conscious project | AI transcription |
| Multilingual content | AI transcription (check language support) |
Step 3: Upload and Transcribe
Using BrassTranscripts as an example (the process is similar for other services):
3.1 Prepare Your File
Check file format: BrassTranscripts accepts MP4, which is what Facebook provides. No conversion needed.
Check file size: Maximum 250MB. Most Facebook Live videos under 2 hours fit within this limit.
Check duration: Maximum 2 hours per file. For longer Lives, you may need to split the video.
3.2 Upload the Video
- Go to brasstranscripts.com
- Drag and drop your MP4 file onto the upload area, or click to browse
- Wait for upload to complete (progress bar shows status)
3.3 Review the Preview
Before payment, you'll see:
- 30-word preview of the transcription
- Detected language (automatic detection)
- Number of speakers identified
- Estimated processing time
This preview helps verify the service is working correctly with your audio before you commit.
3.4 Complete Transcription
- Confirm the preview looks correct
- Complete payment ($2.50 or $6.00 depending on length)
- Wait for processing (typically 1-3 minutes per hour of video)
- Download your files in all four formats (TXT, SRT, VTT, JSON)
3.5 Download Immediately
Important: BrassTranscripts deletes transcripts after 48 hours. Download all formats immediately after processing completes.
Step 4: Edit and Format Your Transcript
Raw AI transcripts need some cleanup before use. Here's a systematic approach:
First Pass: Quick Corrections
Listen to the video at 1.5x speed while reading the transcript. Fix:
- Obvious errors: Misheard words, wrong names
- Speaker labels: Correct any misattributed sections
- Timestamps: Verify key moments are accurately timed (for SRT/VTT)
Second Pass: Formatting
Depending on your use case:
For Blog Posts:
- Remove filler words ("um," "uh," "you know")
- Break into paragraphs by topic
- Add headers for major sections
- Remove off-topic tangents
For Subtitles (SRT/VTT):
- Verify reading speed (typically 15-20 characters per second max)
- Check line breaks happen at natural pauses
- Ensure timing syncs with speech
For Documentation:
- Keep verbatim for accuracy
- Add speaker identifications clearly
- Include timestamps for reference
- Note any [inaudible] sections
Third Pass: Final Review
Read through once more without the video playing:
- Does it make sense as standalone text?
- Are technical terms spelled correctly?
- Are names and proper nouns accurate?
- Is formatting consistent throughout?
Use Cases for Facebook Live Transcripts
Content Repurposing Pipeline
Transform a single Live video into multiple content pieces:
- Blog Post: Edit transcript into article format with headers
- Social Clips: Extract compelling quotes for social media
- Email Content: Summarize key points for newsletter
- Podcast Show Notes: Format for audio audience
- SEO Pages: Create search-optimized content from Q&A
For AI-assisted content transformation, see our Podcast Content Repurposing Prompts.
Accessibility Compliance
Many organizations need accessible video content:
- ADA Compliance: Provide text alternatives for video
- Educational Standards: Meet accessibility requirements for learning content
- Corporate Policies: Internal accessibility standards
Upload the SRT or VTT file to Facebook to add accurate captions to your video (better than Facebook's auto-generated ones).
Search and Archive
Make your Live video library searchable:
- Transcribe all Live videos in your archive
- Store transcripts in a searchable system (Google Drive, Notion, internal wiki)
- Tag by topic for easy retrieval
- Link transcripts to original videos
Now you can find that product announcement from 2024 by searching text instead of scrubbing through hours of video.
Training and Documentation
Use Live transcripts for organizational knowledge:
- Training Materials: Create written guides from training Lives
- Product Documentation: Extract feature explanations
- FAQ Content: Build FAQ pages from Q&A sessions
- Onboarding Resources: Document institutional knowledge
Troubleshooting Common Issues
"I can't download my Facebook Live video"
Possible causes:
- You're not the creator or page admin
- Facebook has disabled downloads for the video
- The video is still processing (try again later)
Solutions:
- Check your admin permissions
- Try downloading from Creator Studio instead
- Contact Facebook support if the option is missing
"The transcript has many errors"
Possible causes:
- Poor audio quality in the original Live
- Heavy background noise
- Multiple people talking simultaneously
- Strong accents or unclear speech
Solutions:
- Accept that AI accuracy depends on audio quality
- Manual correction of critical sections
- Consider human transcription for important content
- Improve audio setup for future Lives
"Speaker labels are wrong"
Possible causes:
- Similar voice characteristics between speakers
- Speakers interrupting each other
- Audio quality issues
Solutions:
- Manually correct speaker labels in the transcript
- Use the JSON format which includes speaker segments you can edit
- For future Lives, have speakers introduce themselves clearly
"The transcript stops partway through"
Possible causes:
- File upload interrupted
- File exceeds maximum duration (2 hours)
- Corrupted video file
Solutions:
- Re-upload the file
- Split long videos into segments
- Re-download the video from Facebook
"My video file is too large"
If over 250MB:
- Compress the video using HandBrake or similar tool
- Split into shorter segments
- Extract audio only (MP3 is smaller than MP4)
FAQ
Can I transcribe Facebook Reels the same way?
Yes, the process is identical. Download the Reel video file and upload it to a transcription service. The shorter length means lower cost (usually minimum tier pricing).
How accurate is AI transcription for Facebook Live?
Accuracy depends primarily on audio quality. Clear audio with minimal background noise typically produces good results. Lives recorded in noisy environments or with poor microphones will have more errors requiring manual correction.
Can I add the transcript back to Facebook as captions?
Yes. Download the SRT file, then:
- Go to your video on Facebook
- Click Edit Video
- Select Captions/Subtitles
- Upload your SRT file
- Save changes
Your video will now have accurate captions instead of Facebook's auto-generated ones.
How long should I keep my transcripts?
That depends on your use case:
- Content repurposing: Keep until content is published
- Documentation: Keep as long as the information is relevant
- Legal/compliance: Follow your organization's retention policies
- Personal archive: Keep indefinitely if storage allows
What if my Live has copyrighted music?
Transcription only captures speech, not music. However, if background music obscures speech, transcription quality will suffer. For future Lives, avoid copyrighted music during speaking segments.
Ready to transcribe your Facebook Live? Upload your video and get a speaker-labeled transcript in minutes. No account required—just upload, pay, and download.
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