What happens if a video has transcripts disabled?

If automated extraction fails via both Nix and yt-dlp fallbacks, the skill will ask you to manually paste the transcript text to proceed with the summary.

Does it support non-English videos?

Yes, the skill will attempt to extract the transcript and provide the summary in English, noting the original language if it differs.

Can I customize the length of the summary?

Yes, you can use the --brief flag for a short summary of key takeaways or the --bullets flag for a concise list of points without prose.

Where are the summaries saved?

Summaries are displayed in the chat by default. If you agree to save it, the skill creates a Markdown file in ~/.dotfiles/.claude/notes/ with organized metadata.

Does this skill require a YouTube API key?

No, it uses the youtube-transcript-api via a Nix-shell or yt-dlp, which allows it to fetch transcripts for public videos without requiring an official API key.

YouTube Video Summarizer

Name: YouTube Video Summarizer
Author: peterstorm

bypeterstorm

0•

Productivity & Workflow

Extracts and summarizes YouTube transcripts to provide concise notes, key takeaways, and structured section breakdowns.

This skill empowers Claude to process YouTube content directly from a URL, saving users hours of viewing time. It automatically fetches transcripts using lightweight, ephemeral Nix environments and generates high-quality summaries with customizable formats like brief overviews, timestamped breakdowns, or bulleted lists. Designed for researchers, students, and professionals, it can also automatically archive these summaries as Markdown notes within a local project directory for long-term knowledge management and quick reference.

Key Features

010 GitHub stars

02Automated transcript extraction using ephemeral Nix environments

03Integrated note-saving functionality with automated file naming and YAML frontmatter

04Flexible output modes including detailed, brief, and bullet-only formats

05Intelligent fallback mechanism using yt-dlp if primary extraction fails

06Optional timestamp integration for easy navigation back to the video source

Use Cases

01Knowledge Management: Automatically save structured summaries of industry talks directly into your local notes folder.

02Content Curation: Extract key quotes and resources mentioned in podcasts or interviews for newsletters or blog posts.

03Rapid Research: Get core concepts from long tutorials or lectures without watching them in full.

What are Skills?·How to Install

Install with 🐟 Skill.Fish

npx skillfish add peterstorm/.dotfiles yt-summary

For use in Claude.ai and ChatGPT