A research assistant for long podcasts and lectures
Long-form interviews are some of the best primary sources online, and some of the hardest to use. Finding the one moment you need can take an hour of scrubbing.
This workflow lets you ask the video directly. Every answer cites the exact second, and if the video doesn't cover something, it says so instead of guessing.
Uses the free YouTube to AI Chat skill · No coding needed
What you'll end up with
- Answers grounded only in the transcript
- Timestamp citations you can click and verify
- Exact quotes ready for your notes
- A clear "the video doesn't cover that" when it doesn't
How to do it
- 1
Paste the video link
Podcasts, interviews, lectures, and panels all work, even several hours long.
- 2
Ask specific questions
"What evidence do they give for X?" works better than "summarize this".
- 3
Verify the key moments
Click the timestamps to watch the exact moments before you cite them.
- 4
Export your notes
Ask for the best quotes with timestamps, ready to paste into your notes.
Copy-paste prompts
What evidence do they give for that claim? Quote it with timestamps: [link]
Where do they disagree with each other? Give timestamps for both sides.
List every study or book they mention, with the timestamp.
Replace [link] with your YouTube URL.
Tips
- Ask "what would a skeptic push back on?" to find the weakest claims.
- Build a chat page and share it with co-authors.
- Answers come from captions, so double-check names and numbers against the video.
Time and cost
Minutes per question.
Get the YouTube to AI Chat skill
Chat with any YouTube video. Every answer links to the exact second. Type this into Claude Code:
/plugin install youtube-to-ai-chat --marketplace tstfully/youtube-to-ai-chat
FAQ
Can I cite the answers?+
Cite the video, using the timestamps the answer gives you. Always watch the moment yourself first.
Does it work in other languages?+
Yes. Ask in your language about videos in 100+ languages.
More ideas
A quote bank for social posts
Ask earnings calls and investor talks anything
An exam study guide from a lecture series