How I Use AI + YouTube Transcripts to Generate Blog Content

I write 2-3 blog posts per week. People ask how I keep up the pace without burning out.

The answer: I don't write from scratch. I start with YouTube transcripts.

Here's my full workflow, including the exact AI prompts I use.

Why Transcripts Are the Best Starting Material

YouTube is the world's second-largest search engine. Millions of experts share knowledge on camera every day. That knowledge is trapped in video format - you can't search it, skim it, or copy-paste from it.

Unless you extract the transcript.

I use ScripTube (scriptube.me) to grab transcripts from any YouTube video. Paste the URL, get clean text in seconds. What used to take me 20 minutes of manual copying now takes 3 seconds.

The Workflow

Step 1: Topic Research on YouTube

I search my target keyword on YouTube. I look for videos with:

• High view counts (proven demand)
• Good engagement (comments, likes)
• Expert creators (not just aggregators)

I pick 2-3 videos that cover different angles of the same topic.

Step 2: Extract Transcripts

I run each URL through ScripTube and save the transcripts in a working doc. For a typical blog post, I'm working with 15-30 pages of raw transcript text from multiple sources.

Step 3: AI-Assisted Outline

I feed the transcripts to ChatGPT with this prompt:

I have transcripts from 3 YouTube videos on [TOPIC].
Read all three and create a comprehensive blog post outline that:
1. Synthesizes the best insights from all sources
2. Identifies where they agree and disagree
3. Suggests sections I should expand with my own research
4. Proposes an engaging title and subtitle

The key word is 'synthesizes.' I'm not rewriting one video - I'm combining multiple expert perspectives.

Step 4: AI-Assisted First Draft

With the outline approved, I go section by section:

Using the outline above and the transcript material,
write section 2: [SECTION TITLE].

Requirements:
- Use insights from the transcripts as a foundation
- Add transitional sentences between ideas
- Keep a conversational but authoritative tone
- Include a specific example or analogy
- 200-300 words

Step 5: The Human Pass

This is non-negotiable. The AI draft is maybe 70% there. My editing pass adds:

• My own opinions and hot takes. AI doesn't have opinions.
• Personal anecdotes. AI can't write these.
• Fact-checking. AI confidently states things that are wrong.
• Voice and personality. I rewrite sentences that sound generic.
• Additional research. Stats, links, and context the transcripts didn't cover.

The Numbers

Ethical Considerations

Some people ask: 'Isn't this just copying?'

No. Here's why:

1. I use multiple sources, not one
2. I add original analysis and opinion
3. I credit and link to original videos
4. The final product is a different format for a different audience
5. I'm doing what every journalist and researcher does - synthesizing sources

The Tools

• ScripTube (scriptube.me) - transcript extraction
• ChatGPT / Claude - AI assistance
• Google Docs - editing
• Grammarly - final polish

Total cost: $20/month (ChatGPT subscription). Everything else is free.

Tips for Better Results

1. Always use multiple video sources. Single-source posts feel thin.
2. Don't skip the human editing pass. AI-only content is detectable and mediocre.
3. Let the AI handle structure, you handle substance.
4. Verify everything. Transcripts have ASR errors. AI hallucinates. Trust but verify.

This workflow has turned content creation from my biggest bottleneck into my most scalable process. Give it a try.

What's your content creation workflow? I'd love to hear how others approach this.