> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://jonathandutoit.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Video Epub Creator for Backchat
- URL: https://jonathandutoit.com/video-epub-book-for-backchat/
- Published: 2026-10-16T09:53:45.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-17T00:45:57.000Z
- Description: joins a video's caption lines into paragraphs and chapters, and saves them as an EPUB: plays video while you read, highlight and write in the margins.
- Author: Jonathan
- Tags: Apps

Video Bookfor Backchat

[Open Backchat](https://backchat.jonathandutoit.com/?ref=jonathandutoit.com) 

1Video 

YouTube link 

A watch link, a youtu.be link or the video's embed code. The title and channel fill in from YouTube.

2Book details 

Title from YouTube 

Author from YouTube 

Series 

Number 

With a series, the book is titled Series - Title - (Number).

3Transcript 

Paste the transcript or drop a caption file on the box 

Open a file 

How to copy a transcript from YouTube 

1. Open the video in a browser on a computer. The YouTube phone app has no way to copy a transcript.
2. In the description under the video, choose Show transcript.
3. Check that every line shows its time. If the times are hidden, turn them on in the transcript panel's menu.
4. Drag from the first time to the last line to select the whole transcript, then copy it.
5. Paste it into the box above.

Caption files work too: .srt, .vtt and .sbv files from YouTube Studio, yt-dlp or a captioning service.

Chapters optional 

Chapter list from the video's description 

One chapter per line, with its start time. With no list, chapter titles found in the transcript are used; without those, a chapter starts every 10 minutes and is named after its opening words.

Options 

Paragraph length 

70 words

Caption lines join until a paragraph reaches about this many words, then it ends at the next full stop. Shorter paragraphs give you more places to start the video.

Language 

The language the video is spoken in, as a code such as en, de or pt-BR.

Everything happens on this page. Your transcript is never uploaded. The page asks YouTube only for the video's title and picture, and keeps your draft in this browser until you clear it.

Video Book , made by [Jonathan du Toit](https://jonathandutoit.com/).

Paste a transcript to begin.

Build EPUB Clear 

Download again Share [Open Backchat](https://backchat.jonathandutoit.com/?ref=jonathandutoit.com) 

## Paste a transcript and the book takes shape here.

Video Book joins a video's caption lines into paragraphs and chapters, and saves them as an EPUB. In Backchat every paragraph keeps its time: tap one and the video plays from there while you read, highlight and write in the margins.

### 1\. A book that borrows a video

0:00

This isn't an embedded video you can mark up. It's a book that borrows a video, and the dependency only runs one way.

0:14

If the video disappears, the text, the times, and every highlight and margin note are still there. Only playback stops.

0:27

You own the words you marked up; we are just renting the audio.

0:33

Backchat is never about ownership of the source material: we have limited time on this earth, and at most, we will watch a video a few times.

0:46

Backchat puts the ownership in the durable asset: the margins, the marks, the value we extracted. That is what is supposed to last.

A page from a finished book, with one line marked the way you would in Backchat. Tap a time there and the video plays from that moment.

## No timestamps found yet.

Every caption line needs its time in front of it, such as 0:00, 1:02:15 or 00:01:02,500.

Copied from YouTube with the times hidden? Turn them on in the transcript panel's menu, copy the transcript again and paste it over this one.

## 

CaptionsParagraphsChapters

0:00

Contents 

Rename any chapter here and the book uses your title. Empty a title to bring back the original.

### Preview