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Video to notes: turn a lecture video into structured notes

Upload a lecture recording or paste a YouTube link. Scholarly transcribes what is said and writes notes with a section for each topic, key terms, examples and a study guide at the end.

Turn a video into notesUse a YouTube link

Free to start · No credit card needed

Rather watch than read? Turn it into a video lecture

Structured notes in Scholarly with headings, key terms and a formula

Quick answer

How do I turn a video into notes?

Add the video to Scholarly as a file or a YouTube link, choose Summary, and press Create. Scholarly reads the transcript, plans a section for every topic, and returns typeset notes, usually in 5 to 11 minutes.

  • Video files: MP4, MOV, M4V, AVI, MKV and WebM, up to 8 MB on Free, 300 MB on Premium and 1 GB on Laureate.
  • YouTube links: Captions are used when the video has them. When it has none, Scholarly tries to transcribe the audio.
  • Cost: One AI Creation Credit on Auto. Free includes 1 credit and 1 upload for the life of the account.

Updated November 2026

How it works

How to convert a video to notes

  1. 01

    Add the video

    Upload a recording or paste a YouTube link. Scholarly transcribes the speech and keeps the video in your library.

  2. 02

    Choose Summary

    Summary is Scholarly's name for the notes document. Pick the output language, add instructions such as a page count, and press Create.

  3. 03

    Study from the notes

    Read the notes in Scholarly and share them by link. Paid plans can download or print the PDF.

What you get

What the notes contain

A section for every topic

Scholarly lists the topics in the video before it writes, then gives each one a section in the order the lecture teaches them.

Terms, examples and formulas

Key terms are marked where they are defined. Worked examples, tables, formulas and step lists appear where the lecture uses them.

A closing study guide

A review checklist, usually 4 to 8 questions with model answers, and 2 or 3 practice prompts.

Written from the transcript

The notes are written from the video's transcript. A transcript can mishear a name or a number, so check the ones you plan to quote.

Try it

Upload a lecture video

Upload your video

Choose an MP4, MOV or WebM recording, or drag and drop it here. You will be asked to create a free account first.

Your files are securely processed by Scholarly's advanced AI.

On Free, an uploaded file can be up to 8 MB, which is a short clip. A full lecture recording needs Premium or Laureate. A YouTube link has no file to upload, so it works on every plan: paste it into YouTube to Notes.

After the notes

Turn the same video into a lecture, a podcast or flashcards

From the same video you can make a narrated video lecture, a podcast to listen to, or flashcards to test yourself. A video lecture is about 2 minutes on Free and targets up to 45 minutes on paid plans. For the short version, use the AI video summarizer.

FAQ

Video to notes questions

Which video files can I upload?

MP4, MOV, M4V, AVI, MKV and WebM, including a class recording you downloaded from Zoom. The file has to fit your plan: 8 MB on Free, 300 MB on Premium and 1 GB on Laureate.

Is video to notes free?

It is free to start. Free includes 1 upload and 1 AI Creation Credit for the life of the account, which covers one set of notes from one video. A YouTube link counts as the upload. Premium includes 15 AI Creation Credits each week and unlimited uploads.

Can I convert a YouTube video to notes?

Yes. Paste the link and Scholarly uses the video's captions. With no captions, it tries to transcribe the audio, which can take a few minutes. A playlist link imports only its first video.

How long can the video be?

Uploads are limited by file size, not by minutes. The notes scale with the material: Scholarly aims for about 1,200 to 3,000 words for a short or single-topic video, and 4,000 to 8,000 for long material such as a lecture series.

Does it read the slides shown in the video?

No. Scholarly works from the spoken words, not the picture. If the slides carry detail the speaker never says aloud, add the slide file as a second source. Premium combines up to 10 sources in one AI Creation and Laureate 20.

How are notes different from a summary or a transcript?

A transcript is every word that was said. A summary is a few paragraphs on the main ideas. Notes keep the structure of the lecture, define its terms and end with questions, so you can study without watching again.

Can I download or share the notes?

Paid plans can download or print the notes as a PDF. On Free you read them in Scholarly and share a view link. Anyone who opens a share link needs a free Scholarly account.

Which languages does it support?

An uploaded video is transcribed in the language that is spoken. For the notes, leave the language on Auto to follow the video or choose one of 70+ output languages and regional variants.

Pricing

Start with one video

Free includes 1 upload and 1 AI Creation Credit. Premium adds 15 AI Creation Credits each week, unlimited uploads and files up to 300 MB.

Turn a video into notes
Sample lecture

What one video lecture gets

Free makes a lecture of about 2 minutes in 720p with the Scholarly logo, to watch in Scholarly. Premium and Laureate make lectures up to 45 minutes in 1080p that you can download as an MP4, with the logo off if you choose.

Pricing shown in USD by default. Local currency may be available in app or at checkout.

Compare plans

Image creation · Beta

Shared across Image Studio and chat. Separate from AI Creation Credits. Free images are lifetime and do not reset. Paid allowances reset weekly without rollover. Limits may change during beta.

Free
2 lifetime
Premium
40/week
Laureate
80/week

AI chat

Premium and Laureate include unlimited AI chat on Auto. Chat starts on Best, and premium models such as GPT 6.1 Sol, Claude Sonnet 5.5, and Claude Opus 5.5 draw on a weekly premium usage allowance; when it runs out, chat keeps going on Auto until it resets. Chat never spends AI Creation Credits.

Free
3 total
Premium
Unlimited
Laureate
Unlimited

Premium chat models (Best)

Chat answers on Best, the strongest model, by default. Premium models draw on a weekly allowance that resets every Monday at 00:00 UTC; long threads, large files, background tasks, and Claude Opus 5.5 use it faster. When it runs out, chat keeps going on Auto until the reset.

Free
Not included
Premium
Weekly usage
Laureate
4× weekly usage

AI Creation Credits

AI Creation Credits cover videos, slides, documents, and other AI creations. Most models use 1 credit, a few use 2, and Frontier models use 2, 3, or 4. Image Studio and chat images have a separate weekly allowance.

Free
1 total
Premium
15/week
Laureate
80/week

Podcast length

Free episodes are about 2 minutes. Paid plans can set a target length up to 60 minutes.

Free
About 2 minutes
Premium
Up to 60 minutes
Laureate
Up to 60 minutes

Video lecture length

Free lectures with a length control are about 2 minutes. Paid plans can set a target up to 45 minutes. Short uses its own short video format.

Free
About 2 minutes
Premium
Up to 45 minutes
Laureate
Up to 45 minutes

Video lecture resolution

Free
720p
Premium
1080p
Laureate
1080p

Download lectures as MP4

Free
-
Premium
Included
Laureate
Included

Scholarly logo on lectures

Free
Always on
Premium
Your choice
Laureate
Your choice

File uploads

Free
1 total (8MB)
Premium
Unlimited (300MB)
Laureate
Unlimited (1 GB each)

PDF to flashcards

Free
32 pages
Premium
1000 pages
Laureate
3000 pages

Sources per creation

Free
Up to 1
Premium
Up to 10
Laureate
Up to 20

Practice questions

Free
5 total
Premium
Unlimited
Laureate
Unlimited

Practice exams

Free
1 total
Premium
Unlimited
Laureate
Unlimited

Voice mode

Free
5 min total
Premium
2 hr/day
Laureate
12 hr/day

Autocomplete

Free
500 words total
Premium
Unlimited
Laureate
Unlimited

Export to Anki

Free
-
Premium
Included
Laureate
Included

Support

Free
Standard
Premium
Priority
Laureate
Priority

What customers say

Scholarly has enhanced the quality of notes and questions I administer to my tutees. Insightful, to the point.

TD Georgas

TD Georgas

Tutor

I have very good experience with Scholarly it summarize me scientific text in hovel academic level with citation. I use this for any therapeutic area . It is great and useful tool.

Diana

Diana

Scholarly user

Scholarly has been a valuable tool for my studies. The AI-generated flashcards and intuitive features make organizing and retaining information much easier.

Briana

Briana

Scholarly user

This app is great for studying for big test. Drop your PDF's in the system and it'll do the trick. You can organize it specifically for your needs.

Kelvin

Kelvin

Scholarly user

Your questions, answered

Is Scholarly free to use?

Yes! The free plan includes core study tools with lifetime allowances: 3 AI Chat messages, 500 autocomplete words, 5 quiz questions, 5 voice minutes, 1 practice exam, one free AI Creation Credit total, and 1 file upload. These allowances do not reset. Image Studio and chat also share 2 lifetime images during beta; this separate Free allowance does not reset and may change. Upgrade to Premium for 15 AI Creation Credits per week and unlimited uploads.

What uses my free AI Creation Credits?

AI Creation Credits are shared across flashcards, podcasts, videos, slides, AI Documents, Deep Research, and the Transcribe tool. The selected model determines the credit cost. Recording a meeting does not use an AI Creation Credit. Transcript and notes are included, up to 10 hours on paid plans.

Can I cancel anytime?

Absolutely. There are no contracts or commitments. You can cancel your subscription at any time from your account settings, and you'll keep access until the end of your billing period.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept all major credit and debit cards through Stripe. Pricing is displayed in USD by default, but local currency is available in the app.

Can I use Scholarly with a class or school?

Yes. For a school or organization-wide rollout, contact us at hello@scholarly.so and we'll help you find the right setup.

What happens when I hit a free plan limit?

You'll see a prompt to upgrade. Your existing work is never lost - limits only apply to new actions. Most Free allowances are lifetime limits. The separate beta image allowance includes 2 lifetime images on Free with no reset, 40 per week on Premium, and 80 per week on Laureate. Limits may change during beta. Premium includes 15 AI Creation Credits per week, podcasts up to 60 minutes, video lectures up to 45 minutes, unlimited uploads, chat, autocomplete, quizzes, and exams, plus more daily voice time.