YouTube Wisdom Extraction

Overview

Extract meaningful insights, key learnings, and actionable wisdom from YouTube videos. This skill handles the complete workflow: downloading transcripts using yt-dlp (no video files), parsing subtitle data, performing comprehensive analysis, and saving results to organised markdown files.

When to Use This Skill

Activate this skill when users request:

• Analysis or summary of YouTube video content
• Extraction of key insights or learnings from videos
• Identification of notable quotes or important statements
• Structured breakdown of video content
• Actionable takeaways from educational or informational videos

Workflow

Step 1: Download Transcript

Execute the download script to fetch only the transcript (no video file):

bash ~/.claude/skills/youtube-wisdom/scripts/download_video.sh <youtube-url>

The script will:

• Extract the video ID from the URL
• Create directory structure: ~/Downloads/videos/<video-id>/
• Download English subtitles or auto-generated transcripts (no video file)
• Convert subtitle JSON3 format to clean text files
• Save transcript to the video ID directory

Note: The script uses Firefox cookies to handle age-restricted or login-required videos.

Step 2: Locate and Read Transcript

The script outputs the location of the transcript. Read the transcript file from the video ID directory:

# The transcript will be at:
~/Downloads/videos/<video-id>/<video-title>.en.txt

Read the transcript file to analyse content. Transcripts are cleaned and formatted as continuous text with minimal whitespace.

Step 3: Analyse and Extract Wisdom

Perform comprehensive analysis on the transcript, extracting:

1. Key Insights & Takeaways

• Identify the main ideas, core concepts, and central arguments
• Extract fundamental learnings and important revelations
• Highlight expert advice, best practices, or recommendations
• Note any surprising or counterintuitive information

2. Notable Quotes

• Extract memorable, impactful, or particularly well-articulated statements
• Include context for each quote when relevant
• Focus on quotes that encapsulate key ideas or provide unique perspectives
• Preserve the original wording exactly as spoken

3. Structured Summary

• Create hierarchical organisation of content
• Break down into logical sections or themes
• Provide clear section headings that reflect content structure
• Include high-level overview followed by detailed breakdowns
• Note any important examples, case studies, or demonstrations

4. Actionable Takeaways

• List specific, concrete actions viewers can implement
• Frame as clear, executable steps
• Prioritise practical advice over theoretical concepts
• Include any tools, resources, or techniques mentioned
• Distinguish between immediate actions and longer-term strategies

Step 4: Write Analysis to Markdown File

Write the complete analysis to a markdown file in the video's directory:

File location: ~/Downloads/videos/<video-id>/analysis.md

Format the analysis using this structure:

# Video Analysis: [Video Title]

**Video URL:** [YouTube URL]
**Analysis Date:** [Current date in YYYY-MM-DD]

## Summary
[Brief 2-3 sentence overview of the video's main topic and purpose]

## Key Insights
- [Insight 1 with supporting detail]
- [Insight 2 with supporting detail]
- [Insight 3 with supporting detail]
- etc..

## Notable Quotes (Only add this if there are notable quotes / statements)
> "[Quote 1]"

Context: [Brief context if needed]

> "[Quote 2]"

Context: [Brief context if needed]

## Structured Breakdown
### [Section 1 Title]
[Content summary]

### [Section 2 Title]
[Content summary]

## Actionable Takeaways
1. [Specific action item 1]
2. [Specific action item 2]
3. [Specific action item 3]

## Additional Resources
[Any tools, links, or references mentioned in the video]

After writing the analysis file, inform the user of the location:

• Transcript location: ~/Downloads/videos/<video-id>/<title>.en.txt
• Analysis location: ~/Downloads/videos/<video-id>/analysis.md

Additional Capabilities

Multiple Video Analysis

When analysing multiple videos:

• Process each video sequentially using the workflow above
• Each video gets its own directory by video ID
• Create comparative analysis highlighting common themes or contrasting viewpoints
• Synthesise insights across multiple sources in a separate summary file

Time-Stamped Analysis

If timestamps are needed:

• Note that basic transcripts don't preserve timestamps
• Can reference general flow (beginning, middle, end) of content
• For precise timestamps, may need to cross-reference with the actual video

Topic-Specific Focus

When user requests focused analysis on specific topics:

• Search transcript for relevant keywords and themes
• Extract only content related to specified topics
• Provide concentrated analysis on areas of interest

Tips

• Don't had new lines between items in a list
• Avoid marketing speak or fluff
• Always use Australian English spelling
• Do not use em-dashes or smart quotes
• Only use *bold where emphasis is truly needed
• Ensure clarity and conciseness in summaries and takeaways

Resources

scripts/

• download_video.sh: Bash script that downloads YouTube transcripts (no video files) using yt-dlp with optimised settings. Organises files by video ID in ~/Downloads/videos/<video-id>/.