First: is the text a track or is it pixels?
YouTube captions are usually a separate track. If your video has one, you do not need any of this — disable the track in YouTube Studio or strip it with ffmpeg and the picture is untouched.
The text this tool handles is the kind that cannot be switched off: titles added in the editor, lower thirds from your NLE, a channel handle burned into the corner, sponsor callouts rendered into the frame.
- Soft subtitles (SRT/VTT track): remove with any editor, free, instant
- Burned-in titles and lower thirds: this tool
- YouTube’s own overlay UI: never in the file, nothing to remove
Working from the source file, not the download
Downloading your own video back from YouTube gives you a re-encoded copy at a lower bitrate. Removing text from that copy works, but you inherit the compression artefacts before you start.
Export the original from your editor if you still have the project. The cleaner the source, the cleaner the reconstruction — fine detail behind the text is the first thing compression destroys.
Re-cutting for Shorts
A 16:9 video cropped to 9:16 loses most of its width, which is exactly where lower thirds usually live — so many creators find the text is gone after the crop and nothing needs removing.
The case that does need this tool is a centre-frame title or a caption band that survives the crop. Select it, process, then reframe.
Frequently asked questions
Can I remove text from someone else’s YouTube video?+
No. Removing a watermark or handle from another creator’s video to repost it is copyright infringement and violates YouTube’s terms. Only process footage you own or have a licence to edit.
Does it remove YouTube’s subscribe button or player UI?+
There is nothing to remove — the player UI is drawn by YouTube at playback time and is not part of the file.
What about the timestamps and chapter titles?+
Chapters live in the description, not the video. If a timestamp is burned into the picture itself, select it manually and it is treated like any other text.
Can I process a 4K source?+
Input up to 2K is accepted; output is capped at 1080p. For 4K sources, downscale first or contact us about the API for batch work.