ReadTube is a productivity tool that turns YouTube subscriptions into a personal newsletter, providing readable summaries and articles for every video so you can consume ideas without the algorithmic pull of the feed.
What is ReadTube?
ReadTube converts YouTube and Bilibili video subscriptions into a triaged inbox of readable content. You paste a video, channel, or playlist URL, and it fetches the transcript, generates a one-line headline, a short paragraph summary, and a full narrative article that reads like a long-form piece. The product is built by an independent developer and is source available under the Elastic License 2.0 on GitHub. A cloud-hosted beta runs at read.tube.
Key Features
- Inbox-style triage — Your subscriptions become folders (Inbox, Unread, Starred, Read Later, Archived) with the same muscle memory as email. Each entry shows channel, time ago, and reading time.
- Two summaries plus a full article — A single-line headline for scanning, a paragraph for skimming, then a full narrative rewrite that turns a 20-minute video into a 5-minute read.
- Language translation in-place — Switch between English, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish; the entire summary and article are regenerated by the same model, not a separate machine-translation pass.
- Semantic search — Search across all your saved videos by meaning, not just keywords. Results include excerpted text from the articles.
- Timestamped notes and highlights — Pin notes alongside the article text, linked to the exact point in the video. Your annotations live in your personal library, searchable across your archive.
- Source available for self-hosting — You can run the full product on your own infrastructure with your own AI provider keys at no cost.
Who is it for?
- Curious readers who subscribe to thoughtful creators (interviews, lectures, tech talks, essays) and want to consume them without autoplay, recommendations, or shorts.
- Researchers and lifelong learners who want to build a searchable, annotatable personal archive of video ideas — with up to 2,000 video transcriptions per month on the Scholar plan.
- Bilingual readers who prefer to read in their native language; the built-in translation lets you read the same article in English, Chinese, Japanese, or Spanish.
What can you do with ReadTube?
- Replace your YouTube feed with a newsletter inbox — Add channels and playlists; every new video appears as a readable entry. Star what matters, archive the rest.
- Read while commuting or in quiet environments — A 20-minute talk becomes a 5-minute read you can skim, highlight, and return to later.
- Build a personal knowledge base — Use semantic search to retrieve any idea you’ve saved. Notes and highlights are timestamped and searchable across every channel you follow.
How does ReadTube work?
- Paste a supported URL (YouTube video, channel, or playlist; Bilibili video or channel). 2. ReadTube fetches the public transcript and generates a one-line summary, a paragraph, and a full article using an AI model. 3. The video is added to your inbox; you can read, star, archive, or annotate it. No account setup is required on YouTube or Bilibili.
Pricing
ReadTube is free and source available for self-hosting. The cloud version at read.tube is free during the beta period with upcoming paid tiers: Curator ($10/month, 7-day free trial, 500 video transcriptions/month, 30 channels, 1,000 saved videos) and Scholar ($30/month, 2,000 video transcriptions/month, 100 channels, 10,000 saved videos). Use the free Reader tier to self-host with unlimited videos.
FAQ
