Long videos often contain a handful of ideas worth keeping and a lot of context that makes them understandable. Holumiq turns an available YouTube caption track into a timestamped transcript, a structured brief, and follow-up chat grounded in that transcript.
Check the video and the limits.
Use a public YouTube video with a usable transcript or caption track. Holumiq needs captions to analyze a video. If YouTube does not provide a usable track, processing stops; it does not download playback audio or make a transcript by listening to the video.
You need to sign in so Holumiq can save the analysis to your private library. Videos can be up to two hours. Successful analyses count against your daily plan allowance; generating the brief and asking questions use AI credits. The current Free plan includes 3 analyses per day and 50 credits per month; Pro includes 15 analyses per day and 500 credits per month.
Choose the flow that fits.
Paste a link on Holumiq.
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Open Holumiq
Visit the homepage and paste the YouTube URL into the link field. - B
Sign in to continue
Choose Sign in to continue. After sign-in, Holumiq uses the pending link to begin the analysis and save it to your account. - C
Follow the progress
The library shows the job as it moves through video preparation, transcript finding, brief writing, and saving. Open the analysis when it’s ready.
Use the Chrome extension.
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Install and connect
Add Holumiq from the Chrome Web Store. On a standard YouTube watch page, select Connect Holumiq and sign in once. - B
Start when ready
When the panel recognizes the video, choose Analyze video. It reads the available captions and displays progress beside the player. - C
Move between views
Use Brief, Transcript, and Chat in the panel. The extension supports standard HTTPS watch pages, not Shorts, embeds, mobile YouTube, or other video sites.
Use the brief as a map.
Start with the overview to get the central idea. Key takeaways make the main points easier to scan; chapter links and timestamps help you return to a section of the video. The transcript gives you the wording and sequence behind the brief.
Use transcript search to find a term, person, or phrase. If a point sounds surprising, open its timestamp in the original video and listen to the surrounding context. A summary can compress an example, qualify a claim too loosely, or miss a turn in the speaker’s argument.
Ask questions the transcript can answer.
Open Chat and ask about a claim, example, or moment in the video. For a more useful answer, ask one concrete question at a time: “What reason does the speaker give for this?” or “Where does the video explain that example?” Holumiq grounds answers in the verified transcript and labels any added explanation.
If the transcript doesn’t contain the answer, treat that as a signal to review the video or consult another source. The model can still make mistakes, so verify consequential details before relying on them.
No captions? Try a different source.
If Holumiq reports that captions are unavailable, check whether the video has captions or a transcript in YouTube. A video without a usable caption track cannot be analyzed. Private or restricted videos may also be inaccessible. Choose a public video you are authorized to process, or use a video with captions.
For an unusually long wait, check the analysis status in your library. If the job fails, the error message can help identify whether the issue was the video, its captions, or a temporary processing problem.
Keep the argument.
Find the moment.
Try a video with captions, then use the transcript to check what the brief leaves out.