Can One Transcript Tool Take Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok Links?
Not this one. XAPN accepts a public Instagram /reel/ or /reels/ link for browser transcription. Its current audio endpoint rejects YouTube and TikTok URL shapes before it tries to fetch media. Use a tool that explicitly supports those platforms for their links; changing only the URL field here will not turn XAPN into a three-platform service.
Our live URL checks
On October 6, 2026, we queried XAPN's live public guide API with three URL shapes. The Instagram input was the public example already present on the homepage. The YouTube and TikTok strings were test shapes, not claims that those particular videos exist. The API reported valid_public_reel_url: true for the Instagram Reel and false for each other platform. That field checks the URL pattern; it does not check video availability or provide a transcript.
| Submitted URL shape | Pattern result | Audio request |
|---|---|---|
Instagram /reels/ | true | Not part of this three-shape endpoint comparison |
YouTube /watch | false | HTTP 400 |
TikTok /@.../video/ | false | HTTP 400 |
We also sent the two non-Instagram shapes to the live POST /audio endpoint. Both were rejected with HTTP 400 and the exact message Paste a public Instagram Reel link. No YouTube or TikTok media was downloaded, and no speech model ran for those requests. The Instagram example's successful browser transcription is recorded separately in our automation-boundary test; the table above does not present that as a simultaneous controlled comparison.
Why a shared link field is not enough
Transcription needs two separate steps: retrieve usable audio, then recognize speech. The site's current service code limits its audio retrieval route to Instagram Reel URL patterns. Its browser then decodes the returned audio and runs an English speech model locally. A YouTube or TikTok link never reaches that browser recognition stage here. A service can advertise many platforms only if it has a working retrieval path for each; the presence of a text box or a general-purpose speech model alone does not establish that.
Scope: this is a test of XAPN's current accepted link forms, not a ranking of other services. We did not test a real YouTube or TikTok transcription, and we did not check whether any third-party tool falls back to native captions.
Choose the right next step
- Public Instagram Reel: paste its complete link into XAPN. Wait for visible words before copying or downloading them.
- YouTube or TikTok: use a service that explicitly lists that platform and states whether it reads captions or recognizes audio. Verify its actual output with a video you are allowed to use.
- No native captions: ask whether the chosen service transcribes the audio itself. Caption extraction and speech recognition are different methods.
If a Reel link is accepted but still produces no words, use the failure-stage guide. URL acceptance alone does not promise reachable audio or accurate English recognition. For the separate question of subtitles, see how the tool handles a Reel without relying on native captions.
Platform links are not interchangeable just because they contain video. XAPN's Instagram to text path is specifically for one accepted Instagram Reel URL. Use a platform-specific workflow for YouTube or TikTok links.