For an all-in-one browser solution: Use HoverNotes. It's a Chrome extension that uses AI to take notes with timestamped screenshots from any video website (YouTube, Udemy, local files) and saves them as Markdown files directly to your Obsidian vault. It captures visual context, not just transcripts.
For a native in-Obsidian experience: Use Media Extended. It's the most powerful community plugin for embedding and controlling local or web videos directly inside your notes, with timestamping and screenshot features.
For simple YouTube transcripts: Use YTranscript. It's a lightweight plugin that pulls a video's full text transcript into your note with one command.
For a simple timestamp hotkey: Use Obsidian Timestamp Notes. It provides a fast, keyboard-driven way to add clickable timestamps while watching a video in a side pane.
Taking notes from video is tedious. You constantly pause, play, and struggle to capture what's on screen. This breaks focus and leads to poor retention. A good Obsidian video workflow connects your notes directly to the video, turning passive watching into active learning. This guide covers the best tools to do just that, from native plugins to browser extensions that integrate with your vault.
HoverNotes is a Chrome extension that watches videos with you, generates AI notes, and saves them as Markdown directly to your file system. It’s built for learners who need to capture not just what’s said, but what’s shown on screen. Unlike tools that only parse transcripts, HoverNotes watches the video frame-by-frame, capturing on-screen code, diagrams, and demonstrations. This makes it a solid option for anyone learning from technical tutorials, university lectures, or online courses on platforms like YouTube, Udemy, and Coursera.
Its main strength is its local-first integration with Obsidian. As you watch a video, HoverNotes generates timestamped notes and saves them directly to your vault as plain Markdown (.md) files. You own your notes completely—no cloud sync or proprietary formats. They're just files on your machine, ready to be linked and searched within your vault.
The workflow is practical. A "Focus Mode" puts the video on one side and your notes on the other, blocking site ads so you can concentrate. The most useful feature is the timestamped screenshot—click any screenshot in your notes to jump back to that exact moment in the video. This saves a massive amount of time you'd otherwise spend scrubbing through timelines.
For developers, the "snip capture" lets you grab just a specific region of the screen, like a code block or a diagram, instead of the whole frame. It also supports multi-language AI notes, so you can watch a tutorial in Japanese and get notes in English. Setup is a one-time process; you can find instructions on their site to learn more about HoverNotes and its Obsidian integration.
Pros:
Captures Visuals: "Watches" the video to capture code, diagrams, and slides that transcripts miss.
Direct Obsidian Integration: Saves notes as plain Markdown files directly to your local vault. Your notes belong to you.
Timestamped Screenshots: Every screenshot includes a clickable timestamp—one click returns you to that exact moment.
Works Anywhere: Use it on YouTube, Udemy, Coursera, university portals, and even with local video files.
Cons:
Browser-Based: It's a Chrome extension, so it's for desktop workflows, not mobile.
Requires Setup: You need to do a one-time setup to connect the extension to your local file system.
AI Isn't Perfect: Like any AI, it can sometimes miss context or make small errors, but you can always edit the notes manually.
There’s a free plan that gives you the manual note-taking editor, timestamped screenshots, and distraction-free mode. You also get 20 minutes of free AI credits on signup, no credit card needed.
#2. Obsidian Community Plugins Directory (official)
The safest place to find any obsidian video plugin is the official Community Plugins directory inside the Obsidian app. This is the central, vetted marketplace for all community-built extensions. It's the first place you should look for tools like Media Extended or YTranscript because it ensures you get stable, verified versions.
The main benefit is seamless integration. From Obsidian's settings, you can search for, read about, and install plugins with a single click. There's no need to manually download files from GitHub or worry about compatibility. This direct pipeline is a core strength of Obsidian’s ecosystem and is fundamental to building a robust setup. You can learn more about using Obsidian for personal knowledge management and how plugins enable powerful workflows.
How to Access: Go to Settings > Community plugins. You'll need to turn off "Safe Mode" once to enable community plugins.
How to Search: Use keywords like "video," "transcript," "YouTube," or "timestamp" to find relevant tools.
Safety: Plugins in the official directory go through a review by the Obsidian team, providing a layer of security you don't get from manually installing from unknown sources.
Documentation: Each plugin listing links directly to its GitHub repository, where you can find detailed instructions and report issues.
The only downside is that brand new or experimental plugins might not be listed immediately. But for most users, the official directory is the only source you'll need.
Media Extended is the go-to native obsidian video plugin if you want to work with video and audio files directly inside your notes. It's a mature plugin that handles playback, timestamping, and even transcript integration for both local and web-based media. It's a solid choice for students and researchers who want to keep their entire workflow contained within Obsidian.
The plugin’s strength is its deep integration. You can embed a YouTube video or a local lecture file and create precise, clickable timestamps that jump to the exact moment you're referencing. This solves the painful problem of constantly switching between a video player and your notes, which kills focus. For a detailed guide on using such tools, you can read more about taking effective video notes in Obsidian.
Universal Playback: Embed and play videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Bilibili, or local files on your computer.
Clickable Timestamps: Use a hotkey to insert a timestamped link. Clicking it jumps the embedded player to that exact moment.
Screenshot Capture: Grab a frame from the video and embed it directly in your notes, with a timestamp link back to the source. This is great for capturing diagrams or key slides.
Transcript Integration: Load a subtitle file (SRT/VTT) and click on any line of the transcript to jump the video to that point.
The feature set is powerful, but it has a steeper learning curve than simpler plugins. Some users also report occasional playback issues with YouTube due to API changes. Still, for a deep, native video note-taking workflow, Media Extended is the most powerful option available.
While the official directory is for installation, Obsidian Stats is a useful third-party site for research. It's like an analytics dashboard for the plugin ecosystem. When you're deciding between different obsidian video plugin options, this site gives you at-a-glance metrics on community adoption, maintenance activity, and popularity.
The site’s value is its data. Instead of just reading a plugin's description, you can see hard numbers like total downloads and when it was last updated. This is a quick way to avoid installing an abandoned plugin or to choose the most stable, widely-used tool for your needs. It consolidates key decision-making data in one place.
Key Metrics: Shows download counts, GitHub stars, and the last update date for every plugin, helping you spot popular and actively maintained tools.
Sorting and Filtering: You can sort plugins by downloads or update recency to bring the most relevant tools to the top.
Direct Links: Each listing links to the plugin's official page and GitHub repository. Use this site for comparison, then click through to GitHub for detailed documentation.
Discovery: Use it to find new plugins. Searching for "video" might surface emerging tools with a promising growth trajectory.
Just remember, this is an unofficial, external site. Use it for discovery, but always perform the actual installation through the official in-app Community Plugins directory for security.
If you just want the text from a YouTube video, YTranscript is a lightweight and efficient solution. This obsidian video plugin does one thing: it pulls the full transcript from a YouTube video directly into your notes. Instead of embedding a media player, it inserts text with clickable timestamps, making video content instantly searchable within your knowledge base. It's for when you need to know what was said but don't need to see how it looked.
YTranscript's main advantage is its simplicity. With a single command, you can paste a YouTube URL and get a fully timestamped transcript in your active note. This is great for reviewing lectures or interviews where the spoken content is key. By turning audio into text, it makes knowledge from videos as easy to link and search as any other note. You can learn more about how to transcribe a YouTube video and the different methods available.
Simple Command: Paste a YouTube URL, select it, and run the "YouTube Transcript: Insert Transcript" command.
Clickable Timestamps: Every line is preceded by a timestamp (e.g., [00:01:23]). Clicking it opens the video in your browser at that exact moment.
Text-First: This is perfect for creating a searchable archive. You can use Obsidian’s search and backlinking features on the transcript itself.
Source Quality: The transcript's accuracy depends on YouTube's captions. Human-reviewed captions provide better results than auto-generated ones.
The main limitation is its focus on transcripts; you get no video playback or screenshot capabilities inside Obsidian. For those needing higher accuracy, some of the top AI-powered transcription software tools offer better results for a wider range of media.
Obsidian Timestamp Notes is a minimalist plugin for people who want a fast, hotkey-driven workflow for taking timed notes. This obsidian video plugin focuses on one task: letting you watch a video and quickly insert clickable timestamps without taking your hands off the keyboard. It provides an embedded video player that sits next to your notes, creating an integrated learning space.
This plugin is great for logging key moments in lectures or tutorials. It supports YouTube, Vimeo, and local video files. The workflow is built around keyboard shortcuts, allowing you to play, pause, and drop a timestamp with a simple key combination, which helps you stay focused. To make your notes even more precise, learning how to take clips from a YouTube video can be a useful related skill.
Integrated Player: Open a video from a URL or local file, and it appears in a side pane next to your note.
Hotkey-Driven: Use keyboard commands to control playback and insert a pre-formatted, clickable timestamp directly into your note.
Platform Support: Works with YouTube, Vimeo, Twitch, and local video files.
Customizable Templates: You can define the exact format for your timestamps, giving you control over how they appear in your Markdown.
The downside is its focused nature; it doesn't handle screenshots or subtitles like more comprehensive plugins. But if you just need a quick, no-fuss way to timestamp video content, its simplicity is its biggest strength.
Readwise Reader offers a comprehensive, end-to-end solution for capturing knowledge from many sources. While it's more than just an obsidian video plugin, this paid service is excellent at processing YouTube content. It generates transcripts, lets you highlight key passages, and then seamlessly exports everything into your Obsidian vault. It acts as a "read-it-later" app that handles video just as well as articles and PDFs.
The main benefit of Readwise Reader is its integrated pipeline. You save a YouTube video to your queue, the service processes it, and you get a clean transcript. You can highlight parts of the transcript as you watch, and these highlights are automatically collected. The official Readwise Obsidian plugin then syncs these highlights directly to your vault. If you value automated workflows, you can explore how AI streamlines video note-taking in more detail.
Integrated Workflow: Save a YouTube video, get a transcript, highlight it, and have everything sync automatically to Obsidian.
Official Plugin: The official Readwise plugin for Obsidian is robust and highly configurable, letting you customize how your video notes are formatted.
Unified Library: Consolidates videos, articles, ebooks, and tweets into a single inbox for all your learning content.
AI Features: Includes an AI tool called Ghostreader that can summarize content or answer questions about it.
The main drawback is the subscription cost. It's a significant investment if you only need a simple timestamping tool. However, for those already in the Readwise ecosystem, it provides a polished bridge between online video and your local knowledge base.
The best obsidian video plugin or workflow depends on your learning habits. The goal is to find a tool that helps you focus and remember more, not one that gets in your way.
To find your fit, ask yourself:
Where do I watch videos? If you're mostly using local files, a native plugin like Media Extended is a great choice. If you learn from many different websites (YouTube, Udemy, university portals), a browser extension offers more flexibility.
What information do I need? If you just need searchable text, YTranscript is efficient. If you're learning to code or studying diagrams, visual context is critical, and you'll need a tool that can capture timestamped screenshots.
Do I prefer manual or automated notes? Some people learn best by typing everything themselves, and a tool like Obsidian Timestamp Notes supports that. Others prefer to let AI handle the note-taking so they can focus on understanding the concepts.
For most students and self-learners today, learning happens across many platforms. You might watch a lecture on a university portal, a tutorial on YouTube, and a course on Udemy in the same week. A native Obsidian plugin can't follow you to all those places.
This is where a browser-based tool like HoverNotes fits in. It works on any website with a video. Because it "watches" the video instead of just reading a transcript, it can capture the code snippets and diagrams that other tools miss. Most importantly, it saves your notes as standard Markdown files directly to your Obsidian vault. You get the convenience of a browser extension with the local-first security of Obsidian. Your notes belong to you.
Ultimately, the right tool is one that makes learning from video less of a chore. Choose one, try it for a week, and see if it helps you build a more connected and useful knowledge base.
If your learning spans multiple platforms and you need to capture visual context like code and diagrams, HoverNotes connects your browser to your vault. It works on any video site and saves notes as Markdown files directly to Obsidian. You can try HoverNotes for free with 20 minutes of AI credits to see if its workflow fits your study habits.
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