Best app to take notes while watching YouTube lectures

If you’ve ever paused a YouTube lecture to scribble down notes, only to lose track of where you left off, you know the struggle. NotedCut is built to solve exactly this problem—making video note-taking seamless, accurate, and tailored for students, educators, and lifelong learners.

This guide explains why NotedCut is the best app to take notes while watching YouTube lectures and how to maximize its features.

Why this matters

YouTube has become the go-to platform for educational content—whether it’s university lectures, coding tutorials, or conference recordings. The problem: traditional note-taking tools don’t sync with the video timeline. That means wasted time hunting for the right moment later.

NotedCut eliminates this by letting you:

• Capture notes in real time synced to timestamps.
• Organize lectures by subject, course, or playlist.
• Export notes into CSV, JSON, or Markdown for study or sharing.
• Search across notes and timestamps instantly.

The result? You spend less time rewinding and more time learning.

Prerequisites

• An iPhone or iPad running iOS 15 or later.
• The NotedCut app, available on the App Store.

Optional but helpful:

• A set of headphones for focused listening.
• A stylus or external keyboard if you prefer fast typing.

Step-by-step workflow

Here’s how you can take effective notes during a YouTube lecture with NotedCut:

1. Add the lecture video - Tap the “+” button in NotedCut. - Choose YouTube URL and paste the link to your lecture.

2. Start playback inside the app - Videos load directly in NotedCut’s player. - You don’t have to bounce between apps.

3. Take a note in real time - As you type, NotedCut automatically anchors your note to the exact timestamp in the lecture. - Example: typing “Key formula: E = mc^2” at 12:43 saves the note at 12:43.

4. Organize by subject - Assign the video to a category like Physics 101. - Create tags such as exam-prep or lab-notes.

5. Review later - Tap any note to jump back to that part of the lecture. - Export notes to Markdown for editing in apps like Obsidian or Notion.

6. Share with classmates - Export as CSV or JSON to collaborate on group projects.

Example:

[12:43] Key formula: E = mc^2
[21:10] Instructor mentions exam tip: focus on derivation
[34:02] Example problem solution walkthrough

Pro tips

• Use short bullet notes instead of full sentences—faster to type, easier to scan.
• Add #keywords inline for quick filtering later.
• Pair with timestamp hotkeys for lightning-fast note drops (Related: Timestamp Hotkeys).

Common mistakes and fixes

• Issue: Notes feel messy or disorganized.

- Fix: Use consistent categories (e.g., “Chemistry” vs. “CHEM 101”).

• Issue: Forgetting to save notes before exiting.

- Fix: NotedCut auto-saves, but get in the habit of reviewing your session before closing.

• Issue: Export formatting looks cluttered.

- Fix: Choose Markdown export for cleaner formatting in study apps.

Related reading

• Related: Timestamp Hotkeys
• Related: Mastering YouTube on iPad

FAQ

Q: Can I use NotedCut for offline videos? A: Yes, you can import from your camera roll or files app for offline note-taking.

Q: Does NotedCut work with long lectures (1+ hours)? A: Absolutely. Notes scale easily with video length, and you can export for better review.

Q: Can I search across all my lectures? A: Yes, the deep search feature lets you find any note across your entire library by keyword or tag.

Q: How is this different from just writing notes in Apple Notes? A: Apple Notes doesn’t link text to timestamps. With NotedCut, one tap takes you back to the exact lecture moment.

Q: Can I collaborate with classmates? A: Yes, export to CSV or JSON and share—it’s easy to merge notes for group study.

Summary

NotedCut transforms YouTube lecture viewing from a passive experience into an active learning process. By tying notes to timestamps, offering flexible exports, and supporting deep organization, it solves one of the biggest study frustrations: losing time finding key moments later.

Download NotedCut today, set up your first lecture, and start building smarter, searchable notes that make studying efficient and stress-free.