# BrainTube
> Your YouTube library, in the AI tools you already use. Save once. Query anywhere. BrainTube compiles what you watch and read — YouTube, podcasts, articles, PDFs, EPUBs, meetings — into a knowledge base you can ask your AI about over MCP from Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and other MCP clients, or query through a REST API. Your AI can also save what it finds back into it.

## Core pages
- [Library chat: ask what you saved | BrainTube](https://brain-tube.com/features/library-chat): Ask BrainTube's own chat about the videos, podcasts, articles and PDFs you saved. Answers cite your sources, and a video citation plays from the moment it came from.
- [Briefing and Recall: your library comes back to you | BrainTube](https://brain-tube.com/features/briefing): BrainTube's Briefing page brings your library back each day: a daily brief from your saves, the cards due for FSRS spaced-repetition review and this week's saves.
- [Knowledge Map: see your library by topic | BrainTube](https://brain-tube.com/features/knowledge-map): BrainTube's Knowledge Map lays out everything you saved by topic: each save is a point, related saves are joined by lines, and the most central ones are labeled.
- [AI Podcast: turn your saves into a two-host episode | BrainTube](https://brain-tube.com/features/ai-podcast): Pick 1 to 5 of your BrainTube saves and get a two-host audio episode about them: five modes, three lengths, 19 credits an episode.
- [Home](https://brain-tube.com/): What BrainTube is, who it's for, and how the memory layer works.
- [Use Cases](https://brain-tube.com/use-cases): Five ways people use BrainTube — founders, learners, researchers, creators, students.
- [Search your YouTube and podcast saves](https://brain-tube.com/use-case/search-your-youtube-and-podcast-saves): Find the moment in a saved video or episode by meaning, with a link to the timestamp.
- [Pricing](https://brain-tube.com/pricing): Free, Starter and Pro tiers, monthly or annual. Saving one item at a time is free; Free includes 1 playlist import a month (up to 5 videos); AI extras cost credits at the same rate on every plan. Questions to your library are included up to a daily allowance (50 a day on Free) and MCP/API searches up to a monthly allowance (1,000 a month on Free), then credits apply.
- [About](https://brain-tube.com/about): The founder's story behind BrainTube and our vision.
- [Demo](https://brain-tube.com/demo): How BrainTube turns a 2-hour podcast into searchable knowledge.

## Developers and MCP
- [Connect (MCP)](https://brain-tube.com/connect): Set up the BrainTube MCP server so an AI client can read your knowledge base and save into it. One-click OAuth (authorization code with PKCE and dynamic client registration) at https://mcp.brain-tube.com/mcp, or a `bt_` API key. Available on every plan, including Free.
- [Connect (MCP, markdown)](https://brain-tube.com/connect.md): Machine-readable MCP setup guide for AI agents.
- [Developers](https://brain-tube.com/developers): MCP server, `bt_` API keys, and an unversioned HTTP interface with an OpenAPI spec. No SDK yet.
- [How to remember what you watch and read](https://brain-tube.com/guide/remember-what-you-watch-and-read): Trackers log titles; to remember what a video, podcast or article said, save its transcript or text. Six apps compared (BrainTube, Recall, Readwise Reader, NotebookLM, Obsidian, trackers).
- [How to search everything you've watched on YouTube](https://brain-tube.com/guide/search-everything-youve-watched-on-youtube): YouTube history search matches titles; Google Takeout exports the full list; transcript search needs the videos saved. BrainTube does not read watch history; it imports playlists and Liked videos.
- [AI memory for YouTube and podcasts](https://brain-tube.com/guide/ai-memory-for-youtube-and-podcasts): Built-in AI memory keeps facts about you, not transcripts; save videos and episodes into a transcript library your AI reaches over MCP.
- [MCP setup guide](https://brain-tube.com/guide/give-your-ai-memory-mcp): How to give Claude long-term memory over MCP: setup for Claude.ai, Claude Code, Claude Desktop and Cursor, where ChatGPT stands, and a comparison of six MCP memory servers.
- MCP capability: 40 tools for every account, 10 of them write-capable (including `ingest_content`, `bulk_ingest`, `add_note`, `tag_item`, `toggle_bookmark`, Notion and Readwise ingest). A session loads 12 by default (search, read and save, plus `braintube_find_tools` and `braintube_run_tool` for the other read-only tools); add `?tools=full` to the endpoint (`https://mcp.brain-tube.com/mcp?tools=full`) to load all 40. Every tool runs on the Free plan with no tier gate: saving is free; searches and reads are free up to 1,000 a month on Free (then 1 credit each), chat up to 50 a day (then 2 credits), and other AI actions use credits.
- REST API: `bt_` keys on every plan, write-capable.

## Learn — AI memory and MCP vocabulary
- [BrainHub](https://brain-tube.com/hub): AI memory explainers, setup guides and comparisons in one index.
- [Learn hub](https://brain-tube.com/learn): Plain-English guides to MCP, semantic search, and getting more out of every AI tool.
- [What is an AI memory layer?](https://brain-tube.com/learn/what-is-an-ai-memory-layer)
- [What is MCP?](https://brain-tube.com/learn/what-is-mcp)
- [What is an MCP memory server?](https://brain-tube.com/learn/what-is-an-mcp-memory-server)
- [Persistent memory vs the context window](https://brain-tube.com/learn/persistent-memory-vs-context-window)
- [Persistent AI memory across tools](https://brain-tube.com/learn/persistent-ai-memory-across-tools)
- [AI memory portability](https://brain-tube.com/learn/ai-memory-portability)
- [Semantic search vs keyword search](https://brain-tube.com/learn/semantic-search-vs-keyword)
- [RAG explained](https://brain-tube.com/learn/rag-explained)
- [Chat with YouTube videos using AI](https://brain-tube.com/learn/chat-with-youtube-videos-ai)
- [A searchable knowledge base for operators](https://brain-tube.com/learn/knowledge-base-for-operators)
- [One memory across Claude, Cursor and other assistants](https://brain-tube.com/learn/one-memory-across-chatgpt-claude-cursor)

## Comparisons
- [Compare hub](https://brain-tube.com/compare): Every roundup and head-to-head comparison in one place.
- [Which AI has the best memory? (2026)](https://brain-tube.com/compare/which-ai-has-the-best-memory): ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini memory, from each vendor's own docs.
- [AI memory tools](https://brain-tube.com/ai-memory-tools): Overview of tools that give AI assistants persistent memory.
- [BrainTube vs Recall](https://brain-tube.com/compare/braintube-vs-recall): Both capture video, podcasts, articles and PDFs, and both expose a library over MCP. The difference is whether an AI can write back.
- [Best apps to save YouTube videos and search them by transcript (2026)](https://brain-tube.com/compare/apps-to-search-youtube-videos-by-transcript): YouTube's transcript panel searches one video; BrainTube, Recall, Readwise Reader and NotebookLM keep transcripts across saved videos.
- [Best MCP memory servers (2026)](https://brain-tube.com/compare/best-mcp-memory-servers-2026): Eight servers by what they store (facts vs a library), where they run, and whether the AI can write.
- [Readwise Reader alternatives (2026)](https://brain-tube.com/compare/readwise-reader-alternatives): BrainTube, Recall, NotebookLM, Glasp, Instapaper and Obsidian, and where Reader still wins.
- [Tools to build a personal knowledge base for AI (2026)](https://brain-tube.com/compare/personal-knowledge-base-for-ai): Eight tools in three groups: write-it-yourself (Obsidian, Notion), capture what you consume (BrainTube, Recall, Readwise, NotebookLM) and developer SDKs (Mem0, Supermemory).
- [Recall alternatives](https://brain-tube.com/compare/recall-alternatives): Alternatives to the Recall knowledge app (recall.it). Recall.ai, the meeting-bot API, is a different product.
- [Rescroll alternative](https://brain-tube.com/compare/rescroll-alternative)
- [Switch to BrainTube](https://brain-tube.com/switch): Moving a library from Recall, Rescroll or a link list, with the import allowance and switcher offers.
- [Switch from Recall](https://brain-tube.com/switch/recall): Import → Recall from a Markdown export zip or your Recall API key, 200 free items, SWITCH50 after an import.
- [Switch from NotebookLM](https://brain-tube.com/switch/notebooklm): Bring links and PDFs from separate notebooks into one library you can query across.
- [Switch from Pocket and Omnivore](https://brain-tube.com/switch/pocket): Import saved links from an export file or a URL list and ask questions across them.
- [Switch from Rescroll](https://brain-tube.com/switch/rescroll): For people who signed up at thesecondbrain.io: link-list import and SECONDBRAIN6, Starter at $6/month for 12 months.
- [BrainTube vs Notion](https://brain-tube.com/compare/braintube-vs-notion)
- [BrainTube vs Obsidian](https://brain-tube.com/compare/braintube-vs-obsidian)
- [BrainTube vs Mem0](https://brain-tube.com/compare/braintube-vs-mem0)
- [BrainTube vs Supermemory](https://brain-tube.com/compare/braintube-vs-supermemory)
- [BrainTube vs Heptabase](https://brain-tube.com/compare/braintube-vs-heptabase)
- [BrainTube vs Hjarni](https://brain-tube.com/compare/braintube-vs-hjarni)
- [BrainTube vs ChatGPT](https://brain-tube.com/vs/chatgpt)
- [BrainTube vs NotebookLM](https://brain-tube.com/vs/notebooklm)
- [BrainTube vs Readwise](https://brain-tube.com/vs/readwise)
- [BrainTube vs Glasp](https://brain-tube.com/vs/glasp)
- [Claude memory alternatives (2026)](https://brain-tube.com/compare/claude-memory-alternatives): Six ways to give Claude durable memory, with honest limits on each.
- [ChatGPT memory alternatives (2026)](https://brain-tube.com/compare/chatgpt-memory-alternatives): Seven alternatives to ChatGPT's built-in memory, compared from each vendor's own docs.
- [Best memory tools for Claude Code (2026)](https://brain-tube.com/compare/claude-code-memory-tools): Claude Code's built-in CLAUDE.md and auto memory, plus eight memory tools compared by hosting, licence and reach.
- [claude-mem alternatives (2026)](https://brain-tube.com/compare/claude-mem-alternatives): Claude Code memory options with Windows notes: built-in CLAUDE.md and auto memory, Basic Memory, the official memory server, Mem0, Supermemory, BrainTube.
- [NotebookLM alternatives for YouTube (2026)](https://brain-tube.com/compare/notebooklm-alternatives-for-youtube): NotebookLM caps free notebooks at about 50 sources; five alternatives for a growing YouTube library.
- [Best AI memory tools for ChatGPT and Claude (2026)](https://brain-tube.com/compare/best-ai-memory-tools-for-chatgpt-claude-2026): Eight tools compared, no crowned winner.
- [Best second brain apps (2026)](https://brain-tube.com/compare/best-second-brain-apps-2026): Eight tools compared on real strengths and gaps.

## Blog
- [Blog](https://brain-tube.com/blog): Articles on compiling a knowledge base your AI tools can query.
- [Second brain vs AI memory layer](https://brain-tube.com/blog/second-brain-vs-ai-memory-layer)
- [I tried 17 second brain apps — what they all get wrong](https://brain-tube.com/blog/what-second-brain-apps-get-wrong)
- [Stop watching videos, start querying them](https://brain-tube.com/blog/stop-watching-videos-start-querying-them)
- [MCP and the personal knowledge graph](https://brain-tube.com/blog/mcp-and-the-personal-knowledge-graph)
- [What we mean by personal AI](https://brain-tube.com/blog/what-we-mean-by-personal-ai)
- [No export, no exit: checking for lock-in](https://brain-tube.com/blog/no-export-no-exit-lock-in-checklist)
- [Can Claude save to Recall? Read-only MCP explained](https://brain-tube.com/blog/can-claude-save-to-recall-read-only-mcp)
- [Read-only vs read-write MCP servers](https://brain-tube.com/blog/read-only-vs-read-write-mcp-servers)
- [Where does your agent save what it finds?](https://brain-tube.com/blog/where-does-your-agent-save-what-it-finds)
- [What happened to thesecondbrain.io?](https://brain-tube.com/blog/what-happened-to-thesecondbrain-io)
- [Let Claude Code save what it learns: bulk_ingest over MCP](https://brain-tube.com/blog/claude-code-bulk-ingest-mcp)
- [Bulk import a YouTube playlist into a knowledge base](https://brain-tube.com/blog/bulk-import-youtube-playlist-knowledge-base)
- [Turn a YouTube playlist into a queryable course](https://brain-tube.com/blog/youtube-playlist-to-queryable-course)
- [Study a creator's entire channel in an afternoon](https://brain-tube.com/blog/study-a-creators-channel-in-an-afternoon)
- [The most requested Recall features in 2026](https://brain-tube.com/blog/most-requested-recall-features-2026)
- [Recall's free tier in practice](https://brain-tube.com/blog/recall-free-tier-10-summaries)
- [Recall ship log, reviewed: August 2026](https://brain-tube.com/blog/recall-release-notes-commentary-august-2026)
- [Rescroll's pivot to creators](https://brain-tube.com/blog/rescroll-pivot-what-it-signals)

## Support
- [Support hub](https://brain-tube.com/support): Around 50 help articles across getting started, the Chrome extension, the MCP server, the knowledge corpus, the Obsidian plugin, account and billing, and the API.
- [Getting started](https://brain-tube.com/support/category/getting-started)
- [Chrome extension](https://brain-tube.com/support/category/chrome-extension)
- [MCP server](https://brain-tube.com/support/category/mcp-server)
- [Knowledge corpus](https://brain-tube.com/support/category/knowledge-corpus)
- [Obsidian plugin](https://brain-tube.com/support/category/obsidian-plugin)
- [Account and billing](https://brain-tube.com/support/category/account-billing)
- [API and developers](https://brain-tube.com/support/category/api-developers)
- [Available MCP tools](https://brain-tube.com/support/article/available-mcp-tools)
- [REST API quickstart](https://brain-tube.com/support/article/rest-api-quickstart)
- [Connecting Claude Desktop](https://brain-tube.com/support/article/connecting-claude-desktop)
- [Connecting Cursor](https://brain-tube.com/support/article/connecting-cursor)
- [Connecting Gemini CLI](https://brain-tube.com/support/article/connecting-gemini-cli)

## Trust
- [Data Pledge](https://brain-tube.com/data-pledge): Commitments on data ownership, training and residency.
- [Open Research](https://brain-tube.com/open-research): Evaluation methodology, prompt designs and model comparisons.
- [Privacy](https://brain-tube.com/privacy): Privacy policy.
- [Terms](https://brain-tube.com/terms): Terms of service.

## Updates
- [Changelog](https://brain-tube.com/changelog): Dated release history.
- [Contact](https://brain-tube.com/contact): Get in touch.
- [Full context for AI assistants](https://brain-tube.com/llms-full.txt): Expanded description of what BrainTube does, what it costs, and what it does not do.