Transcribe Audio to Text: Upload a File, Get a Transcript
Upload a recording and get a finished transcript back in minutes
To transcribe audio, upload your file below: MP3, WAV, M4A, or any common audio or video format. The first 30 minutes are transcribed free, with no account needed. Every file runs on our premium AI engine with speaker labels and timestamps. Signed-in users get their first file up to an hour, then free files up to 30 minutes each. A free account can copy your transcript. TXT downloads are free on every account; DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT and JSON come with your first file, the Weekly Pass, a top-up or a paid plan.
No account? The first 30 minutes of any file are free. Create a free account for premium on your first file.
- 99%
- Accuracy
- 99+
- Languages
- Anytime
- Cancel, no contract
- Free
- 30 min, no signup
Why use Transcribe Audio?
Minutes, Not Hours
Typing a transcript by hand takes 8 to 10 hours per audio hour. Upload your recording and the AI returns a finished, timestamped draft in minutes.
Speaker Labels Included
Every file runs on our premium engine with automatic speaker diarization, so interviews and meetings read like a script. Your first file can run up to an hour, and later files are free up to 30 minutes each.
99+ Languages
Transcribe recordings across 99+ languages, including English, Spanish, French, German and Japanese.
Every Export You Need
Copy in one click or download TXT free. DOCX and PDF documents, SRT and VTT subtitles and JSON come with paid plans, the Weekly Pass or your first file.
How it works
Upload Your Recording
Drag and drop your audio or video file: MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC, MP4, and more. No format conversion needed first.
AI Transcribes It
The AI engine transcribes the speech, adds timestamps and labels each speaker.
Review and Export
Fix any words in the transcript editor, then copy the text or download TXT free. DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT and JSON come with paid plans, the Weekly Pass or your first file.
Transcribe Audio vs typing it out by hand
Why upload-and-go beats manual transcription every time.
| Capability | CATT | Manual transcription |
|---|---|---|
| Time to first draft | Minutes per file | 8 to 10 hours per audio hour |
| Accuracy | 99% on clear audio | Depends on the typist |
| Speaker detection | Automatic | Tagged by hand |
| Languages | 99+ supported | Whatever you speak |
| Exports | TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT | Whatever you build by hand |
| Cost | Free for the first 30 minutes | Your time, every time |
Weighing transcription services instead? Read the full CATT vs Otter.ai comparison
Simple pricing
Free for files up to 30 minutes, no card needed. Paid plans start at $14.99.
Free
- Every file on our premium engine, with speaker detection and top accuracy
- 30 free transcriptions every day, each up to 30 minutes, and your first file up to an hour with an AI summary
- Free TXT download, plus copy and edit every transcript
Cancel anytime. Try the free plan before you upgrade. See all plans
Frequently asked questions
Upload the file on this page, no account needed. The first 30 minutes of any recording are transcribed free as a preview. A free account adds your first file on the premium engine (up to an hour), given once rather than refilled, and paid plans process full files: uploads up to 5 GB, links and videos up to 24 hours.
A short recording usually finishes in about a minute, and a 1-hour interview typically takes about 3 minutes, compared with the 8 to 10 hours it takes to type an audio hour by hand.
All common audio formats (MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC, AAC, OGG, WMA) plus video files like MP4, MOV, and WebM. Video uploads have their audio track extracted automatically.
Yes, on every file, free ones included. Each speaker gets a label, so interviews, meetings, and podcasts read like a script.
Up to 99% on clear audio in supported languages on the premium engine. Background noise, crosstalk, and heavy accents reduce accuracy, and you can fix any misheard words in the editor before exporting.
Yes. Paid plans process the full file, with uploads up to 5 GB and links and videos up to 24 hours, so a 3-hour lecture or a full-day workshop processes in a single upload. Free previews cover the first 30 minutes of a file.
Your files are uploaded over HTTPS and are only visible to your account. On the free plan source audio is deleted automatically, usually after 7 days, and on a paid plan you choose how long it is kept. You can move any recording and its transcript to the Trash from your dashboard at any time.
They run on the same engine. This page is the fastest path when you have a recording and want it transcribed; the Audio to Text converter goes deeper on file formats, and Speech to Text covers live dictation from your microphone.