Support me on Ko-fiHow to transcribe audio to text
- Drop the file in the box above or click to choose it. Audio (MP3, M4A, WAV, OGG, OPUS) and video (MP4, MOV, WEBM) both work.
- The language is detected automatically. If you know it, you can choose it.
- Choose Fast or More accurate and click Transcribe.
- Read the text, fix anything you need and download it as TXT or SRT, or copy it.
Which model it uses and which to choose
We use Whisper, OpenAI's speech recognition model, released as open source. It works in dozens of languages and handles different accents well.
- Fast (Whisper base, 80 to 150 MB depending on your browser): good for voice notes, dictation and audio with one speaker and little noise.
- More accurate (Whisper small, 250 to 500 MB): makes fewer mistakes with background noise, strong accents, several speakers or technical vocabulary. It takes longer, especially if your browser has no WebGPU.
The first time, the chosen model is downloaded and saved in your browser. Neither the audio nor the text is sent anywhere.
Private by design
Most transcription services upload your audio to their servers. Not here: speech recognition runs in your own browser and the recording is never sent anywhere. That's why you can use it with confidential interviews, work meetings or personal voice notes.
Tips for better results
- The cleaner the audio, the better: record close to the microphone and avoid background music.
- If the audio mixes languages, choose the main one: automatic detection sticks with the one at the start.
- Names and acronyms are what it gets wrong most often: check them before using the text.
- For recordings longer than an hour, a computer with Chrome or Edge will be much faster than a phone.
Other ways to use it
Frequently asked questions
Is my audio uploaded to a server?
No. Everything runs inside your browser. The only thing downloaded is the speech recognition model; your audio and the text never leave your device.
Is it free?
Yes. No sign-up, no watermark and no usage limits.
Which audio and video formats does it support?
Any your browser can open: MP3, M4A, AAC, WAV, FLAC, OGG, OPUS (WhatsApp), WEBM, MP4 and MOV. Safari can't open some OGG/OPUS files; in that case use Chrome, Edge or Firefox.
Is there a length limit?
Up to 3 hours per file. For long audio, a computer is best: a phone may run out of memory or take a long time.
How long does it take?
It depends on your device. On a recent computer with Chrome or Edge (WebGPU), fast mode transcribes much faster than the length of the audio. On a phone, or in browsers without WebGPU, it can take as long as the audio or longer.
Why does it need to download something?
Speech recognition needs a Whisper model (80 to 150 MB in fast mode and 250 to 500 MB in accurate mode, depending on your browser). It downloads only once and stays saved in your browser. That's what lets it transcribe without sending your audio to any server.
Which languages does it work with?
English and many others: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Catalan… It's detected automatically by default; if you know it, you can choose it.