Transcribe audio to text, free and unlimited, without uploading
Drop a recording and get an accurate transcript with timestamps. Speech recognition runs on your own computer, so your file stays private and there is no daily limit.
- Never uploaded
- No sign-up
- No daily limits
- Free
Keep this tab open and in front. Browsers slow down background tabs.
Click any line to fix a word. Downloads include your edits.
How it works
- Pick the spoken languageEnglish is set. Choose another of 16 languages if needed.
- Drop your fileMP3, M4A, WAV, MP4, MOV, OGG, OPUS or WEBM, of any length.
- Copy or downloadFix any word by clicking it, then copy the text or save TXT, SRT or VTT.
What you can transcribe
Meetings, interviews, lectures, podcasts, voice memos, WhatsApp voice notes, YouTube videos you have downloaded, phone call recordings: if it plays on your computer, it almost certainly works here. Video files work too; only the sound is used.
The transcript appears line by line while it works, with a timestamp on every line. Click a timestamp to hear that moment, or click the text to correct a name or a technical term before you export.
Text or subtitles, from the same run
One transcription gives you every format: plain text in paragraphs for notes and documents, text with timestamps for interviews and research, and SRT or VTT subtitle files for YouTube, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut or VLC. Subtitle lines are kept short (two lines of up to 42 characters) so they read well on screen.
Measured, not promised
Results from our benchmark on clear, read English speech. Noisy audio, heavy accents and crosstalk give more errors. See the full benchmark.
Why your file never leaves your computer
Most online transcribers upload your recording to their servers. That costs them money for every minute, so free plans are capped at a few files or a few minutes a day, and your audio sits on someone else's computer.
Here the transcription happens on your own computer, inside this tab. Your recording stays on your device, so there is nothing to cap: transcribe as many files, as long as you like.
Questions
How long can my recording be?
There is no limit. Hour-long recordings finished on every computer we tested, including a 2019 laptop.
How accurate is it?
On clear English speech we measured about 4% of words wrong with Balanced quality and about 3% with High. Background noise, music and people talking over each other add errors, so give important transcripts a quick read.
Which quality should I choose?
Leave it on Auto. It picks the most accurate quality your computer runs well, and switches to a lighter one if your computer slows down. Best needs a fast computer.
Is it really free and unlimited?
Yes. Your device does the work, so a file costs us nothing to process. There is no daily cap, no length limit and no account.
Is my audio uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read and transcribed inside your browser tab. The speech engine is downloaded once.
Why does it download something first?
That is the speech engine, which does the transcribing on your computer. It is a one-time download of 44–566 MB depending on the quality, and your browser keeps it after that. It has nothing to do with the size of your files.
Which browsers work?
Recent Chrome, Edge and Safari on a laptop or desktop. Chrome and Edge are usually fastest. Phones work for short files, but are slower.
Does it label different speakers?
Not yet. You get accurate text with timestamps; speaker labels are on our list.
Can I close the tab while it works?
Keep the tab open and in front. Browsers slow down background tabs, which can make a long file take up to four times longer.