Turn a Zoom recording into text
Zoom only makes its own transcript for cloud recordings on paid plans. Recorded on your computer, or on a free account? Drop the file here and get a transcript with timestamps, without uploading the meeting anywhere.
- 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.
Quick answer: To turn a Zoom recording into text, drop the file into the tool at the top of this page and choose the spoken language. iLoveAudioVideo turns the speech into text on your own device, so the recording is never uploaded. It is free with no sign-up, and you can copy the text or download it as TXT, SRT or VTT.
Updated
How it works
- Find the recordingDocuments/Zoom on your computer, or download it from Zoom (see below).
- Drop the M4A or MP4The audio-only M4A is smaller and starts sooner.
- Copy into your notesOr download the text with timestamps, SRT or VTT.
Where your Zoom recording is
- Recorded on your computer: Zoom saves it in Documents/Zoom, in a folder named after the date and the meeting, once the meeting has ended and Zoom has finished converting it. The folder has the video (MP4) and an audio-only file (M4A). Use the M4A.
- Recorded to the cloud: sign in to the Zoom web portal, open Recordings, and download the audio-only file or the MP4.
Zoom's transcript or this page?
Zoom's own audio transcript needs a paid plan, cloud recording, and the transcript setting switched on before the meeting. It is not made for local recordings or for meetings recorded before the setting was on.
This page works with any Zoom recording you have, after the fact, on any plan, and the meeting audio stays on your computer.
Who said what
The transcript does not name speakers. If you need that, Zoom's local recording settings can save a separate audio file for each participant; transcribe each file to get every person's words.
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 the meeting be?
There is no length limit. Hour-long recordings finished on every computer we tested.
Do I need the host's permission?
You need the recording file. Follow your organisation's rules on recording and keeping meeting notes.
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.