Video to text
Upload the video file whole — we pull the audio track out on our side.
Ready to transcribe
Check the language and we'll begin.
In short
You convert a video to text by uploading the file directly — MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, WMV and WebM all read the same way, we pull the audio track out of them, so you do not have to extract it first. The 5 GB limit is a real constraint here: an hour of 1080p is around 2.2 GB. We do not fetch videos from links, including YouTube.
How to do it
- Check the file size. If it is over 5 GB, first export just the audio track to MP3.
- Upload the video file — whole, no audio extraction needed.
- Wait for the transcript with timestamps.
- Read the preview; a one-off payment or subscription hours unlock the full text and SRT export.
When the 5 GB limit actually gets in the way
For audio the limit is theoretical — hundreds of hours fit. For video it is real, because the size is driven by the picture, which we do not use anyway.
| Material | Bitrate | Per hour | Fits in 5 GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online meeting recording, 720p | 1.5 Mbps | 0.7 GB | ~8 h |
| Typical 1080p | 5 Mbps | 2.2 GB | ~2.4 h |
| High-quality 1080p | 10 Mbps | 4.5 GB | ~1.2 h |
| Audio alone exported to MP3 | 128 kbps | 58 MB | ~93 h |
Scroll the table sideways to see the remaining columns.
The takeaway from the last row: for long, high-quality material, exporting just the audio track to MP3 shrinks the file by a factor of dozens and changes accuracy by nothing at all. The upload is faster too.
Links to YouTube and other platforms
We do not support them, and we are not planning to work around that. Pasting an address from YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, Facebook, SoundCloud or Spotify is rejected — those platforms require stream extraction, which we do not do.
What does work: pasting a direct HTTPS address to an audio or video file — from your own server, say, or a company drive that exposes a direct link. Those we fetch up to 500 MB.
- Your own YouTube video: download it from YouTube Studio and upload the file.
- A meeting recording: download it from the platform, usually as MP4.
- Someone else's video: downloading may breach the platform's terms and copyright — that is your decision and your responsibility.
Subtitles and editing
A transcript with timestamps is what subtitles are made from. The SRT export loads into an editing suite or uploads straight to a video platform; the format is standard and needs no conversion.
- Timestamps on every segment — the basis for subtitles and fast editing.
- Speaker labels, useful for interviews and panels.
- Browser editing before export — you fix names and terms once.
- TXT and SRT export on paid plans.
Questions
Do I have to extract the audio from the video?
No. Upload the file whole — we read the audio track out of it. Extracting only makes sense when the file exceeds 5 GB or you want a faster upload.
Can I paste a YouTube link?
No. YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, Facebook, SoundCloud and Spotify are rejected because they require stream extraction. Download the file and upload it — or paste a direct HTTPS address to a file, which we fetch up to 500 MB.
Which video formats do you support?
Any that carries an audio track — MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, WMV, WebM, M4V, MPG, MPEG and 3GP among the common ones. MOV is what an iPhone records and what QuickTime exports, so upload it as it is, no conversion. If the file is over 5 GB, export just the audio track to MP3, which shrinks it anyway.
Do I get subtitles as an SRT file?
Yes, SRT export is available on paid plans. You see the timestamped transcript before that — in the free preview, the first 5 minutes of the recording — so you can judge the quality before buying.