Free Speech to Text: Transcribe Audio and Video, No Sign-Up
Turn your recordings, voice notes and videos into text, with timestamps or as SRT and VTT subtitles.
Your audio is sent to our server and a speech-to-text provider to be transcribed. We do not store it. See our privacy policy.
Everything you already do here stays free, with the same limits.
Speech is turned into text right in your browser, so long files take a while on slower devices. Always read the transcript before you publish it: names and rare words can come out wrong.
What this tool does
It listens to an audio or video file and writes down what is said. You get the full text, a version with a timestamp on every line, and ready-made subtitle files (SRT and VTT). It is free with no sign-up and no watermark, and it works with MP3, WAV, M4A, OGG, FLAC, MP4, MOV, WebM and more.
How to use it
- Drop your audio or video file into the box above, or click it to choose one.
- Leave the language on Detect automatically, or pick it.
- Keep Fast for the quickest result, or choose Accurate for harder recordings.
- Press Transcribe. The text appears as it is written, with a progress bar.
- Switch between Text, With timestamps, SRT and VTT, then press Copy or download the file you need.
Which file to download
| What you want to do | Download |
|---|---|
| Read, quote or turn it into a blog post | .TXT (plain text) |
| Find a moment in a long recording | Text with timestamps |
| Add captions on YouTube or in a video editor | .SRT |
| Captions on your own website (HTML5 video) | .VTT |
Tips for a better transcript
- Clear sound matters more than anything else. A clip-on or phone microphone close to the speaker beats a laptop microphone across the room.
- Background music and several people talking at once lower the accuracy. Cut long music intros before you start.
- Pick the language yourself when a recording mixes languages or starts with music.
- The transcript is written by AI, so names, numbers and rare words can come out wrong. Read it before you publish it.
- Need only the sound from a video? Use our free video to MP3 converter.
Free, Pro and Pro+
| Free | Pro | Pro+ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recordings per batch | 1 | 20 | 20 |
| Length per recording | 10 minutes | 2 hours | 2 hours in your browser, 2.5 hours with fast server transcription |
| Download all as one ZIP | — | Yes | Yes |
| Saved presets | — | Yes | Yes |
| Custom file names | — | Yes | Yes |
| Result quality | The same on every plan | ||
| Server tools paid with credits | With a credit pack | With a credit pack | 300 credits every month |
Pro+ credits pay for server tools: fast speech to text and fast auto subtitles. A credit pack (150 credits, valid for 12 months) works on any plan. Compare plans.
Use this in your workflow
- We Made 167 YouTube Shorts With AI: Our Workflow and What Got ViewsCaptions matter on Shorts: see how our AI-made Shorts were produced and which formats got views.
- How to Repurpose One Long-Form Video Into 20 PostsGot the transcript? Free guide: turn one long recording into twenty posts.
- AI Blogging: Running a Blog With AITurn talks and interviews into blog posts: what we learned publishing an AI-assisted blog.
Frequently asked questions
Is it really free? Do I need an account?
Yes, it is free, with no sign-up, no email and no watermark. Drop in a file of up to 10 minutes and download the transcript as plain text, text with timestamps, SRT or VTT. Avalon Pro is only for longer recordings, batches and ZIP downloads.
Which languages does it understand?
English, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese and many more. Leave the language on Detect automatically, or pick it yourself, which is a little faster and avoids a wrong guess on short clips.
How long does it take?
The first time, your browser downloads the speech model once: about 40 MB for Fast or 77 MB for Accurate. After that it starts right away. On a recent laptop, Fast transcribes a minute of speech in about 5 seconds and Accurate in about 10 to 15 seconds. Phones and older computers are slower, so a 10-minute file can take several minutes there. Text appears as it is transcribed.
Fast or Accurate: which should I use?
Start with Fast. It is quick and good for clear speech in English and other widely spoken languages. If names, technical words or a language such as Korean come out wrong, switch to Accurate and press Transcribe again.
Can I make subtitles with it?
Yes. Download the SRT or VTT file and upload it to YouTube, or open it in your video editor. To edit the lines and burn the subtitles into the video itself, use our free subtitle maker.
Can I paste a YouTube or website link?
No. It works with files on your device, such as recordings you made, voice notes, podcast episodes you produced or videos you exported. It does not download anything from the internet. Only transcribe recordings you own or have permission to use.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. The transcription runs on your device, in your browser, so your recordings are not sent to our servers or anyone else.
What are the limits?
The free version takes one file at a time, up to 10 minutes long. Avalon Pro takes recordings up to 2 hours, up to 20 files in one go, and saves every transcript in a single ZIP file, with saved settings and your own file names.