Transcription Guides & How-To Tutorials

Start here: three steps that every guide shares

Every guide on this page ends the same way: a text file you can edit and export. The tool changes with the source, but the path is always the same three steps.

1. Bring the recording. Paste a public video link, or upload an audio or video file from your device. Only the sound of an uploaded file is sent to us, and it is taken out in your browser first.
2. Check the quote and start. Before anything runs, you see the method we will use and how many minutes it takes from your balance. If a job fails, every minute goes back.
3. Edit and export. Fix names and words, label who is speaking, then copy the script or download it as TXT, Markdown, SRT or VTT.

If you only want the result, the video transcript generator on the home page does all three steps. The guides explain the choices along the way, so you know what to expect before you spend a minute.

Video and social platforms

Most people start with a link. A video that already has captions is the fastest case, because the captions carry the timing: most YouTube videos and many TikToks have them. Instagram Reels and videos without captions go through speech recognition, which in our tests still finished a short clip in about 20 seconds.

• How to Transcribe a Video (With Timestamps)

  Paste a link or upload a file, check the quote, then edit and export a timestamped transcript.

• How to Transcribe a YouTube Video

  Copy the link, paste it, and download a timestamped transcript, even when the video has no captions.

Tools for each platform:

• YouTube transcript tool, including Shorts and videos without captions
• TikTok transcript tool for public TikTok videos
• Instagram transcript tool for public Reels and video posts
• MP4 to transcript for a video file you already have

Audio, podcasts and interviews

Audio files work the same way as video uploads: choose the file, check the quote, and the transcript arrives with timestamps on every line. If more than one person talks, tick Label speakers before you start, then rename Speaker 1 and Speaker 2 in the editor.

The tool for every audio format, from MP3 and M4A voice memos to WAV recordings, is the audio transcription tool.

Subtitle files: SRT and VTT

SRT and VTT are the two subtitle formats almost every video player and editor accepts. A transcript with real timing can be downloaded as either one. If you already have a subtitle file, two free tools work on it right in your browser, without uploading anything:

• SRT to VTT and VTT to SRT converter
• SRT to text, which strips the timestamps and keeps readable paragraphs

What these guides assume

The guides describe the product exactly as it works today, so here are its limits in one place:

• Exports: TXT, Markdown, SRT and VTT. There is no Word (DOCX) export yet.
• Timestamps come from the captions or from speech recognition. A transcript without real timing, such as the short text-only result some Instagram videos give, is never turned into subtitles with made-up times.
• Speaker labels are optional and use a slower speech recognition route, so the quote shows it before you confirm.
• Your original transcript stays saved. Edits are kept as new versions, so you can always go back.
• Free trial: new accounts with a personal email address get 10 free minutes once, for files up to 10 minutes long. Paid plans accept files of up to 2, 3 or 4 hours, depending on the plan; see pricing.
• AI summaries and articles are not available yet. When they are, these guides will say so.