Transcribe video to text, without uploading the video
Video files are huge, so uploading them is the slowest part of most transcription sites. Here the video never leaves your computer: the tool uses its sound and transcribes it on your device.
- 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
- Choose the languageSet the language spoken in the video.
- Drop the videoMP4, MOV, WEBM or MKV. Only the sound is used.
- Get text or subtitlesCopy the transcript, or download SRT or VTT to caption the video.
Works with the videos you already have
Screen recordings, phone videos, Zoom and Teams recordings, webinars, lectures, YouTube videos you have downloaded, interviews, vlogs. The tool uses the sound inside the video directly, so you don't need to extract the audio first, and a 2 GB file is no harder than a 20 MB one.
While it works you can watch the video in the player above the transcript; clicking any line jumps to that moment.
Captions for your video
Need subtitles rather than a transcript? The same run gives you SRT and VTT files, split into short, readable two-line captions. Upload the SRT to YouTube Studio, or import it into Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut or Final Cut. See the subtitle generator for tips.
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
Can I paste a YouTube link?
No. The tool works on files on your device, which is what keeps it private and unlimited. Download a video you have the rights to, then drop the file here.
Do iPhone videos and MOV files work?
Yes. Only the sound is used, so iPhone videos and MOV files work.
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.