Free transcription: 60 minutes, no card
Upload an audio or video file and get the text back. Every account gets 60 minutes free, once, not every month. Files can be up to an hour long and 100MB. Below is exactly what that covers and what it doesn't.
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Audio or video · Free: 60 min / 100MB per file, 60 lifetime minutes
What free transcription includes
Free audio and video transcription here is not a cut-down version. You get the full transcript, the timestamps view and every download: TXT, DOCX, PDF, Markdown or JSON, plus SRT and VTT when the transcript has valid timing data. The limits are below.
| Limit | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0, no card | $9.99/month |
| Transcription minutes | 60 in total, for the life of the account | 10 hours each month |
| Longest recording | 60 minutes | 5 hours |
| Largest file | 100MB | 2GB |
Not on any plan: speaker labels, summaries, translation, link import and live transcription. Check names, numbers and jargon against the recording before you rely on the text. Comparing free plans? See what TurboScribe Free and Otter Basic did with a 90-minute file.
Upload a file and use your free minutesHow the free minutes are counted
By the length of the recording, not by how long processing takes. For a video, that is the length of its audio track. Each file rounds up to the next whole minute, with a minimum of one.
| Recordings | Minutes used | Fits in 60 min |
|---|---|---|
| One interview of up to 60 minutes | Up to 60 min | 1 file |
| Two 30-minute meetings | 30 min each | 2 files |
| 5-minute voice memos | 5 min each | 12 files |
| Clips of 1 min 10 s | 2 min each (rounded up) | 30 files |
When your free minutes run out
Nothing breaks and nothing gets charged. A file that needs more minutes than you have left simply doesn't start, and no minutes are used.
From there you can trim the file to fit what you have left, or move to Pro at $9.99/month.
Compare Free and ProMake 60 minutes go further
Cut the dead air
You pay for every minute of the recording, so trim waiting time, intros and music before you upload.
Join short clips
Each file rounds up. Ten clips of 1 min 10 s use 20 minutes. Joined into one file, they use 12.
Over an hour? That is Pro
A free file can be up to 60 minutes, and a free account has 60 minutes in total. A longer recording needs Pro.
Send audio, not video
The 100MB limit is on the file. Exporting just the audio, as M4A or MP3, keeps the speech in a much smaller file.
Know your file type? Go straight to audio to text, video to text or voice memo to text. Need times next to the words? Get a timestamped transcript.
What to check in any free transcription service
"Free" means different things on different sites. Before you upload, look for these five answers.
- Total or monthly? A one-time allowance runs out. A monthly one comes back.
- Per-file limits. Both the longest recording and the largest file size.
- The full text. Do you see all of it, or a preview until you sign up?
- Downloads. Are Word or subtitle files locked behind a paid plan?
- Links. Can you paste a URL, or do you need the file?
Here: 60 minutes in total, files up to 60 minutes and 100MB, the full text once you sign in, every download on the free plan, and files only, no links.
Free transcription questions
Is this transcription really free?
Is this transcription really free?
Yes. Sign in with Google and you get 60 transcription minutes. There is no card to enter and nothing to cancel. Those minutes are the whole free allowance.
Is there truly free transcription software or an app?
Is there truly free transcription software or an app?
Yes, in your browser, for your first 60 minutes. There is no app or software to install. The free account is the same on phone and computer: 60 minutes of AI transcription in total.
Is there unlimited free transcription?
Is there unlimited free transcription?
Not here. The 60 minutes are for the lifetime of your account and do not reset each month. After that you need Pro.
Can I use it without signing up?
Can I use it without signing up?
You can upload before you sign in. Your first two guest transcripts are shown in full. After that, guest results are locked previews until you sign in: only the first 75 characters, with no timestamps and no SRT or VTT. Signing in also keeps your transcripts in My files.
Can I transcribe a recording up to 1 hour long for free?
Can I transcribe a recording up to 1 hour long for free?
Yes, as long as the file is 100MB or less and you still have enough minutes for all of it. A full hour uses the whole free allowance.
How can I transcribe audio to text for free?
How can I transcribe audio to text for free?
Upload the recording here and sign in with Google. A free account includes 60 transcription minutes, for files up to 60 minutes and 100MB, with no card. Copy the text or download it as TXT, DOCX, PDF, Markdown or JSON.
Can I transcribe video for free?
Can I transcribe video for free?
Yes. Upload the video file, such as an MP4 or MOV. You are charged for the length of its audio track, and the 100MB limit applies to the video file itself. See Video to Text for formats.
What file types can I transcribe for free?
What file types can I transcribe for free?
MP3, M4A, WAV, MP4 and WEBM go in as they are. MOV, MKV, OGG, AAC, FLAC and a few others are converted on upload. Free and Pro accept the same formats.
Is the free transcript lower quality than Pro?
Is the free transcript lower quality than Pro?
No. Free and Pro get the same transcription and the same downloads. Pro changes the minutes and the file limits, nothing else.
What can I download for free?
What can I download for free?
TXT, DOCX, PDF, Markdown and JSON. SRT and VTT are offered too when the transcript has valid timing segments. A locked guest preview holds only its first 75 characters, so that is all you can copy or download, and SRT and VTT are not offered.
Does free transcription include timestamps?
Does free transcription include timestamps?
Yes, when the transcript has valid timing data. Switch to the With timestamps view, or download SRT or VTT subtitles. It costs no extra minutes.
Can it tell speakers apart?
Can it tell speakers apart?
No. The transcript is plain text without speaker labels, on every plan.
Can I paste a YouTube or other link?
Can I paste a YouTube or other link?
No. Transcriv only works with files you upload. If you own the video or have permission, download it first, then upload the file.