Timestamped transcript generator
Upload a recording and every passage of the transcript starts with the time it was said. Find a quote, go to that minute in your player, check it. Free accounts get 60 minutes to try it.
Upload a recording
Click to upload or drag and drop
MP3, M4A, WAV, MP4, MOV and more · Free: 60 min / 100MB per file · Pro: 5 hours / 2GB per file
Transcript timestamp format
One passage per line. Each starts with its start time in brackets, rounded down to the second. Past the first hour the hour is added, so 62 minutes 15 seconds reads (1:02:15).
(0:00) [first passage]
(0:14) [next passage]
(4:12) [passage starting 4 minutes 12 seconds in]
(1:02:15) [passage starting 62 minutes 15 seconds in]
The brackets mark where each passage's words go. The time format and the one-passage-per-line layout are what Copy and the TXT download produce. The file is saved with -timestamps at the end of its name.
How to transcribe audio to text with timestamps
- 1Upload the fileAny audio or video file from your device.
- 2Check the viewWith timestamps opens by default when timing data is available. Plain text gives you the words only.
- 3Copy or downloadTXT, Word, PDF and Markdown downloads keep the times.
Video transcript with timestamps
Upload the MP4 or MOV as it is. The audio track gets transcribed, and the times count from the start of the file, so they line up with the video.
Upload the exact cut you will refer back to. Trim the intro after transcribing and every time will be off by the length you cut.
What the timestamps won't do
- Time every word. Timestamps are segment-level: one start time per passage. Fine for finding a quote, too coarse for cutting on an exact word.
- Play the recording. The times are text, not links to a player.
- Say who is speaking. There are no speaker labels.
- Show up on locked previews.
- Go past the file limit: free files up to 60 minutes and 100MB. Pro, at $9.99/month, takes recordings up to 5 hours and 2GB.
Timestamped transcript or subtitle file?
Same recording, same timing data. Pick by what you will do with it.
| Compare | Timestamped transcript | SRT or VTT subtitles |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Reading, quoting, notes | Captions in a video player |
| Times | Start time of each passage | Start and end of each cue |
| Download as | TXT, Word, PDF, Markdown | .srt or .vtt |
Need captions? Use Audio to SRT or Video to SRT. Already have a subtitle file and want readable text? Convert SRT to text. Only need the words? See Audio to Text.
When timestamps help
- Check a quote against the recording before you publish it from an interview transcript.
- Find where a decision came up in a meeting transcription.
- Draft podcast show notes and chapter times from the passages.
- Go back to the part of a lecture you want to review.
Timestamped transcript questions
How do I get a transcript with timestamps?
How do I get a transcript with timestamps?
Upload the recording. When the transcript has timing data, it opens in the With timestamps view. Click Copy, or open Download and pick TXT, Word, PDF or Markdown. The times come along.
What is a timestamp in a transcription?
What is a timestamp in a transcription?
A time that marks where a passage starts in the recording, such as (4:12) for 4 minutes 12 seconds in. Times are rounded down to the second, and past the first hour the hour is added, as in (1:02:15).
How can I transcribe a video with timestamps?
How can I transcribe a video with timestamps?
Upload the video file, such as an MP4 or MOV. When the transcript has timing data, it opens in the With timestamps view, and the times count from the start of the file.
Is there free transcription with timestamps?
Is there free transcription with timestamps?
Yes. Timestamps cost nothing extra. They use the same minutes as a plain transcript: free accounts get 60 minutes in total, for files up to 60 minutes and 100MB.
How often do timestamps appear?
How often do timestamps appear?
Once per passage, not once per word or at a fixed interval. A passage is one segment of the transcription, so the gap between times depends on how the speech is split.
Are the timestamps word-level?
Are the timestamps word-level?
No. They are segment-level: one start time per passage, not one per word. That is enough to find, quote or check a moment. It is not precise enough to cut audio or video on an exact word.
How do I put timestamps in a transcription?
How do I put timestamps in a transcription?
You don't need to: they are added for you, one per passage, when the transcript has timing data. You cannot add them every 30 seconds or change the (4:12) style. The only switch is between the With timestamps view and the Plain text view.
Can I click a timestamp to play that moment?
Can I click a timestamp to play that moment?
No. The times are plain text, not links to a player. Open the recording in your own player and go to that minute.
Does a transcript need timestamps?
Does a transcript need timestamps?
Not always. Keep them when you need to find, quote or check a moment in the recording. For plain reading, the Plain text view gives you the words without times.
How do I remove timestamps from a transcript?
How do I remove timestamps from a transcript?
Switch to the Plain text view before you copy or download. You get the same words with no times, in Word (DOCX) too. To strip times from an SRT or VTT subtitle file, use the SRT to text converter.
Why is there no With timestamps view?
Why is there no With timestamps view?
Either the transcript has no timing data, and the Plain text view is still there to copy or download, or it is a locked guest preview, which shows only the first 75 characters until you sign in.
Can I turn the timestamps into SRT or VTT subtitles?
Can I turn the timestamps into SRT or VTT subtitles?
Yes, when the transcript has valid timing segments. Pick SRT or VTT in the Download menu and you get one cue per segment. Locked previews cannot export subtitles.
Can I get a timestamped transcript of a YouTube video?
Can I get a timestamped transcript of a YouTube video?
Not from a link. Transcriv only works with files you upload. If you own the video or have permission, download it as a file and upload that.
Get your timestamped transcript
60 free minutes in total on a free account. Upload a file and see the times.