WAV
WAV to text: transcribe a WAV file with timestamps
WAV to text has one catch, the size: drop the .wav on this page and the speech comes back as a transcript with a timestamp on every line, ready to export as TXT, SRT or VTT, as long as the file stays under 100 MB without an account, about 9 minutes of CD-quality stereo, or 500 MB after sign-in. The first recording is free in full up to 10 minutes.
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How to convert WAV to text
Four steps get you from audio to transcript, and the first is a glance at the size on disk.
- Check the size of the file. Without an account a file may be up to 100 MB; after sign-in, up to 500 MB. A WAV can be large, so look at the size first.
- Drop the .wav on the upload area. Drag it onto the area at the top of the page or click the area to pick it. No conversion is needed.
- Start the transcription. A guest’s first upload is transcribed right away at no charge, whole up to 10 minutes and for the first 10 minutes beyond that. Once signed in, you see the price and press Transcribe.
- Export the transcript. Download TXT or Markdown to read and edit, SRT or VTT to use as subtitles.
A short interview or a field note usually lands well under the cap, so most recordings need no preparation. Quiet rooms and a microphone close to the speaker matter more than the sample rate.
How big a WAV file is, and what fits
A WAV file stores sound without compression, so its size follows a fixed formula: sample rate × bit depth ÷ 8 × channels × seconds.
| WAV format | One minute weighs | Longest without an account (100 MB), minutes | Longest after sign-in, minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44.1 kHz, 16-bit, stereo (CD quality) | 10.1 MB | 9 | 49 |
| 48 kHz, 24-bit, stereo (studio, video) | 16.5 MB | 6 | 30 |
| 44.1 kHz, 16-bit, mono | 5.0 MB | 19 | 99 |
| 16 kHz, 16-bit, mono (speech) | 1.8 MB | 54 | 240 |
An hour of CD-quality stereo is more than 600 MB, so it does not fit even after sign-in; an hour of speech-grade mono is about 110 MB and does. After sign-in the 4-hour limit applies as well, whichever limit is reached first.
Making a WAV smaller without losing words
A WAV can be shrunk to a fraction of its size without changing the transcript, because every upload is resampled to 16 kHz, mono, before recognition starts.
- Mix stereo to mono: halves the file; do it in Audacity or any editor.
- Lower the sample rate to 16 000 Hz: the last row of the table; speech recognition reads no more than that anyway.
- Export as MP3 instead: a 128 kbps MP3 is about a tenth of a CD-quality WAV; see how an MP3 compares for the sizes.
- Split a very long recording: into parts under the limit, then join the texts.
Where WAV files come from
This format belongs to recording gear and editing software, which is why it is often the highest-quality copy of the speech you have.
- Field and handheld recorders: models such as the Zoom H5 or Tascam DR-40 can record WAV.
- Audio editors: Audacity and Adobe Audition export WAV when you need a lossless master.
- Interview and lecture archives: the original before it was compressed for sharing.
- Voice-recording phone apps: some offer WAV in the settings; phones' own recorders more often save M4A files.
If the WAV holds an interview, label the speakers by hand after the transcript.
Export, subtitles and AI
A WAV transcript downloads as TXT, Markdown, SRT or VTT, and the AI actions on it come with the transcription at no extra charge.
The text can carry a timestamp on every line or none. AI actions run only when you pick one: a short AI summary, notes, an article or a translation.
Minutes in numbers
Price follows length, not weight: one minute of balance per audio minute, rounded up, whatever the megabytes.
- A 6-minute dictation is a free first upload, no account needed.
- A 20-minute lecture uses 20 minutes, more than the 10-minute sign-up gift, so a pack covers the rest.
- A file that is large but short costs little; one that is small but long costs more.
The price appears before the start and is charged only after a successful transcription. The table of what each pack costs lists every pack.
Limits
Expect no speaker labels, one mixed channel and a size cap that bites before the length cap.
- No speaker labels, and no separation of left and right channels.
- Only the first audio track is used.
- Anything over 500 MB or 4 hours is turned away; shrink or split it.
- No recording from a microphone on the page: record elsewhere, then upload.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a WAV file to text?
Drop the .wav on the upload area. A guest’s first upload costs nothing, whole up to 10 minutes; the result is a transcript with a timestamp on every line.
Do I have to convert WAV to MP3 first?
No, unless the file is over the size limit. The server prepares the sound for recognition itself. A WAV between 100 and 500 MB needs sign-in rather than conversion.
Why is my WAV file rejected as too large?
WAV is uncompressed: a minute of CD-quality stereo takes about 10.1 MB, so 100 MB is about 9 minutes. Sign in to raise the limit to 500 MB, or export the file again as mono at a lower sample rate.
Does a stereo WAV with two speakers on two channels work?
It uploads, but the channels are mixed into one, so both speakers end up in the same stream of lines. For separate transcripts, export each channel as its own file.
Is my WAV file kept on your server?
No. The original is deleted as soon as the sound has been extracted from it, or after about an hour if the transcription never starts; only the text stays, in your browser or in your account. The privacy policy describes how files are handled.
Does it label who is speaking?
No. Every line carries a timestamp, not a speaker name.