How to Transcribe Video in Three Steps
Transcribe Video to Text in Minutes
Upload a video and get an accurate transcript and subtitles — speaker labels, timestamps, and SRT export. Free for videos under 5 minutes.
- No signup to try
- No credit card required
How do you transcribe a video to text?
Upload your video file (MP4, MOV, MKV, WEBM, and more) or paste a link, and 1Transcribe extracts the audio track and returns an accurate, speaker-labeled transcript with timestamps in minutes — powered by OpenAI's Whisper. Export it as subtitles (SRT), Word, PDF, or TXT. Videos under 5 minutes are free; longer videos up to 10 hours and 5 GB need a subscription.
What is video transcription?
Video transcription converts the spoken audio in a video into written text. 1Transcribe automatically extracts the audio track from your video — so you don't have to convert it to audio first — and runs it through OpenAI's Whisper models to produce a time-stamped transcript with speaker labels. From there you can read it, search it, repurpose it, or turn it into subtitles.
It works in your browser and in the iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows apps, with no software to install.
How to convert a video file to text
Three steps, a few minutes:
- Upload your video — MP4, MOV, MKV, WEBM, AVI and more, up to 10 hours and 5 GB — or paste a link.
- Pick a language, or let automatic detection handle it across 99+ languages.
- Export the transcript as subtitles (SRT), Word (DOCX), PDF, or TXT.
Turn videos into subtitles and captions
Because video usually needs captions, 1Transcribe exports clean SRT subtitle files with timestamps — ready to upload to YouTube, drop into a video editor, or burn in. Every transcript keeps speaker labels and timing, so captioning interviews, webinars, and courses takes minutes instead of hours. You can also generate an AI summary of the video for show notes or chapter descriptions.
Which video formats can I transcribe?
1Transcribe accepts every common video format — MP4, MOV, MKV, WEBM, AVI, and FLV — plus audio files (MP3, WAV, M4A…) if you already have the audio. The audio track is extracted and transcribed automatically, so meeting recordings from Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet work exactly the same way.
Video transcription at a glance
| AI engine | OpenAI Whisper (latest models) |
|---|---|
| Accuracy | Up to 99.9% on clear audio |
| Video formats | MP4, MOV, MKV, WEBM, AVI, FLV |
| Languages | 99+, with automatic detection |
| Subtitles | Export SRT with timestamps |
| Other exports | DOCX, PDF, TXT |
| Speaker labels | Yes — automatic diarization |
| Max file length | 10 hours per video |
| Max file size | 5 GB per file |
| Free tier | Videos under 5 minutes, no signup |
| Price | Free, or Unlimited from US$4.17/mo billed yearly |
What people transcribe video for
YouTubers & creators
Generate SRT subtitles and searchable transcripts to boost reach, accessibility, and SEO on every upload.
Course & webinar makers
Turn lessons and webinars into captions, handouts, and searchable notes students can review.
Meetings
Transcribe Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet recordings, then get an AI summary with decisions and action items.
Marketers
Repurpose one video into blog posts, social clips, and show notes from a clean transcript.
Researchers & journalists
Caption and quote recorded interviews and panels with speaker labels and timestamps.
Accessibility
Add accurate captions so your videos meet accessibility expectations and reach more viewers.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about 1Transcribe.
How do I transcribe a video to text for free?
Upload any video under 5 minutes and 1Transcribe transcribes it free, with no signup. For longer videos up to 10 hours, an Unlimited subscription starts at US$4.17/month billed yearly (US$49.99/year) or US$19.99/month.
Can I get subtitles (SRT) from my video?
Yes. Every transcript can be exported as an SRT subtitle file with timestamps, ready for YouTube, video editors, or captioning workflows. You can also export DOCX, PDF, and TXT.
Do I need to convert my video to audio first?
No. Upload the video directly — 1Transcribe extracts the audio track automatically and transcribes it. Common formats like MP4, MOV, MKV, and WEBM all work.
How accurate is video transcription?
1Transcribe uses OpenAI's latest Whisper models for up to 99.9% accuracy on clear audio, including accents, technical terms, and background noise.
Can I transcribe long videos?
Yes — a single video up to 10 hours long and 5 GB in size, with no splitting. Ideal for webinars, courses, lectures, and full meeting recordings.
Does it label different speakers in the video?
Yes. Automatic speaker identification (diarization) labels each speaker — Speaker 1, Speaker 2, and so on — which is ideal for interviews and panels.
Can I transcribe a YouTube or meeting video?
Yes. Upload the video file — including a Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet recording — and 1Transcribe transcribes the audio track. Just drag and drop the file you have locally.
What languages can it transcribe video in?
99+ languages with automatic detection, including English, Spanish, French, German, Arabic, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Whisper can also translate speech into English.
Try It Before You Decide
Start With One File. Use It Every Day.
Upload a recording and read the full transcript first — files under five minutes are free, with no signup and no credit card.