How do I convert audio to text?

Drop your audio file onto the tool, pick the spoken language (or let it auto-detect) and a model, then start. The transcript appears in seconds and you can copy it or export to TXT, DOCX, PDF, or SRT.

Is the audio to text converter free?

Yes. You get free minutes with no signup, on the fast Turbo model. Longer files and the most accurate Studio model are paid, but you can transcribe and read a preview before paying anything.

How accurate is the transcription?

On clean speech in a well-supported language, accuracy reaches around 99%. It depends on the recording: background noise, heavy accents, and overlapping speakers lower it. For hard audio, the Studio model is noticeably more accurate.

What audio formats are supported?

MP3, M4A, WAV, FLAC, and OGG, plus the audio inside MP4 and WebM video. You do not need to convert the file first.

What can I export the transcript to?

Plain text (TXT), Word (DOCX), PDF, and subtitles (SRT). All four are free on every plan.

Are my files deleted after transcription?

Your file is uploaded only to be transcribed, then removed. It is never sold, shared, or used to train models.

Fast, accurate AI transcription

Free audio to text converter

Turn any recording into accurate text in 99 languages. Drop a file, pick a model, get a transcript in seconds

Drag and drop, or click to upload

MP3, MP4, and any audio or video

Try free, no card required

3 AI models

4 free export formats

99 languages

Transcribe audio and video in 99 languages

English
Español
中文
Français
Deutsch
日本語
Русский
Português
Italiano
한국어
العربية
हिन्दी
Türkçe
Polski
Nederlands
Български
বাংলা
Čeština
Dansk
Ελληνικά
فارسی
Suomi
עברית
Magyar
Bahasa Indonesia
മലയാളം
Română
Svenska
Kiswahili
தமிழ்
తెలుగు
ไทย
Українська
اردو
Tiếng Việt

How it works

audio to text in 3 steps

1
Upload your file
Drop your file or click to choose. MP3, M4A, WAV, FLAC, OGG, and video files.
2
Pick language and model
Auto-detect the language or choose from 99. Use free Turbo for speed, or Studio for the best accuracy.
3
Get your transcript
Read it in seconds, then copy or export to TXT, DOCX, PDF, or SRT.

Why Typist

Built for fast, accurate transcripts

An hour in about a minute

Groq-served Turbo runs at roughly 200x real time, so your transcript is ready almost immediately

Every export, free

Download as plain text, Word, PDF, or timestamped SRT subtitles on every plan

Your file stays yours

Uploaded only to transcribe, removed afterward, and never sold, shared, or used to train models

99 languages

Auto-detected or pick your own, with the most accurate model recommended per language

Beyond transcription

Your transcript is just the start

AI summary and key moments
One tap turns the transcript into a TL;DR, key quotes, and action items.
Auto chapters
Long recordings are split into navigable chapters you can jump between.
Share or export anywhere
Send a clean public link, or export to TXT, DOCX, PDF, or SRT.

Summary

Chapters

IntroKey pointsQ&AWrap-up

Ready to turn audio into text?

Drop a file and read your transcript in seconds. Free to start, no signup.

Transcribe a file

The format

What audio actually is

Audio is not one format but a family: a container (WAV, M4A, OGG) wrapping a codec (PCM, AAC, MP3, Opus). The codec decides lossy vs lossless, the container just packages it. Typist reads all of the common ones, so you never convert first.

Accuracy comes from the recording, not the file type. A lossy MP3 or AAC at a normal speech bitrate transcribes as well as a lossless WAV from the same source, because voice sits inside the band those codecs keep. Clean speech, low background noise, and one speaker at a time matter far more than the extension.

Where these files come from

Phone voice recorders, messaging-app voice notes, podcasts, lecture and interview recordings, dictation apps. Whatever a microphone and a record button produce.

Podcasts
Voice recorders
Voice notes
Lectures

How audio becomes textAccuracy comes from the audio, not the file type

audio fileYour upload
Audio decodedThe speech is what we transcribe
TranscriptCopy or export to TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT

Type: Container + codec
Common codecs: MP3, AAC, Opus, PCM
Compression: Lossy or lossless
What matters: Recording quality

FAQ

Free audio to text converter

audio to text in 3 steps

Upload your file

Pick language and model

Get your transcript

Built for fast, accurate transcripts

An hour in about a minute

Every export, free

Your file stays yours

99 languages

Your transcript is just the start

Ready to turn audio into text?

What audio actually is

Questions about converting to text

Other ways to transcribe