Frequently Asked Questions

Two ways. Upload a file: drag and drop your audio or video onto the upload area, or click Choose File. Or paste a link: drop a TikTok or Instagram video link into the box at the top and press Transcribe — no need to download it first. Either way it's completely free — no account, no payment required.

No. FreeToTranscribe requires no account, no signup, and no subscription. It is completely free.

We support MP3, MP4, WAV, M4A, MOV, FLAC, OGG, and WebM. Maximum file size is 25MB. If your file is larger, use any free file converter or compressor to reduce the size before uploading — converting to MP3 at a lower bitrate (64kbps is plenty for speech) works well.

You'll need to reduce the file size before uploading. Use any free file converter or compressor to bring it under 25MB. The easiest approach is to convert to MP3 at a lower bitrate — 64kbps is plenty for speech. A 1-hour interview at 64kbps MP3 is typically around 28MB, so trimming a few minutes or lowering the bitrate slightly will get you under the limit.

We support 15 languages including English, Hindi, Urdu, Spanish, French, Arabic, Chinese, German, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Indonesian, and Turkish. Select your language before uploading for best accuracy. Auto-detect is also available.

After transcription you can download as TXT (plain text), SRT (subtitles), VTT (web captions), or RTF (rich text, opens in Word). All formats are available immediately after transcription completes.

Upload your MP3 on the home page and transcribe it — it is completely free. See our Convert MP3 to Text guide for the full walkthrough.

Yes — upload MP4, MOV, WebM and other video files and we'll produce a transcript. See our Convert Video to Text guide.

Yes. Paste a TikTok or Instagram video link into the box on the homepage, tick the rights confirmation, and we'll transcribe its audio — no need to download the file first. You can only transcribe content you have the right to use. YouTube links aren't supported yet; for a YouTube video, download it and upload the file instead.

Yes — we generate ready-to-use SRT and VTT caption files from your video or audio. See our Create Subtitles guide.

An SRT (SubRip) file is a plain-text subtitle file that pairs each line of dialogue with a start and end timestamp. It is the most widely supported subtitle format and works with YouTube, Vimeo, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve and most media players. Learn more on our MP4 to SRT page.

A VTT (WebVTT) file is the web standard caption format for HTML5 video and streaming platforms. Like SRT it carries timed text, but it also supports styling and positioning. See our Audio to VTT page for details.

SRT and VTT both store timed subtitles, but SRT is the most universally compatible format while VTT (WebVTT) is built for the web and supports extra styling and positioning. For most uploads SRT is the safest choice; use VTT when a platform specifically asks for WebVTT. FreeToTranscribe lets you download both from the same transcription.

Speech to text uses an AI transcription model that analyses the audio waveform, recognises spoken words and converts them into written text with timestamps. FreeToTranscribe runs your file through a Whisper-based engine, then returns an editable transcript you can download as TXT, SRT, VTT or RTF.

FreeToTranscribe is completely free. You get up to 5 transcriptions per day, with a 60-minute daily total limit. Limits reset at midnight each day. No payment, no account required.

No. There is no subscription, no monthly fee, and no hidden charges. FreeToTranscribe is completely free.

Clear, single-speaker recordings in quiet environments usually produce better results. Accuracy may decrease with background noise, overlapping speakers, strong accents, technical terminology or poor recording quality. Always review your transcript before using it in important contexts.

AI transcription is not infallible. For legal, medical, or official documents we recommend having the transcript reviewed and verified by a qualified human professional before use.

FreeToTranscribe is a free service. If a transcription fails due to a fault on our end, contact us via our contact page and we'll look into it.

If you close the page while transcription is in progress, the site will show a recovery option when you return. If the job cannot be recovered, try again — it won't count against your daily limit if it was a technical failure.

No. Your audio file is processed and automatically deleted within 60 minutes. We do not store, review, or retain your audio content. Your transcript is delivered to your browser only — download it before closing the page as it cannot be recovered after.

Yes. All data is transmitted over encrypted HTTPS connections. Your audio is processed and deleted automatically after processing. We do not sell your data or share it for marketing purposes.

No. Your audio files and transcripts are never used to train any AI model — by us or by our transcription provider. Files are processed and automatically deleted within 60 minutes.

We collect very little. We may use limited technical and usage information to protect the service from abuse. We do not require or store your name, email, or any personal details unless you contact support.

You can transcribe any file you own or have the legal right to transcribe. By uploading a file you confirm that right. You are solely responsible for any copyright issues arising from your uploads.

By using FreeToTranscribe you agree that: your files belong to you and we make no claim over them; you are responsible for verifying accuracy before using transcripts in important contexts; you are responsible for copyright compliance on files you upload; and our liability is limited to the extent permitted by applicable consumer law. Our services come with guarantees under applicable consumer law that cannot be excluded. Contact us