Convert MP3 to Text
Drop in any MP3 file — a podcast episode, a voice memo, a call recording — and get a clean, editable transcript back in minutes.
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MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, OGG, OPUS and more · up to 100 MB on the free plan
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MP3 is the format almost every recording ends up in eventually. Podcast episodes get exported as MP3. Voice memo apps save that way by default. Phone call recorders, WhatsApp voice notes forwarded to your desktop, old dictaphone transfers — most of it lands as an .mp3 file sooner or later. Transkio was built to handle exactly that: drag in the file and get text back, no conversion or reformatting needed first.
Because MP3 already compresses audio for you, files stay small and upload fast, which makes it a convenient format to transcribe in bulk. Whether you're clearing out a folder of interview recordings or turning a single voice memo into a note you can actually search, the process is the same: upload, wait for processing, then read and edit the transcript directly in your browser.
MP3 Files Pile Up Faster Than You Can Listen to Them
A folder of MP3 recordings is easy to create and hard to use. Podcast archives, saved voicemails, recorded meetings, voice memos dictated on the go — they're all sitting there as audio, which means finding a specific detail means scrubbing through a timeline instead of scanning text. Nothing in an MP3 file is searchable, quotable, or skimmable until someone sits down and listens to the whole thing.
Manually transcribing MP3 audio is slow going: typical typing speed lags well behind natural speech, so a 30-minute recording can easily take two or three hours to write out by hand, longer if there's crosstalk or a heavy accent to puzzle over.
Upload the MP3, Get Text Back
Transkio accepts MP3 files directly through drag-and-drop upload — no need to convert the file or extract audio from anything first. The transcript comes back with timestamps built in, so every line links back to the exact moment in the recording. Click any line and the audio player jumps straight there, which makes fixing a misheard word or renaming a speaker fast instead of tedious.
What You Get
See it work
See the Difference
A real example of how the same recording reads before and after Transkio.
Voice memo transcription example
ok so idea for the newsletter thing um basically instead of sending it every week what if we do every other week but make each one longer like actually worth reading and uh we track open rates for a month before deciding for real
Idea for the newsletter: instead of sending it every week, switch to every other week but make each issue longer and more substantial. Track open rates for a month before deciding for real.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert an MP3 to text?
Upload your MP3 file by dragging it into Transkio or selecting it from your device. The audio is transcribed automatically, and you'll get a timestamped, editable transcript you can read, correct, and export.
What's the MP3 file size limit?
It depends on your plan. Free accounts can upload MP3 files up to 100 MB. The Ultra plan raises that to roughly 8 GB, which comfortably covers even long podcast episodes or multi-hour recordings.
Do low-quality or compressed MP3s like voice memos still transcribe accurately?
Accuracy depends on how clear the underlying audio is, not the file format itself. Typical voice memos, phone recordings, and podcast exports transcribe well even at modest MP3 bitrates. Heavy background noise, overlapping speakers, or very low bitrate audio can reduce accuracy, so it's worth reviewing and editing the transcript for anything recorded in noisy conditions.
Can I export the MP3 transcript as SRT or VTT captions?
Yes. Subtitle export in SRT and VTT is available on every plan, including free, so you can turn an MP3 transcript into captions without upgrading.
Can I translate an MP3 transcript into another language?
Yes, on the Pro plan and above you can generate a translated text transcript. Note that translated subtitle export (SRT/VTT) isn't available yet — subtitle exports stay in the recording's original language.
Related Tools and Guides
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Drag in a podcast episode, voice memo, or call recording and let Transkio do the typing.
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