Free audio to text transcription.
Free transcription: audio to text with AI for interviews, lectures, voice notes and podcasts. Unlimited, no sign-up, nothing uploaded.
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The speech model downloads once (about 110 MB for Fast, 310 MB for High accuracy), then it's cached. Chrome or Edge on a computer is fastest.
Free.Unlimited.Forever.
Easy as one, two, three
How to transcribe audio to text
- 1
Add your audio recording
Drag in an MP3, M4A, WAV or any other audio file. Nothing is uploaded.
- 2
Generate the transcript
AI listens to the recording on your device and writes down every word.
- 3
Copy or download
Copy the text, or save it as TXT, Markdown, SRT or VTT.
Audio transcription, explained
Transcribe audio recordings to text — free
Audio transcription turns speech into written text. You give it a recording; you get back a document you can read, search, quote and paste anywhere. Corbeia does this with an AI speech recognition model that runs inside your browser, which is why it can be free without a minute limit.
What people transcribe
- Interviews — research interviews, user interviews and journalism. The recording stays on your computer, which matters when interviewees were promised confidentiality. See how to transcribe an interview.
- Lectures and classes — turn a recorded lecture into notes you can search.
- Meetings and calls — paste the transcript into an AI chat to get minutes and action items.
- Voice notes and memos — ideas recorded on a walk, drafts dictated in the car.
- Podcasts — publish show notes and a full transcript for search engines and listeners.
A free audio to text converter, not a free trial
| Typical cloud transcription | Corbeia | |
|---|---|---|
| Free minutes | A few per month | Unlimited |
| Account | Required | Not needed |
| Your audio | Uploaded to a server | Stays on your computer |
| File length | Capped | No cap |
Supported audio formats
MP3, M4A, WAV, AAC, OGG and OPUS (WhatsApp and Telegram voice messages), FLAC and WMA — plus video files if your recording came from a camera or screen recorder. Have an MP3 specifically? The audio to SRT tool turns it into subtitles, and the M4A to text page covers iPhone voice memos.
Get the most accurate transcript
- Use the original recording, not a copy that was compressed again.
- One speaker at a time and little background music transcribe best.
- For short clips, choose the spoken language instead of auto-detect.
- Choose High accuracy for accents, technical words and noisy rooms.
Every format, all free
One recording, every format
Plain transcript, Markdown, timed subtitles and translations — all free.
Why it's free
Unlimited audio to text. No upload, no meter running.
Cloud transcription tools upload your video and pay for servers by the minute — so they charge you by the minute. Corbeia runs the speech model inside your browser. There's no server bill per video, so there's nothing to charge you for.
Cloud tools
- Upload your video
- Limited free minutes
- Sign-up required
- Pay per minute
Corbeia
- Nothing uploaded
- Unlimited
- No account
- $0, forever
Corbeia for Windows · Free download
For long videos and whole courses.
- Higher accuracy — the large speech model a browser can't run
- Much faster — your full GPU, hours-long files, any format
- Works offline — the speech model is built in, no setup
- Batch processing — drop a folder, get every file Pro
- No watermark lines in your subtitle files Pro
First launch: if Windows shows "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then Run anyway. Corbeia is a new app, so Microsoft SmartScreen doesn't recognize it yet.
Questions? We've got answers
Audio to text FAQ
Is this audio to text transcription really free?
Yes — free and unlimited, with no sign-up. There is no minute allowance and no file limit, because the transcription runs on your own computer instead of our servers.
How do I transcribe an audio recording to text?
Drop the recording into the tool above, leave the language on auto-detect and click Generate subtitles. When it finishes, copy the text or download it as a TXT, Markdown or SRT file.
Which audio formats are supported?
MP3, M4A, WAV, AAC, OGG, OPUS, FLAC and WMA — anything your browser can play. Video files such as MP4 and MOV work too.
Is there a free program to transcribe audio to text?
Yes. This page works in any browser with nothing to install. If you want a program on your PC, the free Corbeia app for Windows uses a larger speech model and your graphics card for long recordings.
How accurate is the transcription?
Clear recordings with one speaker at a time usually come out very accurate. Background noise, music and people talking over each other make it harder. Choose High accuracy for interviews and lectures.
Is my audio uploaded?
No. The audio is decoded and transcribed inside your browser, so nothing is sent to us or to any AI provider.
Can it tell who is speaking?
Not yet. The transcript is split into paragraphs at pauses, but speakers are not labeled.
Can I translate the transcript?
Yes. Choose a language under Translate to and you get a translated transcript and subtitles next to the original.
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