MP4 to transcript: upload the video, get the text
Skip pulling the audio out. Upload the MP4 as it is and get back what was said, with each speaker labeled and every line timestamped. The text opens beside a player, so you can check it as you read along.
Transcribe a recording
Launching November 2026
Turning an MP4 into a transcript
Upload the MP4
Screen recordings, phone videos, Zoom and Teams downloads and camera files all work. Free takes files up to 60 minutes and 2 GB.
Choose the language and speakers
Leave the language on auto unless the video opens with music or another language. Turn on Recognize speakers for calls and interviews.
Read along
Click a word to hear that moment, fix what’s wrong, and rename Speaker 1 and Speaker 2 once.
Download your format
Pick the format for where the text is headed; the table below helps you choose.
MP4 files people turn into transcripts
Zoom and Teams recordings
Download the recording after the call and upload it. No bot joins your meeting. See Zoom transcription.
Screen recordings and demos
Walkthroughs and tutorials become written steps or a help article draft.
Phone videos
Android phones save MP4, and so do many cameras. A talk, a toast or a site visit becomes text you can search.
Lectures and webinars
Class recordings as notes you can study from. More in lecture transcription.
Which transcript format to download
| Format | Good for |
|---|---|
| TXT | Plain notes, or pasting into an email or a chat |
| DOCX | Editing in Word or Google Docs, speakers included |
| Sending a copy nobody will edit | |
| SRT and VTT | Captions for YouTube, Vimeo or a video editor |
| CSV | A spreadsheet with a row per line: start, end, speaker, text |
| JSON | Developers: every word with its start and end time |
Switch timestamps and speaker names on or off before you export, and the same transcript becomes a clean document or a timed log. Every format comes with every plan, Free included.
Large and long MP4 files
A video file is big because of the picture, but a transcript only needs the sound. Free accepts MP4 files up to 2 GB and 60 minutes. Hour packs and Unlimited (fair use up to 720 hours a month) take files up to 5 GB and 10 hours.
Zoom and Teams both keep recordings as MP4 files you can download once the meeting ends. A sharing link alone won’t do; download the file first, since uploads work from files, not links.
On a slow connection, the free MP4 to MP3 converter shrinks a video to its sound on your own computer before you upload. The transcript comes from the sound either way. If an audio editor needs WAV, use MP4 to WAV.
Video that transcribes well
- Put a microphone near the speaker. Camera mics across a room catch the echo too.
- Keep background music low during the talking parts of screen recordings.
- Pick the language yourself if the first half minute has no speech.
- After the first pass, fix a repeated product name everywhere with find and replace.
- Silence notifications and system sounds before you start a screen recording.
After the transcript
One click drafts a summary, chapters and action items; Free includes 3 AI summaries a day, and the video summarizer page shows each part. Captions are covered on the subtitle generator page, line length included.
Your video is transcribed on our own GPUs. It’s never sent to any AI company and never used to train a model.
MP4 to transcript questions
Can I turn an MP4 into a transcript for free?
Yes. Free covers 3 files a day of up to 60 minutes each, with speaker labels and every export format.
Do I need to convert the MP4 to MP3 first?
No. Upload the MP4 directly. Converting first only helps on a slow upload, and the transcript comes out the same.
Does the transcript have timestamps?
Yes, on every line, and every word is timed in the editor. You can leave timestamps out of an export if you want plain text.
Can I make captions from an MP4?
Yes. Export SRT or VTT and upload it next to the video on YouTube, Vimeo or in your editor.
What if the MP4 is in another language?
We transcribe 100 languages and detect the spoken one, or you can choose it when you upload.
More tools for video
- Video to textGet a transcript or SRT and VTT subtitles from MP4, MOV, MKV and other video files.
- MP4 to MP3Pull the audio out of an MP4 as an MP3, right in your browser.
- MP4 to WAVSave the sound of an MP4 as a 16-bit WAV, in your browser.
- Subtitle generatorMake SRT and VTT caption files from video or audio, with a caption length you set.
Compare plans on the pricing page, or read our short privacy promises.
Join the waitlist
Launching November 2026. Be first to hear when Textspert opens.
We'll only email you about the launch. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy