Convert MKV to text
Upload an MKV video and Scribewren transcribes its audio, ready to edit and export as text or subtitles.
Turn MKV into text
- If the MKV has several audio tracks, decide which one holds the speech you want.
- Upload the file and choose the spoken language.
- Play the video beside the transcript and correct mistakes.
- Export text, or SRT or VTT for subtitles.
About MKV files
- What it is
- Matroska, an open container that can hold many video, audio, subtitle and chapter tracks in one file.
- Typical source
- OBS Studio recordings, ripped or archived video, and exports from some editing and streaming tools.
- Multiple audio tracks
- Streamers often record a microphone and a game or call on separate tracks. If speech sits on a secondary track, export just that track first.
- Embedded subtitles
- Subtitle tracks inside the MKV are not used; the transcript is generated from the spoken audio.
- Maximum file size
- Up to 5 GB per file.
MKV is the container people choose when they want flexibility. One file can carry a video stream, several audio tracks, multiple subtitle tracks and chapter marks, which is why it appears in streaming setups, archives and screen recording tools. OBS Studio, in particular, is often set to record MKV because a recording survives a crash better than it would in some other formats.
For transcription, that flexibility raises one practical question: where is the speech? A single-track MKV is as simple as an MP4. A multi-track recording may keep your microphone apart from the rest, so before uploading it is worth listening to the tracks in a player such as VLC and extracting or mixing the one you need.
Recorded sessions and talks
MKV is common for long recorded sessions: a live stream, a workshop, a conference talk saved in full. Those recordings suit a transcript with timestamps, since you can jump to a section by its time. Export an SRT or VTT file afterwards if you plan to add captions to the video.
Questions
Can I upload an MKV from OBS?
Yes. OBS Studio can record to MKV, and the audio on the main track is transcribed. If your microphone is on a different track, export that track to a separate audio file first.
Which audio track is transcribed?
For files with more than one track, the safest approach is to mix or extract the speech into a single track before uploading.
Are existing subtitles in the MKV used?
No. The transcript comes from the speech itself. Export SRT or VTT if you need a fresh subtitle file.
Free files over 30 minutes: what happens?
Only the first 30 minutes are transcribed. Unlimited takes files up to 10 hours.
Is a large MKV a problem?
Files up to 5 GB are accepted and are sent straight from your browser to storage.
Try it on your own recording
Free includes a few transcriptions a day. No card needed. Compare plans.
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