Convert MP3 to text
Upload your MP3 and Scribewren writes it down as an editable transcript with timestamps and speaker labels.
Turn MP3 into text
- Upload the MP3 from your computer or phone. The file goes straight from your browser to storage.
- Choose the spoken language and start the transcription.
- Open the transcript, play it back and correct names, numbers and unclear words.
- Export as TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT or VTT.
About MP3 files
- What it is
- A lossy compressed audio format (MPEG-1/2 Audio Layer III). Most .mp3 files hold a single audio stream and no video.
- Where it comes from
- Podcast downloads, digital voice recorders, call recorders and audio exported from editing software.
- Metadata
- ID3 tags can carry a title, artist and cover art. Scribewren transcribes the audio, not the tags.
- Maximum file size
- Up to 5 GB per file.
- Free plan length
- Free files longer than 30 minutes are cut: only the first 30 minutes are transcribed.
MP3 is the format most spoken recordings end up in, simply because it has been the default for decades. A podcast host exports one, a voice recorder saves one, and a conference organiser posts one next to the slides. That makes it the file people most often want to turn into text.
Because MP3 throws away some audio detail to keep files small, it is worth a quick listen before you upload. If the voices are clear to your ear, they are usually clear enough to transcribe. If a recording was compressed twice, say from a phone call saved to MP3 and then re-encoded for email, expect more corrections in the editor than from a first-generation file.
Working with long MP3 files
Long recordings are where MP3 earns its keep: an hour of speech is a modest file. Upload it whole rather than splitting it. The transcript keeps one continuous timeline, so a timestamp you copy from the editor matches the position in your original file.
Questions
Does the MP3 bitrate matter for the transcript?
Speech is usually clear in a normal MP3. Very heavy compression, a distant microphone or loud background noise matter more than the format, and accuracy varies with all of them.
Can I upload an MP3 with ID3 tags and cover art?
Yes. The tags and artwork are ignored; only the audio is transcribed.
What if my recording is an old MP3 with a variable bitrate?
Variable bitrate MP3 files are common and are handled like any other. If the timestamps in the editor drift from playback, tell support which file it was.
How long can an MP3 be?
Unlimited allows files up to 10 hours. On Free, only the first 30 minutes of a longer file are transcribed.
What happens to my MP3 after it is transcribed?
The original is deleted within 24 hours. A playback copy stays for 7 days on Free or 90 days on Unlimited, and your files are never used for training.
Try it on your own recording
Free includes a few transcriptions a day. No card needed. Compare plans.
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