Convert WAV to text
Upload a WAV recording and get an editable transcript, with the original audio kept untouched until it is deleted.
Turn WAV into text
- Upload the WAV file. Check that it fits the size limit first, since WAV is large.
- Choose the spoken language and start the transcription.
- Listen back in the editor and correct the transcript where needed.
- Export in the format that suits your next step.
About WAV files
- What it is
- Usually uncompressed PCM audio stored in a RIFF container. Nothing is thrown away to save space.
- Typical source
- Field recorders, studio sessions, audio interfaces, and conference systems that save raw audio.
- Size
- WAV files are much larger than MP3 or M4A for the same length, and classic WAV has a 4 GB ceiling by design.
- 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.
WAV is the format people reach for when they want the recording exactly as the microphone heard it. Field recordists, researchers with a dedicated recorder and anyone who runs a session through an audio interface tend to end up with WAV files, because the format does not compress anything away and is understood by every audio tool.
That fidelity has a cost in size. An hour of WAV is far larger than an hour of MP3, and the older WAV specification cannot hold more than about 4 GB in one file. Both facts matter before you upload, because the practical question is whether the file fits inside 5 GB, not whether the transcription works.
When to convert first
If a WAV is too large or the upload is slow on your connection, convert a copy to FLAC. You lose nothing, and the file is smaller. Keep the original WAV as your archive: Scribewren deletes its own copy of the original within 24 hours, so your master recording stays in your hands.
Questions
Is WAV more accurate than MP3?
It keeps all the detail your microphone captured, which can help on difficult audio. It does not fix a noisy room or a distant speaker, and accuracy still varies.
Why is my WAV file so large?
WAV normally stores audio without compression. Long sessions reach the size limit sooner than the same recording as MP3.
My WAV is bigger than the limit. What can I do?
Export it as FLAC, which is lossless but smaller, or as a good-quality MP3 or M4A, then upload that.
Can I upload multi-channel WAV files?
Mixing the channels to mono or stereo before uploading is the safest route. Speaker labels are worked out from the sound, not from channel layout.
How soon is the original deleted?
Originals are deleted within 24 hours of processing. Your recordings 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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