How to Transcribe Audio to Text (Free & Private, in Your Browser)

Step by step

1. Open the toolGo to Audio to Text — it runs in your browser, with no install or account.
2. Add your recordingDrop in an audio file (MP3, WAV, M4A, OGG) or a video (MP4, MOV, WebM), up to 100 MB. It is read locally and never uploaded.
3. Click TranscribeOn the first run the browser downloads a one-time AI model (about 150 MB); then it transcribes on your device. A progress bar shows the download, and it is cached for next time. Because the model runs on your own hardware, it works best on a laptop or desktop.
4. Copy or download the textWhen it finishes, the transcript appears ready to copy to your clipboard or download as a .txt file.

How on-device transcription works

The tool uses OpenAI’s Whisper speech-recognition model in its browser build, which runs through WebAssembly. Your file is decoded to audio locally, fed to the model, and the recognised words come back as text — all inside the browser tab. The only thing fetched from the network is the model itself, and only the first time; after that it is cached and even works offline.

Why do it in your browser instead of an upload site

Uploading a recording to a transcription service hands a potentially sensitive file — a private interview, a medical or legal note, a personal voice memo — to a third party that may store it. Doing it on-device means the audio never leaves your computer, so there is nothing to leak, delete, or trust someone else to protect. It is also convenient: no account, no queue, no per-minute fee.

Getting the best results

Clear speech with little background noise transcribes most accurately. This tool uses a small, fast English model, so it is ideal for notes, drafts, and making a recording searchable, but it can misread names, jargon, or noisy audio — read an important transcript through and fix the odd word. Longer recordings take longer to process, but they stay entirely on your device the whole time.