Can Wave transcribe audio or video files I upload?

Yes, with Wave Pro. Import an audio or video file (MP3, M4A, WAV, MP4, MOV and more) up to 10 hours long, such as a webinar recording or a recorded call, and Wave transcribes and summarizes it. Pro is $15 a month, or $80 a year on the web.

Do I need Pro to transcribe files?

To import files into Wave, yes. For a single file with no account, Wave's free video to text and audio transcription tools on wave.co take files up to 200MB.

What video formats can I import?

Wave imports MP4, MOV, and WebM video and transcribes the audio track. AVI isn't supported; convert an AVI to MP4 or MP3 first, for example with Wave's free audio and video converter on wave.co.

How long does video transcription take?

Wave usually transcribes a video within minutes. On Wave's free web tool, processing typically takes about 15–30% of the video's length.

Can I transcribe videos in other languages?

Yes. Wave transcribes and summarizes in 76 languages, and can translate a finished transcript into another language.

Is there a video length limit?

Wave transcribes up to 10 hours of audio per imported file, so split longer videos first. Wave's free web tool accepts files up to 200MB. Wave Pro has no monthly cap on recording; the free plan includes 30 minutes a month.

Transcribe Any Video to Text in Minutes

Q: How do I transcribe a YouTube video?

Paste the YouTube link into Wave on your phone or at app.wave.co. Wave pulls the video's captions, writes a summary, and saves a searchable session with the video embedded. Importing YouTube videos is part of Wave Pro; Wave's free YouTube transcript tool on wave.co works without an account.

Last updated: November 4, 2026

To transcribe a video to text with Wave AI, import an MP4, MOV, or WebM file, paste a YouTube link, or record a browser tab. Wave transcribes the audio with speaker labels and writes an AI summary, on the web, Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android, free to start.

Transcribe a file free, no account needed

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How to transcribe a video to text

How do I transcribe a video file to text?

Upload the video, let Wave transcribe its audio track, then read or export the text. For one file with no account, use Wave's free video to text tool on wave.co.

Upload an MP4, MOV, or WebM file to the free tool, or import it in Wave (importing is part of Wave Pro; up to 10 hours per file).
Wave keeps the audio track, transcribes it with speaker labels and timestamps, and writes a summary.
Search the transcript, correct any word, and copy or export the text.

Transcribe a video to text free

Transcribe audio and video files you already have

With Wave Pro, import an audio or video file, such as a webinar recording, a recorded call, an interview or a lecture, and Wave transcribes and summarizes it. Files can be up to 10 hours long. Pro is $15 a month, or $80 a year on the web.

On iPhone or Android, tap + at the top right of Home and choose Import a file, or share the file to Wave from another app. On app.wave.co, choose Record, then Import, and drop in one or more files. In Wave for Mac and Windows, click Import in the sidebar.
Pick the file: MP3, M4A, WAV, AAC, FLAC, OGG, MP4, MOV, WebM and more, up to 10 hours long.
Wave transcribes the file in any of 76 languages with speaker labels, writes a summary, and saves it to your searchable library.

Step-by-step: importing files into Wave

What file transcription costs

Importing files is part of Wave Pro. The free plan records live; it doesn't import files.

Free: no credit card required, 30 minutes of recording a month, no file import.
Pro: $15 a month, or $80 a year on the web. File import included, with unlimited recording and transcription.
Wave Teams: from $7.50 per user a month, billed annually, 5-seat minimum. Everything in Pro for every seat.
Wave never uses your files or recordings to train AI models. Wave is SOC 2 Type 1, with TLS 1.2+ in transit and AES-256 at rest.

How do I transcribe a YouTube video?

Paste the YouTube link into Wave: it pulls the video's captions, writes a summary, and saves a searchable session with the video embedded. For a quick transcript without an account, use Wave's free YouTube transcript tool.

Get a YouTube transcript free

Only have audio?

Wave's free audio transcription tool takes MP3, M4A, WAV, and other audio files up to 200MB, with no account.

Transcribe an audio file free

The problems you know too well

Watching an Hour of Video to Find One Quote

Scrubbing through video is slow. Wave gives you a searchable transcript so you can find any moment by typing a keyword.

Auto-Captions Lack Speakers and Structure

Auto-generated captions are a stream of words. Wave's transcript of a video file labels each speaker and comes with a summary of the key points.

Video Content Trapped in Video Format

You can't quote, search, or repurpose what's locked inside a video. Wave converts it to text you can copy, export, and work with.

Features

Everything you need to capture every conversation

Import Video Files

Drop in MP4, MOV, or WebM. Wave keeps the audio track and transcribes it with speaker labels.

Paste a YouTube Link

Give Wave a YouTube URL and it creates a session with the transcript, a summary, and the video embedded so you can jump to any moment.

Record Browser Video

Wave's Chrome extension captures audio from any browser tab — webinars, online courses, live streams. Hit record and Wave transcribes it when it ends.

Speaker Identification

Multi-person videos get speaker labels automatically. Know exactly who said what throughout the video.

AI Summary

Get the key points, topics, and takeaways from any video summarized in a few paragraphs. Skip the full replay.

Chat With the Content

Ask Wave questions about a video's content. "What did the speaker say about pricing?" — get a direct answer pulled from the transcript.

Perfect for

Transcribing recorded meetingsYouTube video transcriptionOnline course and webinar notesPodcast video episodesConference talk documentationContent repurposing from video to written form

FAQs

Common questions

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