Where MP3 files come from
MP3 is the most common audio format on the planet. Podcast downloads, saved interviews, Android call recorders, and most voice apps all export MP3 because the compression keeps files small while staying easy to play on any device.
Because MP3 is a lossy format, some high-frequency detail is discarded to shrink the file. Our transcription engine was trained on huge amounts of real-world compressed audio, so a normal MP3 transcribes just as accurately as an uncompressed source in almost every case.
Choosing TXT, SRT, or VTT for your MP3
Export plain TXT when you want a clean, readable transcript to paste into notes or a document. Pick SRT or VTT when the MP3 is the soundtrack for a video and you need timed captions that line up with playback frame by frame.
Every transcript comes back with timestamps, so even the TXT version lets you jump straight to the moment a sentence was spoken. Pro accounts add DOCX export when you need a polished transcript to hand to a client or editor.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to convert an MP3 to text?
Most files finish within a few minutes, and short recordings are usually faster than that. The exact time depends on file length and how busy the queue is when you upload.
Is there a size limit on MP3 uploads?
Your free first file can be up to fifty megabytes and ten minutes long. A free account raises that to thirty minutes and one hundred megabytes, and Pro handles files up to two gigabytes and five hours.
Do you keep my MP3 after it is transcribed?
No. The audio is deleted the moment your transcript is ready, and only the text is kept so you can revisit and export it. We keep your text, never your sound.