Convert MP3 to Text
Upload an MP3 of a podcast, interview or lecture and get the text in minutes, in 100 languages. The free plan covers 120 minutes every week, no credit card needed.
- Up to 99% Accurate
- 100 Languages
- Speaker Detection
Powerful MP3 Transcription Features
Everything you need to turn an MP3 into text you can search, edit and export.
Fast Processing
A long MP3 is transcribed in one pass, so even a recording of several hours comes back in minutes rather than hours.
100 Languages Supported
Transcribe MP3 files in 100 languages. The language is detected automatically, so you never pick one.
Precise Timestamps
Get a timestamp on every segment, so a click takes you straight to that moment in the audio.
Secure & Private
Your MP3 files travel over an encrypted connection and stay private to your account until you delete them.
Any MP3 You Have
MP3 is the most common audio format, used for podcasts, audiobooks and recordings of every kind. At normal bitrates its lossy compression barely affects speech recognition, so an MP3 transcribes about as well as the original recording allows.
Variable Bitrate Support
Constant and variable bitrate MP3s are both accepted; the encoding mode does not change the result.
Noise Matters More Than Compression
At normal bitrates MP3 compression barely affects recognition; background noise and music under speech do. Audio is not cleaned up, so record close to the microphone.
Any MP3 Encoder
MP3s from podcast hosts, recorders, phones and editors all work. Only the audio is transcribed, so tags and cover art make no difference.
Technical Specifications
Any common MP3 encoding works. These are the limits that apply.
- Supported Bitrates
- 64 - 320 kbps
- Sample Rates
- 22.05 - 48 kHz
- Channels
- Mono & Stereo
- Max File Size
- 500 MB
- Max Duration
- 6 hours
- Compression
- VBR & CBR
How to Transcribe MP3 Files
Convert your MP3 audio to text in four simple steps.
Upload Your MP3
Drag and drop your MP3 file or click to browse. Any bitrate works, up to 500 MB and 6 hours per file.
AI Processing
Our AI analyzes the audio and returns the transcript in minutes, with the speakers separated.
Get Transcription
Read your transcript with a timestamp and a speaker label on every segment, edit it in the browser, and name the speakers on the paid plan.
Export Anywhere
Download as TXT, or as SRT, VTT, Word or PDF on the paid plan, and paste the text straight into whatever you are writing.
Who Uses MP3 Transcription?
Podcasters, journalists, audiobook narrators and musicians all have speech saved as MP3.
Podcasters
Upload each episode's MP3 and turn the transcript into show notes, an episode page and quotes for social posts, without typing up the conversation by hand.
Journalists & Reporters
Record an interview or press conference, upload the MP3, and use the segment timestamps to find each quote. Check quotes against the audio before you publish.
Musicians & Producers
Transcribe interviews, voice notes and the talk in studio sessions. Singing transcribes poorly and there is no lyric extraction.
Audiobook Publishers
Get a text version of spoken chapters for proofreading, accessibility and quotes. Your own recordings only: DRM-protected audiobooks cannot be transcribed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about MP3 transcription.
Can I extract lyrics from MP3 music files?
No. There is no lyric feature, and sung vocals over instruments transcribe poorly, so a song usually comes back incomplete or wrong. Hear2Text is built for speech: podcasts, interviews, lectures and voice notes. The spoken parts of an MP3, such as talk between songs in a show, transcribe normally, up to 99% accurate on clear audio.
Does the MP3 bitrate affect transcription quality?
Only a little. At 128 kbps or above, MP3 compression barely affects speech recognition, and clear speech reaches up to 99% accuracy. Very low bitrates can blur consonants. Background noise, music under the voice, distant microphones and people talking over each other matter far more than bitrate, and re-encoding a low-bitrate file at a higher bitrate does not help.
How long does it take to transcribe a podcast episode?
Usually minutes, not hours. A one-hour episode is transcribed in a single pass, and the time depends mostly on how long the recording is. You can close the tab while it runs; the transcript waits in your account. Episodes up to 6 hours and 500 MB are accepted on every plan, and the free plan covers 120 minutes every week.
Can I transcribe MP3 files with multiple speakers?
Yes, on every plan. Speaker identification labels each voice as Speaker 1, Speaker 2 and so on; it does not know names, so on the paid plans you rename them yourself. It works best when people take turns rather than talking over each other. The free plan gives you the same labelled transcript, with 120 minutes every week.
What export formats are available for MP3 transcriptions?
TXT on every plan, and SRT, VTT, Word and PDF on the paid plans. The free plan exports plain text only. SRT and VTT subtitle files carry the segment timestamps; TXT, Word and PDF hold the transcript text, and on the paid plans every format can name the speaker in front of each line. Choose SRT or VTT when you need the timing, for example to caption a video.
Is my MP3 file stored on your servers?
Yes. Your audio and its transcript are stored in your account so you can play back and check any line against the recording. They stay there until you delete them; nothing is removed automatically. Uploads travel over an encrypted connection, and your files are private to your account.
Transcribe MP3 Files On The Go
Record in the Hear2Text app for iPhone and Android, or upload an MP3 from your phone, and transcribe it there.
Ready to Transcribe Your MP3 Files?
Upload an MP3 and read the transcript in minutes. The free plan gives you 120 minutes every week, no credit card required.
Start Free Transcription