Convert WAV to Text
Upload a WAV from a recorder, studio or broadcast archive and get an editable transcript in minutes, in 100 languages. The free plan covers 120 minutes every week.
- Up to 99% Accurate
- Any common rate
- Private to Your Account
WAV Transcription Features
Upload the WAV straight from your recorder or editor; there is nothing to convert unless it passes 500 MB.
Lossless Quality
Unlike MP3 or AAC, WAV contains the complete audio signal with no data loss.
100 Languages
Transcribe professional recordings in 100 languages, detected automatically.
Timestamps on Every Segment
Every segment of the transcript carries a timestamp, so you can jump straight to that moment in the recording.
Private to Your Account
Recordings and transcripts stay private to your account until you delete them. There is no certification such as HIPAA or SOC 2, so check your own rules before uploading sensitive material.
The Gold Standard in Audio Quality
WAV (Waveform Audio File Format) is the standard for uncompressed audio in studios, broadcast and field recorders. That detail matters for editing and archiving; for speech recognition, a clear voice matters far more than the format.
No Conversion Needed
For transcription, it usually is not. WAV is uncompressed, which matters when you edit or archive audio, but speech recognition does not need that detail: uploads are converted to compressed mono audio first, and a normal MP3 transcribes just as well. Upload a WAV if that is what you have; convert it only when it would pass 500 MB.
High Bit Depth Support
WAV files at any common bit depth, including 32-bit float from field recorders, are accepted as they are.
Mono, Stereo, Multi
Yes. Stereo and multi-channel WAV files are accepted and mixed down to one channel before transcription, so voices on separate channels end up in a single transcript. Speaker identification then labels them as Speaker 1, Speaker 2 and so on. Channels are not transcribed separately, and files can be up to 500 MB and 6 hours.
Professional Audio Specifications
Any common WAV works. These are the limits that apply.
- Sample Rate
- Any common rate
- Bit Depth
- 16-bit, 24-bit, 32-bit float
- Channels
- Mono, Stereo, Multi
- Max File Size
- 2 GB
- Max Duration
- 6 hours
- Encoding
- Uncompressed (PCM)
How to Transcribe WAV Files
From a WAV file to an editable transcript in four steps.
Upload WAV File
Upload your WAV file as it is, at any common sample rate or bit depth, up to 500 MB and 6 hours.
Automatic Processing
The audio is converted and transcribed automatically, and the language is detected for you.
Lossless Files Accepted
What you get when you turn a WAV recording into text.
Export Results
Download the transcript as TXT on the free plan, or on a paid plan as SRT and VTT with segment timestamps, Word or PDF.
Industries That Rely on WAV
The people whose recorders and studios save WAV by default.
Recording Studios
Transcribe production meetings, interviews and session talk. Singing transcribes poorly and there is no lyric extraction.
Legal Professionals
Court recordings, depositions and client interviews. Timestamps help you find a passage; check quotes against the recording, as there is no human review.
Broadcast & Radio
Transcribe archived interviews and programmes so a quote can be found by searching the text instead of scrubbing through the audio.
Audio Engineers
Transcribe client feedback, session talk and recorded notes straight from the WAV files you already have.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything professionals need to know about WAV transcription.
Why is WAV better for transcription than compressed formats?
For transcription, it usually is not. WAV is uncompressed, which matters when you edit or archive audio, but speech recognition does not need that detail: uploads are converted to compressed mono audio first, and a normal MP3 transcribes just as well. Upload a WAV if that is what you have; convert it only when it would pass 500 MB.
Can you handle large WAV files from long recordings?
Yes, up to 500 MB and 6 hours per file on every plan. A CD-quality stereo WAV passes 500 MB in under an hour, so convert a longer recording to MP3 or M4A before uploading; the transcript comes out the same, because every file is converted to compressed mono audio anyway. The free plan covers 120 minutes a week.
Does sample rate affect transcription accuracy?
Barely. Every upload is converted to compressed mono audio before transcription, so a low and a high sample rate WAV of the same voice give the same transcript. Microphone distance, background noise and people talking over each other matter far more. Clear speech reaches up to 99% accuracy at any common sample rate, and a lower one helps a long recording fit under 500 MB.
How do you handle multi-channel WAV files?
Yes. Stereo and multi-channel WAV files are accepted and mixed down to one channel before transcription, so voices on separate channels end up in a single transcript. Speaker identification then labels them as Speaker 1, Speaker 2 and so on. Channels are not transcribed separately, and files can be up to 500 MB and 6 hours.
What industries use WAV transcription most?
Mostly those that record on professional equipment: studios logging session talk, broadcasters archiving interviews, lawyers and researchers whose recorders save WAV by default. Any of them can upload WAV files up to 500 MB and 6 hours. There is no human review and no HIPAA or SOC 2 certification, so check your own rules before uploading sensitive recordings.
Is WAV transcription more accurate than MP3?
Not noticeably. Every file is converted to compressed mono audio before transcription, so a WAV and a good MP3 of the same recording give almost the same transcript. WAV's advantage is for editing and archiving, not recognition. If a WAV would pass the 500 MB limit, converting it to MP3 or M4A first costs you nothing in accuracy.
Professional Transcription On The Go
Record in the Hear2Text app for iPhone and Android or upload a WAV from your phone, and find every transcript in your account.
Ready to Transcribe Your WAV Files?
What you get when you turn a WAV recording into text.
Start Free Transcription