Free Transcription of Large Audio & Video Files — Up to 1 GB & 60 Minutes
Choose a local file up to 1 GB and 1 hour. Whisper Web decodes and transcribes it in smaller sections instead of loading the entire recording into memory.
Local file only · up to 1 GB and 1 hour · no media upload- Choose media
- Check settings
- Transcribe
- Use your text
Progress is kept only in this tab. Reloading, closing the tab or putting the device to sleep means starting again.
How long will a large file take?
| Recording length | Estimated waiting time |
|---|---|
| 20 minutes | About 3 minutes |
| 30 minutes | About 5 minutes |
| 40 minutes | About 6 minutes |
| 50 minutes | About 8 minutes |
| 60 minutes | About 9 minutes |
Reference estimates, scaled by recording length and rounded up from a 23-minute 6-second MP4 test completed in 3 min 24 s on October 20, 2026. Tested on Apple M4, 16 GB RAM, macOS 15.7.3, Chrome 155, Tiny Q8 / WebAssembly, with English selected. First-time model download is extra. Slower devices, larger models and different recordings can take longer. Keep this tab open and your device awake.
From a long recording to an editable transcript
Choose the original file
Use a local audio or video file up to 1 GB and 1 hour. A browser check confirms its audio track and duration before you start.
Choose the spoken language
Start with Tiny and WebAssembly for a smaller download. Larger models need more memory and may take longer.
Keep this tab open
The tool processes five-minute sections. Pause finishes the current section; Resume continues with the next one. Closing the tab loses unfinished progress.
Review and export
Check names, numbers and uncertain passages against the recording. Export TXT, SRT or VTT; save a copy before leaving the page.
Check a short recording before a long job
Format support depends on the audio codec inside the file and your browser. Try a current desktop browser for a long recording. If decoding fails, export the audio as MP3, WAV or M4A and check it again. WebGPU is optional; WebAssembly remains available as the default.
Related guides
Long local jobs can warm up your device
Whisper uses the CPU or GPU for an extended period. Higher power use, fan noise and a warmer device can occur during processing.
- Connect the device to power for a long recording.
- Keep ventilation clear and stop if the device becomes unusually hot.
- Leave this tab open and keep the device awake until the transcript is saved.
Questions about large-file transcription
Does the large file get uploaded?
No. The browser reads, decodes and transcribes the selected file on this device. It still downloads the site and the selected Whisper model.
Why can a large transcription take so long?
The work runs on your CPU or GPU and speed varies by device, browser, model and power mode. The page calculates a reference range after the first processing block.
Can I close the tab and return later?
Download completed sections as TXT, SRT or VTT while the task is in progress. The current section is not included. Refreshing or closing this page ends the task; downloaded partial results cannot resume it.
What happens when I pause?
The current five-minute section finishes first. Processing then stops between sections, and Resume continues with the next one.
Where is the completed transcript stored?
It is saved to IndexedDB in this browser, where you can edit it and export TXT, JSON, SRT or VTT.