Get Pro

Bookmark us!

MP4 to Text Converter

Drop in an MP4 and read what was said, in 99 languages. Any length, free, no sign-up. Want it faster and more accurate? Try Pro

No file handy?

  • Free, no limits
  • No sign-up
  • Audio & video

Getting the words out of an MP4

  1. 1. Choose your MP4. Drop an MP4 on the box above, or click it to pick one. Zoom, phone and screen recordings work as they are.
  2. 2. Start the transcription. Press Transcribe. We read the audio track straight from the video. The free mode downloads its speech model to your browser on the first run and reuses it after that; Pro runs on our servers.
  3. 3. Edit, then export. Correct names and numbers in the editor, then copy the text or download TXT, PDF, Word, SRT or VTT.

Convert an MP4 to text

MP4 transcription takes one step here: drop the file in, press Transcribe, and the speech comes back as text. An MP4 holds a picture and a sound track, and the words you want are in the sound, so TextFromAudio reads the audio inside the file and ignores the picture. Edit the transcript when it appears.

The free mode has no limits on length, number of files or languages. It uses lighter speech models, so it is a little slower and less accurate than Pro.

No need to convert the MP4 to MP3 first

Plenty of guides tell you to extract the audio before you transcribe. You can skip that step here. We take the audio track straight from the MP4, so there is no extra file to make and no second round of compression to lose detail.

Where MP4 files come from

Meeting recordings. Zoom, Teams and Google Meet recordings are MP4 files once they are saved to your device.

Screen recorders. Tutorials, demos and walkthroughs recorded on a computer are usually MP4.

Phones and cameras. Many Android phones, action cameras and camcorders save MP4. An iPhone saves MOV, which works the same way: see video to text.

Editors and downloads. Video you exported from an editor, or a file someone sent you, is most often an MP4.

Large MP4 files

Files up to 4 GB work. In the free mode the MP4 is read from your device instead of being uploaded, so a big file does not cost you upload time. A long recording simply takes longer to transcribe, and it goes faster on a computer than on a phone. Keep the tab open until it finishes.

Subtitles from an MP4

Need captions for the same video? Turn timestamps on and download the transcript as SRT or VTT. YouTube, Vimeo and most video editors accept those files and show the text over the picture. The MP4 itself is not changed. The guide on converting audio to SRT subtitles covers timing and line length.

Edit it, then take it with you

Fix names and numbers in the editor, and click a line to play the recording from that point. When it reads right, copy the text or download TXT, PDF, Word, SRT or VTT.

Why some MP4 transcripts come out better

  • Check that audio was recorded. A screen recording made without a microphone or system audio has nothing to transcribe.
  • In a meeting, ask people to mute when they are not speaking. Cross-talk and keyboard noise do the most damage.
  • Resolution doesn't matter. Only the sound is used, so 720p and 4K give the same text.
  • Skim the result once for names, brands and technical words.

Have a different video type, such as MOV or WebM? See video to text. Only have the audio? MP3 to text works the same way.

FAQ

Can I convert an MP4 to text for free?

Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no cap on length, number of files or languages. The free mode uses lighter speech models, so it is a bit slower and less accurate than Pro.

Do I have to convert the MP4 to MP3 first?

No. Drop the MP4 in as it is. We read the audio track straight from the video, so there is no extra step and no quality lost to a second compression.

How big can the MP4 be?

Files up to 4 GB work, and there is no time limit. In the free mode, the video is read from your device instead of being uploaded, so size doesn't cost you upload time. A long MP4 simply takes longer, and it goes faster on a computer than on a phone.

Can I transcribe a Zoom, Teams or Google Meet recording?

Yes, once the recording is saved to your device as an MP4. If it only exists in the meeting app's cloud, download it first, then choose the file here.

Can I get SRT subtitles from an MP4?

Yes. Turn timestamps on and download the transcript as SRT or VTT, then add that file to YouTube, Vimeo or your editor. It shows as subtitles over the video, and the MP4 itself is left untouched.

Does 1080p or 4K change the result?

No. Only the sound is used, so the resolution has no effect on the text. A 4K file is just bigger, and it counts toward the 4 GB limit.

Is my MP4 uploaded?

Not in the free mode. The speech model runs in your browser, on your own device, so a private recording stays on it. In Pro, your file is processed on our servers and deleted automatically afterwards.

Audio to text by file type