You do not have to record inside ThinkScribe to use it. To transcribe an audio or video file on Mac, iPhone and iPad, you import one you already have, a voice memo, a downloaded lecture, a podcast episode, a phone interview, a screen recording, and it is transcribed on your device with the same speaker labels, Summary and Chat as a recording made in the app. Your files and transcripts are never sent to us. This guide covers every way to get a file in.
Which audio and video file formats can be transcribed
MP3, M4A, AAC, WAV, AIFF, FLAC, CAF, OGG and Opus audio, and MP4, MOV, M4V and 3GP video. ThinkScribe also opens WMA, WMV, WebM, MKV, AVI, FLV, AMR, DSS, APE, WavPack, MP2, MTS and M2TS files directly, on your device, with nothing uploaded to convert them. On the Mac, OGA files work too. Copy-protected files, such as Apple Music M4P tracks and Audible AA or AAX audiobooks, cannot be opened, and neither can Speex (.spx) files. From video files, the audio track is what gets transcribed, and transcribing a video to text covers that case end to end, including exporting captions for the video. Links are not supported: you import a file you have.
Container and codec names, and what each one is for
Audio file names are confusing because two different things share the same slot. The extension usually names the container, the box that holds the audio and its timing information, while the codec is the method used to pack the sound inside that box. Two files ending in .mp4 can hold different codecs, and the same codec can turn up in several containers. Here is what the common names mean in practice.
| Name | What it is | Where it usually comes from |
|---|---|---|
| MP3 | Lossy audio, the oldest format still in daily use | Podcast downloads, dictation recorders, files shared on the web |
| M4A | A container holding AAC audio | Phone voice memos and most built-in recorder apps |
| AAC | The lossy codec inside M4A and most video files | Phone recordings, video soundtracks, streaming |
| WAV | Uncompressed audio, large but exact | Field and studio recorders, editing masters |
| AIFF | Uncompressed audio, the Apple equivalent of WAV | Recording and editing on a Mac |
| FLAC | Compressed without losing anything | Archive copies and music libraries kept at full quality |
| CAF | An Apple container designed for very long recordings | Long recordings produced on Apple platforms |
| OGG | An open container, usually holding Vorbis or Opus audio | Open-source tools and some web audio |
| Opus | A modern codec tuned for speech at small file sizes | Voice notes in messaging apps, calls, web conferencing |
| MP4 | A video container, normally video plus AAC audio | Cameras, screen recordings, downloaded video |
| MOV | Apple's video container, similar contents to MP4 | iPhone video and Mac screen recordings |
For transcription only the audio matters, so a video file is treated as an audio file with pictures attached. That is why a large MP4 transcribes in about the same time as the sound alone would.
The table covers the names you meet most often. Less common containers, such as WMA, WebM, MKV, AVI, AMR or DSS from a dictation machine, import directly as well.
A few files cannot be opened: copy-protected files such as Apple Music M4P tracks and Audible AA or AAX audiobooks, and Speex (.spx) recordings. For a Speex file, or a proprietary recorder format that does not import, convert it first. Exporting to WAV keeps everything and is the safest choice; exporting to M4A produces a much smaller file with no audible difference for speech. Re-encoding an already compressed file loses a little quality each time, so convert from the original rather than from a copy of a copy where you can.
How to import a file on Mac
- Choose Transcription > Import File... or press Command-I.
- Pick one or more files. Several at once is fine.
- Or drag files from Finder onto the ThinkScribe window; it shows "Drop to import". You can also use Open With from Finder.
- The files are transcribed one after another, and each transcript appears in your library when it is done.
How to import a file on iPhone and iPad
- On the Record tab, check the language chip and pick the language spoken in the file.
- Tap Import Audio File and pick an audio or video file from Files (one at a time). The Library's ... menu has Import Audio File too.
- Or, in Voice Memos, WhatsApp, Telegram, Files, Mail or any app, tap Share and choose ThinkScribe. It confirms "Added to ThinkScribe. Open the app to transcribe."
- Open ThinkScribe. The file is transcribed and the transcript appears in the Library.
On iPad, you can also drag an audio or video file from another app and drop it onto ThinkScribe.
For a step-by-step on the phone, see transcribe audio to text on iPhone. Transcribing WhatsApp voice notes walks through that specific case, including long voice notes. If the file came from Voice Memos, check first whether the transcript built into Voice Memos already covers what you need.
Set the language
ThinkScribe transcribes 28 languages. Pick the language spoken in the file before you import: on iPhone with the language chip on the Record tab, and as your default under Settings > Language. When your setup offers Auto-detect, you can use that instead. ThinkScribe sets up the speech model for you, with nothing to install or convert, and you can start right away.
Import several files at once
On Mac, select several files in the Command-I dialog, or drop a handful onto the window. They are processed one after another. Pair a batch with Auto-Export After Transcription to have each finished transcript saved as a file, which turns a folder of old recordings into a folder of Markdown or Word documents without further clicks. On Mac you can also set a Watch Folder under Settings > Transcription: audio and video files you add to that folder are transcribed by themselves, while files already in it are left alone. See export and share transcripts. On iPhone and iPad, import one file at a time.
What to do with the transcript once it is ready
- Tap or click a line to play the audio from that moment.
- Read the cleaned text (fillers removed), or choose ... > Show Original on iPhone to see exactly what was said.
- Summarize it for a summary with action items, or ask questions about the recording. See the summaries guide.
- Find it again later: the Library's Search transcripts field searches the full text of every transcript. More in search inside audio recordings.
For every other way to turn speech into text, see the complete voice to text guide and the audio to text use case.
Frequently asked questions
Which audio and video formats can be transcribed?
ThinkScribe transcribes MP3, M4A, AAC, WAV, AIFF, FLAC, CAF, OGG, Opus, WMA and AMR audio files and MP4, MOV, M4V, 3GP, MKV, AVI and WebM video files on Mac, iPhone and iPad, on your device. It also opens FLV, DSS, APE, WavPack, MP2, MTS and M2TS files. For a video, it transcribes the audio track. ThinkScribe cannot open copy-protected files (Apple Music M4P, Audible AA and AAX) or Speex (.spx) files; convert a Speex file to WAV or M4A first, then import it.
Is the file sent anywhere?
It is never sent to us. Transcription and speaker labels run on your Mac, iPhone or iPad and work offline, and there is no account. If you choose Apple Intelligence for summaries, that feature is provided by Apple.
Can I transcribe a YouTube video or a web page?
Not from a link. If you have the video file, import it. On Mac you can also record the playback with the System audio toggle on, which captures what is playing on your Mac. Make sure you have the right to record it. See record a call or a video on Mac.
How long does a one-hour file take?
It depends on your device and the file. A recent Mac is fastest; an iPhone takes longer, and you see "Transcribing..." with a percentage while it works. You never have to wait for a download before you start: a better engine may download in the background later.
