Skip to content
Scriptorium
Transcribe free

AAC to text

AAC to text

Upload an AAC file and read the speech in it. A bare .aac file is raw AAC audio without the MP4 wrapper that an .m4a has; it appears in downloads, streaming captures and some recorders, and uploads here directly.

Free preview: one file up to 15 minutes and 25 MB, 3 tries a day, no account needed.

Want to keep your transcripts? Create a free account

AAC, M4A and MP4: how they relate

AAC is the codec. M4A and MP4 are containers that usually hold AAC. A file ending in .aac has the same audio with a thinner wrapper (often ADTS frames), so seeking and metadata are limited, but the speech is there. If a player struggles with your .aac, upload it here anyway or re-wrap it with the audio converter.

Where .aac files turn up

  • Audio saved from streams and some radio or broadcast tools.
  • Voice recorders and dictation apps that write plain AAC.
  • Audio ripped from a video's AAC track.

Steps

  1. Choose the .aac file above.
  2. Wait for the transcript, then play the audio against it.
  3. Fix anything wrong and export.

Quality notes

AAC is lossy, as MP3 is. Low-bitrate AAC from a speech stream is fine for clear single voices; heavy compression plus background music is not. If you also have the original recording, upload that instead.

How it works

  1. Add a recording

    Drop in a video or audio file, choose one from your device, or record from the microphone. Nothing to install.

  2. It transcribes

    Speech becomes timestamped text, with speaker labels when more than one person talks.

  3. Read, fix, export

    Click any line to correct it, then download TXT, subtitles, Markdown, JSON or CSV.

Questions

Is AAC the same as M4A?
Related but not identical: M4A is a file container, AAC the audio inside. Both extensions work here.
My AAC file will not play on my device. Will it upload?
Often yes. The server decodes the audio itself, so a player's pickiness does not apply.
What is the length limit?
15 minutes without an account, 25 MB per file.
Is it free?
Yes — one file up to 15 minutes and 25 MB with no account, up to 3 tries a day. A free account keeps your transcripts in a library and lifts the guest limits; the current limits and paid plans are on the pricing page.
What can I export?
Plain text, timestamped text, SRT, VTT, Markdown, JSON with word timings and CSV, all from the same edited transcript.

Want your transcripts saved and longer files? Create a free account · See pricing · All use cases

Try it with your file

No account needed for a first transcript.

Transcribe free — no sign-up Create free account