Skip to content
Scriptorium
Transcribe free

Opus to text

Opus to text

Upload an .opus file and get the words back as text. Opus is the codec behind most messaging voice notes; on Android and WhatsApp Desktop a saved voice message is typically an .opus file, and it uploads here as it is.

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

What Opus is, and why voice notes use it

Opus is an open audio codec designed for speech and interactive use. It keeps voices intelligible at very low bitrates, which is why messaging apps use it: a voice note is a few hundred kilobytes. The files normally have an .opus extension, or sit inside an .ogg container. Nothing needs converting before upload.

Getting the .opus file out of a chat app

  • WhatsApp on Android: the message can be shared or saved from its menu; the file is commonly an .opus. WhatsApp Desktop and Web let you download a voice message from its menu.
  • iPhone: WhatsApp voice notes shared from the app may arrive in a different container; the file still uploads. Menu wording changes between versions, so use the app's own help if you do not see it.
  • Telegram Desktop: right-click a voice message and save it as a file.

Steps

  1. Save the voice note as a file and note where it went.
  2. Choose it above.
  3. Read the transcript, then copy it, or export it if you need a record with timestamps.

Quality notes

Opus recordings of voice are usually clear enough for transcription. Noise, speakerphone, music behind the voice and several people talking at once cost more accuracy than the codec does. For a voice note in a language other than English, pick the language explicitly when you can; see transcribing non-English audio.

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 Opus the same as OGG?
Not exactly: Opus is the audio codec, OGG is a common container for it. Both extensions are accepted.
Can I transcribe a WhatsApp voice note that someone sent me?
Technically yes. Check you are comfortable using someone else's voice message this way; it is their voice. See the WhatsApp guide.
Does it keep the timestamps?
Yes. Every line has a time, and the SRT, VTT and timestamped text exports carry them.
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