Audio to text converter

Frequently Asked Questions

• What are the advantages of transcribing audio to text?

  There are numerous advantages to transcribe audio to text. When you transcribe audio, you make your content more accessible for the Deaf, hard of hearing, and non-native language speakers. Transcribing audio to text can improve SEO because Google can't index audio.

• Can I convert audio to text for free with HappyScribe?

  Yes! We offer a free trial for new users – your first 10 minutes of AI transcription are completely free. No credit card and no purchase necessary. This lets you experience our quality and speed first-hand. (If you need to transcribe more, you can upgrade to a paid plan or pay-as-you-go for longer audio – but there’s no obligation.)

• How accurate are the transcripts?

  Our Automatic Transcription (AI) is extremely accurate for clear audio, with around 90% accuracy or higher for the most common languages. When you need near-perfect text, we provide Human Transcription by professional transcribers, which leads to ~99% accuracy. You have the flexibility to choose: speed with AI or supreme accuracy with a human touch. Either way, you’ll get a high-quality transcript, and you can always edit minor errors using our editor.

• What are the main ways to convert audio to text?

  There are three main methods to do so; doing it yourself (DIY), using an automatic transcription software, or using a human transcription service. Happy Scribe offers all three options. Manually converting your file to text is the free method, but also extremely time-consuming. Our automatic transcription software uses the state-of-the-art speech recognition technology to transcribe your audio in a few minutes with 85% accuracy. Our human transcription service provides the highest accuracy rate and delivers in 24 hours.

• How fast will I get my transcript?

  For AI transcriptions, you’ll often see your transcript start appearing within seconds of upload, and completion times usually range from a few seconds to a few minutes depending on audio length. Human transcriptions take longer since they’re done by real people – typically a few hours for short files up to 24 hours for longer ones – but we strive to deliver as quickly as possible without compromising accuracy.

• What is the difference between transcription and translation?

  Transcription involves converting audio to text. Transcribing audio to text involves taking an audio file and converting it to a text document verbatim and in the same language that the original speaker used. The best audio to text conversion can take an audio file in Spanish and convert it into a Spanish text file. On the other hand, translation is the process of taking a piece of audio or written text and converting it into another language. For example, if you have a text document in English but want it converted to French, that is translation.

• What audio file formats can I upload?

  Happy Scribe supports a broad range – over 45 file formats. You can upload common audio formats like MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, WMA, OGG, and AIFF, as well as video formats (MP4, MOV, AVI, etc.) if you need to transcribe the audio from a video. In short, if you have a media file that contains spoken audio, we can likely convert it to text. No need to convert your files beforehand – just upload and go!

• Is my data secure with HappyScribe?

  Absolutely. We take data privacy seriously. All uploads are sent over secure SSL connections and are stored in an encrypted format. Only you (and authorized transcribers, if you use the human service) can access your files. Happy Scribe is compliant with GDPR and SOC 2 Type 2 data protection standards, so you can use our service with confidence that your files remain confidential.

• What makes HappyScribe different from other audio to text tools?

  We offer both AI and human audio to text transcription in one platform, giving you control over speed vs. accuracy. Our interface is intuitive and packed with features like an online editor, speaker identification, timestamps, Ask AI and direct export to multiple formats (including subtitle files or even dubbing if you'd like). We also support an extraordinary range of languages – more than many other services. Plus, our transparent pricing and free trial make us accessible to everyone from students to businesses.