What Audio and Video Formats Can You Transcribe?
A simple guide to the audio and video files you can upload for transcription — MP3, WAV, M4A, MP4, MOV and more — plus tips on file size, importing from a link, and what to do if a format is not supported.
One of the first questions before uploading is simple: will my file work? In almost all cases, yes. BriefVox handles the common audio and video formats people actually record and download — here is the quick rundown.
Common audio formats
Everyday audio files transcribe out of the box. The most common ones include:
- MP3 — the most common shared audio format
- WAV — uncompressed, often from recorders and editing software
- M4A / AAC — typical for voice memos and Apple devices
- FLAC and OGG — lossless and open formats
Common video formats
You can upload video directly — only the audio track is used, so there is no need to extract it yourself first. Widely used formats include:
- MP4 — the standard for most cameras, phones and screen recorders
- MOV — common from Apple devices and many cameras
- MKV, WEBM and AVI — frequent for downloaded or exported video
Whether you upload audio or video, you get back the same thing: a speaker-labeled, timestamped transcript you can edit and export.
Importing from a link
Instead of downloading and re-uploading, you can paste a link to bring the audio in directly — handy for content you have the right to use. Make sure you are allowed to transcribe the material under the source platform's terms before importing.
File size and length
Longer recordings are fine — meetings, interviews and full podcast episodes all work. If a file is unusually large, exporting it as audio-only (for example MP3 or M4A) before uploading keeps it lighter and uploads faster, with no loss of transcription quality since only the audio is used.
If your format is not supported
Rare or unusual formats can be converted to a common one first. Re-export or convert the file to MP3 (audio) or MP4 (video) with any free tool, then upload that — the result is identical.
Frequently asked
Do I need to convert video to audio before uploading?
No. Upload the video as-is; only its audio track is processed. Converting to audio yourself is optional and mainly useful to shrink very large files.
Will a phone voice memo work?
Yes. Voice memos (usually M4A) are one of the most common uploads and transcribe well, especially when the phone was held close to the speaker.
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