MP4 to Text
Transcribe the spoken track in an MP4 file. Phone videos, screen recordings, and Zoom exports can start on the free browser path, or continue in video to text when the file is a different format.
For longer files and cloud historyFor longer files and cloud historyExplore ProHow to transcribe an MP4 file
An MP4 is a container. The picture is often H.264, and the speech is usually an AAC audio track inside the same file. Whisper Web reads the audio your browser can already play. You do not run a separate extractor, and you do not rename the file to .mp3 first.
Drop the .mp4 on this page, or paste a public link that points directly at the video file. Choose the spoken language, or leave detection on, then start. Timed text appears as the recording is processed. Correct names and numbers, then download TXT, Word, JSON, SRT, or VTT.
If the player in the tool stays blank, the browser cannot decode that MP4. Some phone files use HEVC, and some exports use an audio codec the browser does not play. Export a fresh H.264 MP4 with AAC audio from the app that created the file, then try that copy. Changing the extension from .mov or .mkv to .mp4 does not convert the media.
Where MP4 files usually come from
Most of the MP4 files people transcribe are not films. They are everyday recordings that a phone, a meeting app, or a screen recorder saved as .mp4.
- Android camera clips and many phone screen recordings, with AAC speech in an MP4 container.
- Zoom cloud recordings. The video file is commonly MP4; the chat log next to it is already text and is not the recording.
- Screen recordings from desktop tools that were set to export MP4 rather than MKV or WebM.
- Lecture-capture and webinar downloads that the host packaged as a single MP4.
- A video you own or are allowed to transcribe, saved to your device before you open it here. A watch page is not a direct file.
A worked MP4 example
A 14-minute Zoom cloud recording, weekly-sync.mp4, is about 80 MB and the meeting is in English. Both the size and the length sit inside the free limit, so the file can be transcribed in the browser on this page. Choose English, start, and keep the tab open.
The draft is a series of timed segments, not a polished memo. Replay a segment when a product name or a number looks wrong, edit that line, and download TXT for the meeting notes. If the same recording will be posted with captions, download SRT from the result as well. A one-hour export of the same meeting is past 20 minutes, so that file uses Pro cloud transcription instead of the free browser path.
For every other video container, start from video to text. Use this page when the file you actually have is MP4.
Free and Pro limits for MP4
Free transcription runs in your browser for a file up to 200 MB and 20 minutes. It does not require an account. A longer Zoom export, a class recording, or a large screen capture needs Pro. Pro is the published Whisper Web Unlimited plan: US$20 per month, or US$120 per year (shown as US$10 per month when billed yearly). Each Pro file can be up to 10 hours or 5 GB, and a Pro batch can include 50 files. Choosing Pro uploads the file for cloud transcription.
Speech can be transcribed in 99 languages. Pick the language spoken in the MP4, or use automatic detection. The transcript stays in that language. This page does not translate it.
Transcribe MP4 to text in 3 steps
Step 1
Add the MP4
Drop the .mp4 file here, or paste a public link that opens the video file itself. A sharing page or a watch page is not a direct file.
Step 2
Choose the spoken language
Select the language in the recording or use automatic detection. Free files up to 200 MB and 20 minutes are processed in the browser.
Step 3
Review and download
Correct the draft against the audio, then download TXT, Word, JSON, SRT, or VTT. Save a local result before you close the tab.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert MP4 to text?
Add the MP4 file or a public direct link, choose the spoken language, and start transcription. Edit the timed text, then download a document or a subtitle file from this page.
Do I have to extract the audio from the MP4 first?
No. If your browser can play the file, Whisper Web transcribes that audio track. Extract or re-export only when the browser cannot decode the video.
Can I transcribe a Zoom MP4?
Yes, when you have the recording file. A Zoom cloud MP4 is the usual download. Use the video file, not the chat transcript that Zoom may save beside it.
What is the free limit for an MP4?
Free browser transcription accepts one file up to 200 MB and 20 minutes. Pro, the published Unlimited plan, accepts files up to 10 hours or 5 GB and uploads them for cloud transcription.
Will an MP4 from my phone work?
Android camera and screen-recording MP4 files usually play in current browsers. If nothing plays, export an H.264 MP4 with AAC audio and upload that copy.
Can I get subtitles from the same MP4?
Yes. After the transcript is ready, download SRT or VTT. For a page that explains those caption files, continue in subtitle generation.
Which languages can an MP4 be transcribed in?
Whisper Web supports 99 languages. The text follows the speech in the file. It is not translated into another language on this page.
Is the MP4 uploaded?
On the free path the browser processes the file and does not upload it. Pro uploads the MP4 when you choose cloud transcription for a longer file, a batch, or saved history.