Help / Troubleshooting

How to Transcribe an Audio or Video File You Have Locally

Updated 24 Apr 2026 · TranscriptX editorial

Who this is for: User has a local MP3, MP4, or WAV file and wants to transcribe it, but TranscriptX is link-based.

TL;DR — Upload the file to Google Drive or Dropbox with 'Anyone with the link' sharing, then paste the file URL into TranscriptX. Drive is fastest if you're already signed into Google. Keep files under ~100 MB — we extract audio internally and cap the transcription pass at 25 MB of audio.

Why we're link-based (and what it means for you)

TranscriptX accepts URLs, not file uploads. This trade-off exists because link-based workflows are much faster when your content is already online — paste link, get transcript — and because we didn't want to build/maintain upload infrastructure for the first release.

The cost is exactly this page: if your file is on your laptop, you need to upload it somewhere reachable first. The good news is this takes about 60 seconds on Google Drive.

Fastest path: Google Drive

Open drive.google.com and sign in.
Drag your file into the Drive window (or click New → File upload).
Wait for upload to finish.
Right-click the file → Share.
Under "General access," change "Restricted" to "Anyone with the link" (role: Viewer).
Click Copy link.
Paste that URL into TranscriptX.

The Drive URL should look like https://drive.google.com/file/d/abc123.../view?usp=sharing. If yours looks like /drive/folders/, you copied the folder instead of the file — see the Drive link guide.

Alternative: Dropbox

Upload the file to Dropbox.
Right-click → Copy Dropbox link.
Modify the URL so the end is ?dl=1 instead of ?dl=0. This forces a direct download.
Paste the modified URL into TranscriptX.

Without the ?dl=1 change, Dropbox redirects through an HTML page and we can't grab the file. The parameter tells Dropbox to serve the file directly.

Alternative: Any public HTTPS URL

If you already run a website, file host, or CDN, you can put the file there and paste the direct URL. Requirements:

HTTPS (we don't accept plain HTTP)
No authentication required (no Basic Auth, no login wall)
The URL returns the file bytes directly, not an HTML preview page

File size limits

Our transcription pipeline caps audio at 25 MB for a single pass. This usually works out to about 90-120 minutes of audio at standard speech bitrate. Practical implications:

A typical MP3 (audiobook, podcast) stays under 25 MB for up to ~2 hours.
A typical MP4 (video) is much larger than just its audio — we extract audio internally, so a 2 GB 4K video with 30 minutes of speech transcribes fine; it's the audio portion that matters.
Very long (3+ hour) or very high-bitrate audio may exceed the cap. For these, splitting the file is the current workaround.

Why not just let me upload?

Native file upload is on the roadmap — we know it's friction, we just haven't prioritized it yet. The URL-paste flow covers most workflows because most content is already online somewhere (YouTube, Drive, Dropbox, company CMS). If your workflow is mostly local files and upload friction matters to you, email us — it bumps the priority.

FAQ

Do I need a paid Google Drive account?

No. Free Google accounts include 15 GB of Drive storage which is enough for most audio/video files. Just sign in with any Google account.

Can I delete the file from Drive after transcribing?

Yes. Once the transcript is generated, our copy is done with the file. You can delete it from Drive immediately.

What audio/video formats work?

Common ones: MP3, MP4, WAV, M4A, MOV, WebM, OGG. If it plays in VLC, it probably works with us. Very obscure codecs may fail — convert to MP3 or MP4 if needed.

Is my file private if I use Anyone-with-the-link sharing?

Unlisted, not private. Google doesn't index these files in search. Random strangers can't find them. But anyone with the actual URL can access — treat the URL like a password.

What's the longest audio I can transcribe?

Roughly 2 hours at standard speech bitrate before the 25 MB internal cap kicks in. For longer content, split the file into chunks or use an offline tool like Buzz.

Can I paste a OneDrive or Box link?

Maybe. OneDrive's 'anyone with link' shares usually work but sometimes route through auth pages we can't follow. Box shares vary by enterprise settings. Drive and Dropbox are most reliable.

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