To convert WAV to text, upload the file to TranscriptX from your device, Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive, with no need to convert it to MP3 first. The AI transcribes the speech and shows punctuated paragraphs with timestamps. Fix any word with Edit, then click Copy, or click Download for a TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT or VTT file.
A WAV to text converter listens to the speech in a WAV file and writes it out as text. WAV is the uncompressed format that field recorders, studio software, Audacity exports, dictation devices and many call recording systems save by default, so it is often the highest-quality copy of a recording you have.
Typing up one hour of audio by hand takes about four hours. TranscriptX turns the WAV file into text in seconds to minutes, depending on its length, so you spend your time reading and using the transcript instead of pausing and rewinding.
Click Upload and choose From this device, Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive. Upload the WAV as it is; there is no need to convert it to MP3 or trim it first.
TranscriptX detects the language and writes out the speech as paragraphs, each with a timestamp. The recording plays beside the text.
Play the parts you care about, and use Edit to fix names, numbers or terms the audio made hard to catch.
Click Copy to put the text on your clipboard. To save a file, click Download, the button next to Copy, and pick .txt, .docx, .pdf, .srt or .vtt.
TranscriptX is free every day and you can try it without an account. Open the page, upload your WAV file and read the transcript in the same browser tab. There is no software to install, so the WAV to text online converter works the same on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, iPhone and Android.
Sign in to keep your transcripts in History across devices. For long recordings or daily use, the <a href="/pricing/">Pro plan</a> adds a stronger model, speaker labels, noise reduction and unlimited transcription.
No. WAV files are large because they are uncompressed, often several times the size of an MP3 of the same recording, but you can upload the WAV file as it is. Converting it to MP3 first only adds a step and throws away audio detail.
If the file is already in Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive, upload it from there instead of downloading it to your device first. For very long recordings, see <a href="/transcribe-large-audio-files/">Transcribe Large Audio Files</a>, and check your plan's file size on the <a href="/pricing/">pricing page</a>.
A transcript you can work with, not just a block of words:
Sentences, commas and paragraph breaks are added for you, so the text reads like writing, not a stream of words.
Each paragraph shows where it starts in the WAV file. Turn timestamps on to check a quote against the audio, or off for clean reading text.
On the Pro plan, interviews, meetings and panels with two or more voices come back with each speaker labelled.
Write notes, checklists and timestamped bookmarks in the Notes tab next to the text.
Fix a word, a name or a number directly in the transcript before you copy or export it.
Click Download next to the Copy button and choose the format your next step needs. Use .txt for plain text or another app, .docx to edit in Word or Google Docs, and .pdf to share or file a read-only copy.
For a WAV that belongs with a video, such as audio from an external recorder, download .srt or .vtt to get a subtitle file with timing for each line. If you want subtitles from a video file directly, use <a href="/video-to-text/">Video to Text</a>.
Any WAV file with speech in it. The ones people convert most:
Interviews, lectures and events recorded on a dedicated audio recorder, which usually saves WAV. For research and press interviews, use <a href="/interview-transcription/">Interview Transcription</a>.
Raw tracks or a final mix exported from Audacity, GarageBand or another editor. See <a href="/blog/how-to-transcribe-podcast/">how to transcribe a podcast</a>.
Notes, letters and reports dictated into a recorder, turned into text you can edit.
Upload the WAV a call or meeting system saved and get a written record of what was said and decided.
A recording saved as WAV on a computer or phone becomes text you can search. To record straight in the browser, use <a href="/voice-to-text/">Voice to Text</a>.
WAV keeps all the audio detail, so accuracy depends on the recording itself, not on compression. A clear voice, one speaker at a time and little background noise give a transcript that needs few corrections. Crosstalk, echo, music under the speech and a distant microphone cause more errors.
Before you rely on the text, check names, numbers and technical terms against the audio using the timestamps. On the Pro plan, noise reduction helps with noisy recordings.
Not every recording is a WAV file. TranscriptX also accepts MP3, M4A, AAC, FLAC and OGG audio, and video files such as MP4 and MOV. For MP3 files, use <a href="/mp3-to-text/">MP3 to Text</a>; for any audio format, <a href="/audio-to-text/">Audio to Text</a>; for video, <a href="/video-to-text/">Video to Text</a>.
Uploaded files are deleted automatically, and your recordings and transcripts are not used to train AI models. You can delete a single transcript, or all your data, at any time from your account. See the <a href="/privacy-policy/">Privacy Policy</a> for details.
Yes. TranscriptX is free every day and you can try it without an account. The <a href="/pricing/">Pro plan</a> is for heavy use.
No. Upload the WAV file as it is. Converting it first only adds a step and loses audio detail.
Yes. After the transcript appears, click Download and choose .docx. It opens in Word, Google Docs and Pages.
Yes. Click Download and choose .txt for plain text, or click Copy to paste the text straight into another app.
Yes. Click Download and choose .srt or .vtt to get a subtitle file with timing for each line.
Yes. The spoken language is detected automatically, and the transcript comes back in that language.
Upload a WAV file and get an editable transcript with timestamps. Copy the text, or download it as TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT or VTT.
Need the step-by-step guide, with tips for large files and recorder audio? Read <a href="/blog/how-to-transcribe-wav-to-text/">how to transcribe WAV to text</a>. Free to try, no account needed.
Convert WAV to Text