Why not upload the whole video
A ten-minute video in good quality can be hundreds of megabytes, while speech fits in a few. Extracting only the audio:
| Benefit | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Speed | The upload is a few megabytes |
| Data savings | Matters on mobile networks |
| Privacy | The video and its images stay on your device |
| Compatibility | Formats a server might not read still work |
Step by step
- Open TooLongToListen in your desktop or phone browser.
- Drag the video to the upload area or click to choose a file.
- Wait for the Preparing audio step. A progress bar shows the work. Often it is quick.
- Tick the subtitles option if you want SRT and VTT.
- Sign in with Google and start. The free plan includes 10 minutes at sign-up.
- Copy the text or download the .srt or .vtt.
The app also shows when the upload is smaller than your file, with a note such as "sending 1.2 MB instead of 48 MB".
How the extraction works
The browser tries the lightest route first:
- Copy the audio track. The app reads the container and copies the audio packets without decoding. It is almost instant.
- Convert with browser features. If the track cannot be copied, the app decodes the audio, reduces it to mono at 16 kHz (enough for speech) and encodes it compactly.
- Use a full converter. For formats the browser cannot read, the app downloads a converter compiled for the web and processes the file.
The file is read in chunks, without loading the whole video into memory. That is why the source limit is high (16 GB) while the audio length limit is 3 hours.
Supported formats
| Type | Extensions |
|---|---|
| Video | mp4, mov, m4v, webm, mkv, avi, wmv, flv, 3gp, 3g2, mts, m2ts, ts, mpg, mpeg, ogv, mxf, vob |
| Common audio | mp3, wav, m4a, ogg, opus, oga, mpga, flac |
| Other audio | aac, wma, amr, aiff, aif, caf, ac3, mka, weba |
If your format is not listed, export the video as MP4 (H.264 video with AAC audio) and try again.
Limits and messages
| Situation | What you see | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No audio track | "This file has no audio." | Check the audio track in your export |
| More than 3 hours of audio | "The audio is longer than 3 hours. Split the file into shorter parts and upload again." | Split into parts |
| Too big even as audio | "This file is too large. Upload a shorter section." | Send a shorter section |
| Unreadable format | "We could not prepare the audio from this file. Try exporting it as MP4 or MP3." | Export again |
Tips for better text
- Keep the voice clear. Loud music or street noise lowers quality in every tool.
- Avoid people talking over each other.
- The product does not separate speakers; label them in your review.
- Fix names and acronyms.
- For subtitles, check reading speed with the subtitle reading speed checker.
What we do not do
- We do not download videos from links such as YouTube; you need the file.
- We do not transcribe live.
- We do not separate speakers automatically.
- The speech model detects language automatically; Portuguese is our main focus, so review other languages.
Only transcribe content that you have the right to use.
Privacy in one line
The video stays on your device; the audio is processed on our own server. See privacy-first transcription.
Start now
Convert video to text. Then use the result for subtitles or meeting minutes.
Sources
- Mediabunny, media reading and conversion in the browser: https://mediabunny.dev
- WebCodecs API (MDN): https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/WebCodecs_API
- ffmpeg.wasm: https://ffmpegwasm.netlify.app
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a video to text?
Drag the video into the page, wait for the audio preparation step, sign in and start. The browser extracts the audio and only that audio is sent for transcription.
Is my video uploaded?
No. The video stays on your device. Only the extracted audio is sent.
Which video formats work?
MP4, MOV, MKV, WEBM, AVI and many others, with source files up to 16 GB. If a format fails, export it as MP4 with AAC audio and try again.
What if my video is longer than 3 hours?
Each file can hold up to 3 hours of audio. Only a video longer than 3 hours must be split into parts, each transcribed separately.
What happens if the video has no sound?
The app tells you that the file has no audio. Check that the audio track was included when you exported.
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