Konthora

Konthora converts MP3 audio into accurate transcripts for free in the browser. MP3 is the most common recording format, and how the file was encoded affects accuracy. Choose sentence, paragraph, or word-level timestamps and export as TXT, SRT, VTT, or JSON. Uploads are up to 100 megabytes and 10 minutes long, and are deleted after 60 minutes.

MP3 Transcription

MP3 to Text

Upload an MP3 and get a timestamped transcript. The encoding of your file matters more than you would expect, and this page explains which parts.

Upload media

Audio and video transcription

Up to 100 MB
Drag & drop your file here, or click to browseSupported formats: .MP3, .WAV, .M4A, .AAC, .MP4, .WEBM, .MOV
Maximum file size: 100 MB

Currently supports English-language audio only.

Export Format
Ready to transcribeChoose a file, timestamp grouping, and export format.
Your files are processed securely and automatically deleted after 60 minutes. Privacy

Transcription Output

No transcription results yet

Upload an audio or video file and click Transcribe Audio. Your timestamped transcript and export controls will appear here.

MP3-specific

How MP3 encoding affects your transcript

MP3 is lossy, and the loss is uneven across the frequency range the model relies on. These are the settings that change what comes back.

64 kbps and below

Phone and voice-memo recordings. Expect errors on quiet and consonant-heavy speech.

128 to 192 kbps

The usual range for podcasts and voiceovers. A good balance of quality and size.

256 kbps and above

Studio or lossless-then-encoded sources. Transcribes most accurately.

Mono versus stereo

Mono voice recordings are smaller and usually cleaner. Stereo phase issues cost you accuracy.

How it works

Transcribe an MP3 in three steps

Upload the file, pick your timing, and export in the format you need.

1

Upload your MP3 file

Up to 100 MB and 10 minutes. Anything recorded at 128 kbps or above transcribes reliably.

2

Pick timestamps for your use

Sentence level for show notes, word level if you need subtitles, paragraph level for reading.

3

Review and export

Check names and numbers specifically, then download TXT, SRT, VTT or JSON before the 60-minute window closes.

Who it is for

What people transcribe MP3s for

The recording formats that come off a phone, a podcast host, or a field recorder.

Phone and voice memos

The most common MP3 source, and usually the most compressed.

Podcast episodes

Longer recordings that need splitting at topic changes.

Interviews and field recordings

Recorded on equipment that saves straight to MP3.

Archive and search

Make an old MP3 library findable by what is said in it.

MP3 to Text FAQs

Common questions about transcribing MP3 files.

What MP3 bitrate should I use for the best accuracy?
192 kbps or above for reliable results. Below 64 kbps, which is typical of phone voice memos, expect errors on quiet speech and hard consonants. If you still have the original recording, re-encoding from a WAV source recovers most of the lost detail.
Does mono or stereo transcribe better?
Mono usually does, for voice recordings. It is smaller and avoids phase problems where one channel is slightly delayed from the other, which the model reads as garbled speech. Stereo matters only when the recording genuinely uses both channels, such as a two-person conversation on separate mics.
Can Konthora convert an MP3 to a Word document?
Not directly. Export TXT for plain text, which pastes into any word processor, or JSON if you are scripting and want the timing data as well.
Why does my MP3 transcript have errors that a WAV does not?
MP3 is lossy. It discards detail unevenly, and the parts it discards are concentrated in quiet and consonant-heavy speech, which is exactly where transcription is hardest. The MP3 versus WAV guide covers this in detail.
How long can an MP3 be?
100 MB and 10 minutes per file. A 45-minute podcast episode at 128 kbps is roughly 40 MB but still exceeds the duration limit, so split it at topic changes and overlap the joins by a second.
Can I convert an MP3 to SRT subtitles?
Yes. Choose word-level timestamps before transcribing, then export SRT. Sentence-level cues lag behind the speaker; word-level cues track the voice.