Transcribe Zoom recordings to text
Turn Zoom meeting recordings into text and subtitles free. Works with local and cloud recordings (MP4 or M4A). Transcription runs in your browser.
Drop your video or audio file here
or click to browse. It’s free, no signup.
MP4 · MOV · WebM · MKV · AVI · MP3 · WAV · M4A and more
🔒 100% private: transcription runs in your browser. Your file is never uploaded.
Zoom’s built-in transcripts depend on cloud recording, which is only available on paid plans. FreeTranscribe turns any Zoom recording, local or cloud, into text for free, and the meeting audio never leaves your computer. That matters when the call was internal or confidential.
Use it for meeting notes, action items, exact quotes from a customer call, or captions for a recorded webinar.
Where to find your Zoom recording
- Local recordings: Zoom saves them in a “Zoom” folder inside your Documents folder (Windows and Mac), with a separate folder for each meeting.
- Cloud recordings: sign in at zoom.us, open Recordings, then Cloud recordings, and download the meeting.
- You’ll usually get an MP4 video and an audio-only M4A file. Either works. The audio-only file is smaller, so it loads faster, and gives the same transcript.
Tips for better meeting transcripts
- Keep the “Accurate” setting. Meetings have crosstalk and laptop microphones, which is exactly where the larger model helps.
- Speakers aren’t labelled automatically, but the timestamps make it easy to jump back and check who said what.
- Long meeting? Leave the tab open. An hour of audio takes roughly half an hour on a modern laptop, and the text streams in as it works.
How it works
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Drop your file
Nothing is uploaded. The file stays on your device the whole time.
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AI transcribes locally
OpenAI’s Whisper model runs in your browser, so no server ever sees your file.
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Copy or download
Plain text, or timestamped SRT and VTT subtitles ready to use anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a paid Zoom plan?
No. Any Zoom recording works, including local recordings from free accounts. You just need the recording file.
Is it OK to transcribe a confidential meeting here?
The recording is processed entirely in your browser and never uploaded, so the audio isn’t shared with us or any other service. Follow your organization’s usual rules on recording and consent.
Can I transcribe a Zoom webinar or class recording?
Yes, any recording file works. Export SRT or VTT to add captions when you share the video.