WAV to Text

Turn a WAV recording from a field recorder, studio, or audio editor into text. Review the transcript and export the version you need.

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field-interview.wav

Text (.txt)

Excerpt from a WAV field interview

Download example

Interviewer: Where did the floodwater first reach the path? Ranger: Just past the second footbridge. We put the marker on the upstream side so it would stay visible. Interviewer: I’ll check the bridge number against the map.

How it works

Upload your file
In Speechyou Notes, select Upload, choose your recording, and select Upload & transcribe.
Review the transcript
Open the finished note and check the text against the recording. Use Edit transcript to correct names, terminology, or misheard words.
Export Text (.txt)
Open Export in the transcript and choose the file type. Save the file or share it with your team.

Accepted extension .wav

Transcription guide

Use the WAV recording straight from the recorder

An uncompressed PCM WAV preserves the detail the recorder captured and often takes more space than MP3. Upload the original WAV when the dialogue is already audible. For a multitrack session, export a speech mix from your editor so everyone who needs to appear in the transcript is audible in the same file.

Review the passages your microphone struggled to capture

A WAV container cannot fix wind, clipping, or a speaker who was too far from the mic. For field interviews, listen through the quietest sections before transcribing. If the recording has a noisy section that obscures a quote, verify that quote against another microphone track or note that the passage is unclear.

Keep the original timing for production edits

If you plan to reference quotes in your audio editor, use a WAV that starts at the same point as your edit. Add section timestamps when exporting TXT, Word, or PDF to give your team listening points. If you trim the file first, the transcript timings will follow the trimmed version.

Check separate microphone channels before you export

A field recorder may put the interviewer on the left channel and the guest on the right. Listen to each channel by itself in your editor. If one voice is quieter, use the original session to make a balanced speech mix and play it back in mono before uploading. That playback check can catch a speaker who disappears when channels are combined. If the archive needs a reference back to its original WAV, leave the start point in place and record which tracks were used in the transcription copy.

A field-recording checklist

Play the quietest exchange and listen for clipping or background noise.
Check both sides of a stereo file if you used two microphones.
Export standard PCM WAV when the recorder offers several WAV variants.
Keep the original start point if the transcript will be used to find edit points.

Frequently asked questions

Which WAV export should I choose in my audio editor?

Choose a standard PCM WAV when the editor offers several WAV codecs. If a file will not play or decode, export a fresh PCM WAV from the original session and check that the speech is audible.

Can I transcribe a long stereo WAV?

Yes, when it fits the upload limit on your plan. Listen to both sides first if microphones were recorded on separate channels and make sure the export includes the voices you want.

Can I use the same WAV to make captions?

Yes. Transcribe the WAV, then export SRT or WebVTT if timed segments are available. Use an audio export aligned to the final video so the cue timings match.

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