Speech to Text, No Signup

Free Audio Transcription Online

Transcribe audio for free with Speech is Cheap. Paste a public audio URL, record with your microphone, or select a file. Try clips from six seconds to three minutes, up to 10 MiB, with no account or payment card. Get speaker labels, word timestamps, and a transcript you can save or share.

Pardon the interruption

From Audio to Text

Three Steps to Your Transcript

1. Choose Your Audio

Paste a direct audio URL, select a file, or record a short clip. A voice note, interview excerpt, or podcast sample is a useful starting point.

2. Transcribe the Clip

Press Transcribe and complete verification if prompted. The recording is processed after you stop; this is not live dictation.

3. Review and Keep It

Read along with playback, click a word to hear it again, then save the Markdown transcript or share a link.

More Than a Wall of Text

Use a short sample to see how your audio becomes structured, searchable text.

Follow Each Speaker

Speaker labels separate voices so you can follow a conversation. They identify turns, not a person's real name. Learn how speaker diarization works.

Hear the Exact Moment

When audio is available, click a word to seek to it. Word timestamps connect the text to the recording, making names, quotes, and uncertain phrases easier to check.

Take the Result With You

Save a Markdown file for your notes, share the transcript, or inspect the structured JSON. Before publishing, check names and numbers against the audio. Background noise and overlapping voices can affect the result.

For Developers

Try the Output. Then Build With the API.

The browser demo needs no credentials. Your own application uses a paid API key.

Choose a plan on the pricing page and complete checkout to get your API key. Submit a public audio URL with Jobs v2, then retrieve the result using the returned job ID. Speaker parsing, word timings, and audio labels are included in this demo; on paid API jobs, they are optional, separately billed add-ons.

Create a Job With Your API Key

curl --request POST \
  --url https://api.speechischeap.com/v2/jobs/ \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{
    "input_url": "https://cdn.speechischeap.com/shap-grok-25s.mp3",
    "can_label_audio": true,
    "can_parse_speakers": true,
    "can_parse_words": true
  }'

Example Accepted Response

{
  "id": "00000000-1111-7222-b333-444444444444-sic",
  "output": {},
  "status": "PENDING"
}

Use the same speaker labels, word timestamps, and audio labels in your own integration. Submit a public media URL or upload a file with your API key.

See Jobs v2 Parameters

Simple Core Pricing

From a Free Demo to Your Own Integration

The browser demo is free. For API access, choose Pay as You Go or a subscription. Speaker labels, word timestamps, and audio labels are billed separately.

Pay as You Go

$0.002 per audio minute

1 hour: $0.12

No monthly subscription. Pay for the audio you transcribe.

Best for Volume

Subscriber

$20 per month

Includes 21,600 core transcription minutes (15 days of audio).

Additional core transcription minutes are billed at $0.000926 each.

You are charged only for successfully completed transcriptions.

Compare API Plans

Free Transcription FAQs

Is This Transcription Tool Really Free?

Yes. This browser demo is free to use without an account, payment card, or personal API key. It accepts clips from six seconds to three minutes, up to 10 MiB. It is a public demo, not a free API account or a trial-credit balance.

Which Files and Links Can I Transcribe?

Record with your microphone, select a supported audio file, or paste a direct HTTPS media URL. MP3, M4A/AAC, Ogg, WebM/Opus, and PCM WAV are supported within the demo limits. A link to a web page or video player is not a direct audio URL.

Can I Transcribe Audio in Another Language?

Yes. The demo detects the language automatically. Speech is Cheap supports transcription in 100 languages. Transcription writes what was said in the spoken language; it does not translate the recording into English.

What Can I Save or Share?

Save downloads a Markdown transcript with timestamps and metadata. Share copies a link to the result. JSON opens the Jobs API response, including speaker labels and word timings. Anyone with the result link can read the transcript, so use audio you are comfortable sharing.

Will a Shared Result Include My Recording?

Public audio URLs remain playable. For microphone recordings and selected files, this widget keeps its replay copy in your browser. Another browser without that copy shows the transcript without playback. Files are uploaded temporarily for processing; this is not an audio-hosting service.

Can I Use the API for Free Too?

The free browser demo does not issue API credentials. For your own integration, choose a paid plan and complete checkout to receive an API key. Pay as You Go has no upfront service charge, but usage is billed and checkout requires a payment method. This page does not offer free API credits or an unlimited free tier.

Put Transcription to Work in Your App

Choose a plan, get your API key, and bring transcripts, speaker labels, and word timestamps into your own workflow.

Choose an API Plan