Transcribe audio to text

Speech to Text

Record your voice or screen, or upload an audio or video file. Pictory turns the speech into text you can edit, then into a video.

  • Record or upload
  • MP3 and WAV audio, and video files
  • Edit the video by editing the text
  • Free to try, online in your browser
A podcast host smiling at the camera beside her microphone, with her recording turned into text by Pictory

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What is speech to text?

Speech to text turns spoken words into written text. In Pictory you record your voice or screen, or upload an audio or video file, and it transcribes the speech into a transcript you can edit. Then use the text to edit the video, add captions or make a new video.

Built for recordings. A podcast episode, an interview, a voice memo or a screen recording becomes text in minutes, with each speaker marked.

Use it as speech to text AI for audio you already have, then turn the recording into a video with audio to video. For a video you want as text and a script, see video to text.

An interviewer with headphones at a desk after turning a recorded interview into text with Pictory

interview.wavTranscribed · 2 speakers

Transcript readyFiller words off

Your source, any format

Start with a recording or an audio file

Record in Pictory, or upload an MP3 or WAV file up to 5 GB or 180 minutes. To turn a recording into a full video, use audio to video.

How it works

How to turn speech into text

To turn speech into text, record your voice or screen in Pictory, or upload an MP3, WAV or video file, and choose the language. Pictory transcribes it and opens the transcript editor. Edit the text, then download the transcript and the video or make a new video.

  1. Record or upload

    Record in Pictory, or upload an MP3 or WAV file, and choose the language.

  2. Check the transcript

    Fix any word, and remove filler words and silences.

  3. Add captions

    Pick a caption style for the video.

  4. Download or make a video

    Download the transcript and the video, or turn the text into a new video.

Audio

Transcribe audio to text

To transcribe audio to text, upload an MP3 or WAV file to Pictory and choose its language. Pictory turns the audio into an editable transcript inside the video editor, ready for captions, a script or a video. It is an audio to text converter for recordings up to 180 minutes.

Features

Speech to text video editor

Edit by text

Edit the video by editing the text

As a speech to text video editor, Pictory puts the transcript beside the video. Delete a sentence and that part of the video goes too.

  • The transcript beside the video
  • Each speaker marked
  • Search and replace
See the AI video editor

Clean up

Filler words and silences out in a click

Remove the ums, the false starts and the long pauses from the whole recording at once.

  • Filler words removed
  • Silences removed
  • The transcript and the video together
See text-based editing
A podcaster at her microphone after removing filler words and silences from her recording in Pictory

episode-08.mp332 min · 2 speakers

Filler words offSilences off

Captions and video

From recording to video

Add captions in a choice of styles, or turn the recording into a video with visuals that match what is said.

  • Caption styles
  • Visuals matched to the speech
  • MP4 download
See audio to video

Record

Record your voice or screen

Pictory has a recorder for your screen, your camera and your voice, right in the browser. When you finish, choose Edit video using AI and the recording opens in the transcript editor, ready to edit as text. Use it for a voice note, a walkthrough or a talk to camera.

More AI video features

Your complete AI video generation tool

  • AI avatars

    Add a talking presenter, or a digital twin of you.

  • Captions

    Accurate, synced captions in your brand style.

  • Translation

    Captions and voiceover for every market.

  • Text editing

    Edit the transcript to edit the video.

  • Team workspaces

    Share projects and brand kits with your team.

  • API

    Generate branded videos from your own product.

AI Studio

Create any image or video you need with generative AI

The latest image and video models, built into the editor. Generate it, then drop it straight into your scene.

  • A white vase on the left and the same vase turned purple on the right, after the prompt "Make it purple"

    Generate and edit images

    Describe it, or edit an existing image with a prompt.

  • The same woman in a forest and on a city waterfront at sunset, matched to her reference photo

    Keep characters consistent

    Use reference images to keep the same person or product in every scene.

  • A barista talking to the camera in her cafe, with a play button and audio waveform

    Create video clips with sound

    Generate clips with audio. Yes, characters can talk.

  • A hiker on a mountain summit above the clouds, with a filmstrip showing the clip being extended
    Original clip, frame 1: sunrise over the clouds beside a mountain ridgeOriginal clip, frame 2: a hiker with a red backpack climbing toward the summitOriginal clip, frame 3: clouds below the rocky ridgeExtended clip, new frame 1: the sun low over a sea of cloudsExtended clip, new frame 2: the hiker standing on the summit with both arms raisedExtended clip, new frame 3: clouds rolling past the far ridges

    Extend any clip

    Keep any clip going with a new prompt, even one you uploaded.

  • Four versions of a lakeside cabin scene, with one selected

    Get four options at once

    Generate up to four versions and keep the best one.

  • A lavender water bottle styled with brand kit colors

    Stay on brand

    Your brand kit’s colors guide every generation.

Choose your model

Pick a model for stills or 5 to 10-second clips.

Also in AI Studio: Nano Banana Lite for images and Omni Flash for video.

Use cases

Who is using speech to text?

  • Two podcast hosts at their microphones in a video made from the text of their episode
    Podcasters

    Podcast episodes turned into text

    Upload the episode and get the text, with each speaker marked.

  • A researcher with headphones in a library in a video made from a recorded interview
    Researchers

    Interviews transcribed for notes

    Turn recorded interviews into text you can search.

  • A product manager at his desk in a how-to video made from a screen recording
    Product teams

    Screen recordings into how-to videos

    Record the walkthrough, then edit it as text.

  • A life coach on her sofa in a video made from a recorded voice note
    Coaches

    Voice notes turned into videos

    Record a voice note, then make it a video with captions.

Why Pictory

Loved by creators, trusted by enterprise teams

From solo creators to global marketing teams. Read the case studies

  • 4.6 / 5

    Average rating on G2, plus Capterra’s Best Ease of Use award for 2025.

    • Capterra Best Ease of Use 2025 badge
    • Capterra Shortlist 2025 badge
    • Software Advice Front Runners 2025 badge
    • GetApp Category Leaders 2025 badge
  • 20,000+

    companies and institutions creating video with Pictory.

  • SOC 2

    and GDPR compliant, ready for enterprise security reviews

    AICPA SOC sealISO 27001 sealGDPR

Case studies

Teams that scaled video with Pictory

  • Whirlybird Labs logo over a bright glass office

    “Pictory is the easiest, most efficient way to get from an idea in text to multimedia imagery on the screen. It’s the critical component to get us out of death by PowerPoint.”

    Jason Hoss, Founder & CEO
    Read the Whirlybird Labs case study
  • VRC Investigations logo over a woman leading a meeting

    “Pictory helps us consistently deliver the high-quality videos we’re known for, content we’re proud of and our clients are proud to use. They always get a five-star response.”

    Curtis Whitfill, VP of Continuing Education
    Read the VRC case study
  • AppDirect logo over a presenter showing a chart to his team

    “82% of our 10,000+ partners keep coming back to our training videos even though they aren’t mandatory courses. That’s how we know the content’s working.”

    David Landsberger, Director of Partner Enablement
    Read the AppDirect case study
  • NetRock Custom Cybersecurity logo over a team working at their computers

    “It increased subscriber growth by 78% and cut my video creation time from a couple of hours to a few minutes. It’s been a godsend.”

    Christian Wentz, Owner
    Read the NetRock case study
  • Online Super Tutors logo over a tutor presenting a lesson

    “Through Pictory videos, leads up by 500%, video production costs are down 90%.”

    Andrew Reid, Founder
    Read the Online Super Tutors case study
  • Game of Yield logo over a man working at his computer

    “We only launched our new app a few months ago and already have over 500 subscribers. People come back regularly to watch more videos made with Pictory.”

    Dr. Yuri Kotik, Founder
    Read the Game of Yield case study

See all case studies

Compare

Speech to text AI vs. video editing software

One recorded interview, turned into text and a video, two ways.

Comparison of Pictory’s speech to text and traditional video editing software
StepWith PictoryTraditional editing software
Starting pointA video or audio file, uploaded or recordedA video file placed on a timeline
The transcriptMade automatically when you upload, beside the videoA separate step, often in another tool
EditingEdit the text and the video followsCut and trim on the timeline
Filler words and silencesRemoved in a clickFound and cut by hand
CaptionsMade from the transcript, in a style you chooseA separate step, styled on the timeline
A new video from the scriptVisuals, a voiceover and captions built for youA new edit, built scene by scene

Video API

Make video at scale from your own product

Send text, links or slides to the Pictory API and get branded videos back, automatically.

POST /v1/video/storyboard
{
  "videoName": "q3-update",
  "scenes": [{ "text": "Q3 in 90 seconds..." }]
}

Enterprise

Enterprise video at scale

Custom plans, onboarding and support for company-wide rollouts.

  • SOC 2 and GDPR compliant
  • Custom plans and personalized onboarding
  • Shared brand kits and team workspaces
  • Dedicated support

FAQ

FAQ: speech to text

Can’t find your answer? Contact our team.

Record your voice or screen in Pictory, or upload an audio or video file, and choose the language. Pictory transcribes it and opens the transcript editor, where you can correct the text and use it for captions or a video.

Yes. Upload an MP3 or WAV file, up to 5 GB or 180 minutes, choose its language, and Pictory turns it into an editable transcript.

Yes. Pictory has a recorder for your screen, camera and voice. After recording, choose Edit video using AI to open the recording in the transcript editor.

You choose the language when you upload or record. Transcription works in languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Hindi and Russian.

Yes. You can try Pictory’s speech to text on a free trial, online in your browser. The trial includes 50 AI credits, and videos downloaded on it carry a watermark. Paid plans start at $25 a month, billed annually.

Limited Offer: 40% Off Pro Annual + 2X AI Credits

Limited Offer: 40% Off Pro Annual
+ 2X AI Credits