Can I transcribe a VHS tape? Yes, after capture.
Yes, once the tape is captured: play it on a VCR connected to a computer through a USB video capture device, record it as an MP4 (or keep only the audio as MP3), and upload the file, up to 10 hours or 5 GB. Packs start at $4 for 300 minutes, and credits never expire.
From tape to text
Capture runs in real time; the transcript does not.
The capture setup
A working VCR, a USB capture adapter that takes the composite video and stereo audio cables, and the software that comes with it or a free recorder such as OBS. Names of settings vary between devices and versions, so look for the record or capture option.
Mind the file size
Hours of captured video add up quickly. If you need the words and not the picture, record or export the audio only: six hours of speech as MP3 is usually a few hundred megabytes. A large MP4 can still go through the upload page, up to 5 GB.
Speed settings on the tape
Many home tapes were recorded at a slower speed to fit more hours, so a T-120 can run up to about six hours. Capture the whole tape as one file when it is under 10 hours; that gives you one transcript with one timeline.
What comes back
A transcript with timestamps, chapters at each new scene or topic, a brief with the main points and the names, places and dates said, plus SRT and VTT if you want captions on the captured video. Voices are named in the summary and key quotes.
Before and after
Tapes in a cupboard, or text you can read.
✗ Unwatched VHS
The tapes outlived the players, and the labels say only a year.
- No VCR connected anywhere
- Hours of tape per label
- Picture and sound fading
- Searching by fast-forward
- Moments nobody remembers
- Copies only for whoever has the tape
✓ Every tape searchable
Capture once, keep the file, and the speech comes back as text.
- MP4 or audio-only MP3
- About 2 minutes per audio hour
- Chapters for each event
- Names and dates listed
- SRT captions for the video
- DOCX to share with family
Sample output
A captured home video.
Illustrative lines written for this page; not a real tape.
Export
One transcript. Five clean formats.
Every pack exports all five — no format is held back for a higher tier.
Plain text
De-ummed paragraphs. Ready to paste.
SRT captions
Timed to the speech. Every video editor reads this.
WebVTT
HTML5 player + YouTube uploads.
Show notes
Formatted with chapters and pull-quotes.
Machine-readable
Timestamped text for your own tools.
Pricing
Honest pricing, no surprises.
A pack from $4 (300 minutes) opens the full transcript. After that, no subscription and no auto-renew — every tier is a one-time minute pack, and credits never expire. Buy once, use the minutes whenever you need them.
Casual pack
$4/300 min
5 hours of audio — $0.80 an hour. One-time — credits never expire.
- 300 minutes of audio
- All export formats
- AI chat over the whole transcript
- Executive summary & key quote
Best value
$18/3,000 min
50 hours of audio — $0.36 an hour. Credits never expire.
- 3,000 minutes of audio
- Summary, chapters and key quotes
- All export formats
- AI chat over the whole transcript
Bulk pack
$32/6,000 min
100 hours of audio — $0.32 an hour. Credits never expire.
- 6,000 minutes of audio
- Summary, chapters and key quotes
- API access for batch pipelines
- All export formats
FAQ
VHS tapes, answered.
I don't have a VCR anymore.
You need one that works to capture a tape, borrowed or second-hand; clean heads make a noticeable difference to the sound. This page does not offer a digitising service; it transcribes the file once you have it.
How big will the captured file be?
That depends on the capture quality you pick. Video at a modest setting can still reach a few gigabytes over several hours, while the audio alone stays small. Look at the size before uploading: up to 5 GB per file, with or without a pack.
What does a shelf of tapes cost?
Twelve tapes averaging 2 hours is 1,440 minutes and fits the $18 pack of 3,000 minutes. Thirty tapes at 2 hours each, 3,600 minutes, go on the $32 pack of 6,000 minutes. Packs are one-time and credits never expire.
The tape has music and background noise.
Music, sound effects and crowd noise are not transcribed; the speech is. Talk over loud music or far from the camera's microphone is where words are most likely to be missed.
What if the capture is longer than 10 hours?
Split it into two files at a natural break, such as the end of one event and the start of the next. Each file becomes its own transcript, and the timestamps in the second one start again from zero.
Is the video kept private?
Recordings are transcribed on our own servers and are never used for training, and you can delete them with their transcripts from your Library.
Related
More on old media.
Six hours of VHS. About twelve minutes to text.
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