Convert AIFF to MP3 before a long session meets the 5 GB line.
To convert AIFF to MP3, run ffmpeg -i interview.aiff -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 64k -ac 1 interview.mp3; on a Mac, the Music app can also create an MP3 version once its import setting uses the MP3 encoder (where that setting sits depends on the macOS version). It matters for long recordings because AIFF is uncompressed, about 635 MB an hour at CD quality, so an 8-hour file is over the 5 GB limit while the MP3 is about 29 MB an hour.
Ways to convert on a Mac or anywhere
AIFF is what Mac audio tools bounce by default. It is the right format for editing and the wrong one to carry around.
ffmpeg in Terminal
ffmpeg -i interview.aiff -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 64k -ac 1 interview.mp3 handles .aiff and .aif alike, and usually .aifc too. Installing ffmpeg on a Mac is one package-manager command for most people; after that, the conversion of an hour takes seconds.
The Music app
In the Music app's settings, set the import encoder to MP3, then select the track and use File, then Convert, then Create MP3 Version. Apple has moved these options between releases, so search the settings for Import if they are not where you expect. The copy appears next to the original in the library.
Bounce smaller next time
Logic, GarageBand and most editors can export straight to MP3 or AAC. For a session that only needs a transcript, a mono 64 kbps export skips the conversion altogether. Keep the AIFF bounce for the mix, if there is one.
Short AIFFs upload as they are
Three hours at CD quality is about 1.9 GB, under the 5 GB one file can be. Files over 500 MB continue on the upload page, up to 10 hours or 5 GB. The minutes counted do not change when you convert.
Where AIFF uploads go wrong
An uncompressed file grows quietly. Four hours is already past 2 GB.
✗ Uploading the raw bounce
A full-day session leaves the studio as AIFF and hits a size wall halfway through the upload.
- A 24-bit file that passes 5 GB in under 5 hours
- A 4-hour bounce already past 2 GB
- Splitting the session to dodge the limit
- Hours of upload on a slow connection
- Exporting stereo for one microphone
- Converting the mix instead of the dialogue
✓ Compress the copy, not the master
The AIFF stays in the project; a light MP3 goes up and comes back as text with the same timeline.
- 64 kbps mono for speech
- About 29 MB an hour after conversion
- One file for the whole day
- Timestamps match the session
- About 8 minutes for 4 hours
- 240 minutes on the $4 pack of 300 minutes
Sample
A four-hour podcast recording session bounced from Logic as AIFF, then converted.
Illustrative lines written for this page; no real show or guest is quoted. The timestamps run from the start of the session.
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
AIFF to MP3, answered.
How big is an AIFF per hour?
At 16-bit, 44.1 kHz stereo it is about 635 MB an hour, the same as a WAV. At 24-bit, 48 kHz stereo it is about 1.04 GB an hour, which reaches 5 GB in under five hours. Mono halves either figure.
Is converting required before the upload?
Only when the file is too big. A 3-hour CD-quality AIFF is about 1.9 GB and goes up as it is. A 4-hour one is about 2.5 GB, so before your first pack you would either convert it or put a pack on the account first.
Which MP3 settings should I use?
64 kbps mono is enough for speech and comes to about 29 MB an hour: four hours is roughly 115 MB and eight hours about 230 MB. Use stereo at 128 kbps only if someone will also listen to music in it.
How long does the transcript take?
About 2 minutes per audio hour once uploaded, so a 4-hour session returns in around 8 minutes. Anything longer than 10 hours goes up as two files.
What does a run of sessions cost?
A 4-hour session is 240 minutes on the $4 pack of 300 minutes. Every recording starts with a free preview of its opening minutes, and pack credits do not run out.
What comes back with the transcript?
A brief with thesis and takeaways, chapters with timestamps, the names, numbers and dates said, and a chat over the transcript, with speakers named in the summary, key quotes and chapters. Export as TXT, DOCX, SRT, VTT or JSON. Your sessions run on our own servers and are not used for training. This applies only to sessions you own or have permission to use.
Related
Related pages
Convert the bounce. Or upload it as it is if it is under 2 GB.
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