Convert WMA to MP3 and when to skip the step for a transcript.
To convert WMA to MP3, run ffmpeg -i talk.wma -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 64k talk.mp3, or in VLC open Media, then Convert/Save, and pick an MP3 profile (menu names shift a little between versions). If the MP3 is only for a transcript, try uploading the WMA first: a 6-hour voice WMA is usually under 200 MB, one file can run up to 10 hours or 5 GB, and the work takes about 2 minutes per audio hour.
Three ways to convert
The conversion takes a minute. Deciding whether you need it takes less.
ffmpeg, one line
ffmpeg -i talk.wma -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 64k -ac 1 talk.mp3 gives a mono 64 kbps MP3, which is plenty for speech. Drop -ac 1 and use -b:a 128k if the recording has music you want to keep. Most ffmpeg builds include the MP3 encoder; if yours reports it missing, install a fuller build.
VLC, from a menu
In VLC, Media, then Convert/Save, add the WMA, choose Convert, pick an Audio - MP3 profile and a destination name ending in .mp3. Labels move between versions, so look for the profile drop-down if the wording differs. VLC plays the file through while it converts, so a long WMA takes a few minutes.
Or skip it
Many WMA files go straight through the upload page. Try the original first; if the upload refuses it, convert and upload the MP3. Converting never changes the length, so the minutes you are charged stay the same.
Audacity, if you edit anyway
Audacity opens WMA once its optional FFmpeg library is installed, in most recent versions. Trim the silence at the start, then use File, then Export, and choose MP3. That route makes sense when the recording needs a cut before it goes anywhere.
Where WMA conversions go wrong
The usual mistake is a bitrate too low, or a step nobody needed.
✗ Converting by habit
A WMA that would have uploaded as it is gets converted, re-encoded at a starved rate, and split.
- Re-encoding at 16 kbps to save space
- Splitting a 6-hour file that already fit
- Losing the original timestamps to a trim
- Converting music settings for plain speech
- Batch tools that rename files out of order
- Paying for a converter app you used once
✓ Upload first, convert only on refusal
The original goes up; a conversion happens only if the upload says no.
- Try the WMA as it is
- 64 kbps mono MP3 if you convert
- Keep the full length, no trims
- One file up to 10 hours or 5 GB
- About 12 minutes for 6 hours
- $6 pack of 500 minutes covers 8 hours 20 minutes
Sample
An old council meeting, recorded as WMA, converted, three hours in.
Illustrative only: these lines were written for this page. The timestamps are the same as in the WMA, because converting does not move time.
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 $6 (500 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
$6/500 min
8 hours of audio — $0.72 an hour. One-time — credits never expire.
- 500 minutes of audio
- All export formats
- AI chat over the whole transcript
- Executive summary & key quote
Best value
$12/2,000 min
33 hours of audio — $0.36 an hour. Credits never expire.
- 2,000 minutes of audio
- Summary, chapters and key quotes
- All export formats
- AI chat over the whole transcript
Bulk pack
$24/5,000 min
83 hours of audio — $0.29 an hour. Credits never expire.
- 5,000 minutes of audio
- Summary, chapters and key quotes
- API access for batch pipelines
- All export formats
FAQ
WMA to MP3, answered.
What is the fastest way to convert WMA to MP3?
ffmpeg -i in.wma -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 64k out.mp3 converts in well under a minute on most laptops, even for several hours. If you would rather click, VLC's Convert/Save does the same job with a profile picker.
Which bitrate should the MP3 be for transcription?
64 kbps mono is plenty for speech and comes to about 29 MB an hour, so 10 hours is about 288 MB. Use 128 kbps if you also want to listen to music in the recording. Going higher than the WMA's own bitrate adds size, not detail.
Do I have to convert before uploading?
Usually not. Try the WMA first; if the upload refuses it, convert and upload the MP3. The box on this page takes files up to 500 MB, and a larger file continues on the main upload page, still up to 10 hours or 5 GB.
How long does a long WMA take to transcribe?
About 2 minutes per audio hour once it has uploaded, so a 6-hour file is back in about 12 minutes and a full 10-hour one in about 20. A voice WMA is small, so the upload is rarely the slow part.
What does a long WMA recording cost?
Minutes of audio, nothing else. Six hours is 360 minutes and sits on the $6 pack of 500 minutes with 140 to spare; a 10-hour file is 600 minutes and belongs on the $12 pack of 2,000 minutes. The first 20 minutes are free for a first-time visitor, and credits never expire.
What comes back, and where does the audio go?
A brief with the thesis and takeaways, chapters with timestamps, the names, numbers and dates said, and a chat over the transcript; speakers are named in the summary, key quotes and chapters. Exports are TXT, DOCX, SRT, VTT and JSON. Recordings are transcribed on our own servers and are never used for training.
Related
Related pages
Upload the WMA first. Convert only if it asks you to.
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