Export audio from a video editor for a transcript that lines up with your timeline.
To export audio for transcription, use your editor's audio-only export: in Premiere Pro, File, then Export, then Media with an MP3, AAC or WAV format; in DaVinci Resolve, the Deliver page with Export Video unticked; in Final Cut Pro, File, then Share, then Export File with Format set to Audio Only (menus move between versions). A 3-hour AAC at 128 kbps is about 173 MB against several gigabytes of video, and it transcribes in about 6 minutes.
Editor by editor
Every editor can export sound alone. The menu is the only difference.
Premiere Pro and Resolve
In recent Premiere Pro, open Export (File, then Export, then Media), turn the video off or pick MP3 or WAV as the format, and export the whole sequence. In DaVinci Resolve, on the Deliver page, untick Export Video, keep Export Audio with AAC or WAV, and add the job to the render queue.
Final Cut Pro and iMovie
In Final Cut Pro, File, then Share, then Export File, then set Format to Audio Only and choose AAC or WAV. In iMovie on a Mac, File, then Share, then File, and look for an audio-only format option. Labels change with updates, so look for the word audio near the format setting.
Or upload the video
An MP4 or MOV under 5 GB can go straight to the upload page; the speech is taken from it. Exporting audio first matters when the video is over 5 GB or the upload would take longer than the export.
Keep the timeline intact
Export from the very start of the timeline so 00:00:00 in the transcript is 00:00:00 in the edit. If you export an in-to-out range, the transcript starts at zero at your in point. Mute the music bed if you can: music is not transcribed, but a quieter voice under it is harder to hear.
Where editor exports go wrong
The common slip is uploading a master render when the audio would do.
✗ Rendering video to read words
A full-quality master takes long to render and longer to upload, for text that only needed the sound.
- A 3-hour 4K master to get a transcript
- Rendering twice to fit a size cap
- Exporting a range and losing the offset
- Music bed louder than the dialogue
- Exporting each clip as its own file
- Splitting the edit into pieces under 2 GB
✓ Export the sound, keep the timing
A dialogue mix from the start of the timeline uploads in minutes and lines up with your edit.
- Audio-only AAC, MP3 or WAV
- Whole timeline from 00:00:00
- Music muted or ducked
- SRT and VTT back for captions
- About 6 minutes for 3 hours
- Packs from $4 for 300 minutes
Sample
A three-hour documentary rough cut, audio exported from the timeline.
Illustrative only: these lines were written for this page. Because the export started at the head of the timeline, each timestamp matches the edit.
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
Exporting audio for a transcript, answered.
Which audio format should I export?
AAC or MP3 at 128 kbps is small and plenty for speech; WAV is larger and just as fine if the file stays under the limit. A 3-hour WAV at 48 kHz 16-bit stereo is about 2.07 GB, so for long timelines a compressed format is easier.
Do I have to export audio at all?
No. A video file up to 5 GB uploads as it is, with or without a pack. The box on this page takes files up to 500 MB; a larger one continues on the main upload page, still up to 10 hours or 5 GB.
Will the SRT line up with my timeline?
Yes, if the export starts at the head of the timeline and the timeline starts at 00:00:00. Export from an in point and the captions start at zero from there; shift them in your editor or re-export the whole sequence.
How long and how much for a 3-hour edit?
About 6 minutes once uploaded. Three hours is 180 minutes on the $4 pack of 300 minutes, which leaves 120 minutes for the next edit; credits never expire. The opening minutes are a free preview.
My timeline is longer than 10 hours. What now?
Export it as two audio files split at a natural break and upload both. Each transcript starts at zero, so note the offset of the second part when you bring the captions back.
What comes back?
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 never used for training.
Related
Related pages
Export the sound, or send the video. Either way, the opening minutes are a free preview.
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