How many hours of audio fit in 5 GB? Anywhere from 1 to 87, by format.
It depends on the format: 5 GB holds about 87 hours of 128 kbps MP3, about 7.9 hours of CD-quality stereo WAV and only about 1.4 hours of 1080p phone video. For transcription a single file stops at 10 hours or 5 GB, whichever comes first, so compressed audio meets the 10-hour line long before 5 GB; ten hours is ready in about 20 minutes and, after the first 20 minutes free, uses the $12 pack (2,000 minutes).
Gigabytes into hours
What 5 GB really holds, format by format.
The rule of thumb
Bitrate in kbps times 0.45 gives megabytes per hour. Divide 5,000 MB by that number and you have the hours. A 128 kbps MP3 uses 57.6 MB an hour, so 5 GB would hold about 87 hours of it.
Compressed audio
At 64 kbps, 5 GB is about 174 hours; at 96 kbps AAC, about 116; at 320 kbps MP3, about 35. In every case the file reaches the 10-hour limit first, so for MP3 and M4A the size line never comes into play.
Uncompressed audio
WAV at 44.1 kHz, 16-bit stereo uses about 635 MB an hour, so 5 GB is about 7.9 hours. At 48 kHz 24-bit stereo it is about 4.8 hours. A 16 kHz mono voice WAV stretches to about 43 hours, again past the 10-hour cap.
Video with sound
A 1080p phone video at roughly 3.6 GB an hour fills 5 GB in about 1.4 hours, and 4K far sooner. Only the speech is transcribed, so sending the audio track alone, from this page or the upload page, is the faster route.
Size versus length
Why 5 GB means different things to different files.
✗ Thinking only in gigabytes
A size limit sounds generous until a video or WAV hits it at a fraction of the expected length.
- A 4K hour that weighs over 10 GB
- WAV that stops fitting after 8 hours
- Upload boxes with 25 MB ceilings
- Re-encoding guesswork before upload
- No idea which limit applies first
- Splitting a day into hour-long pieces
✓ Thinking in hours and gigabytes
Two lines to check, and whichever you reach first decides whether one file is enough.
- Under 10 hours and under 5 GB uploads whole
- MP3 and M4A: length is the only limit
- WAV and video: check the size
- Audio track alone when video is huge
- Two files when a day runs past 10 hours
- A 10-hour day ready in about 20 minutes
Sample output
Hour nine of a long field recording.
These lines are illustrative and not from any real recording. A long file keeps one clock from start to finish.
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
5 GB, answered.
What is the largest file I can transcribe here?
One file up to 10 hours or 5 GB, whichever you reach first. Before your first pack, uploads can be up to 2 GB; a file over 2 GB starts once a pack is on the account.
Why does my computer say my 5 GB file is smaller or bigger?
Some systems count a gigabyte as 1,000 megabytes and others as 1,024, so the same file can show as 5 GB on one screen and about 4.66 on another. If a file sits right at the line, leave a little headroom by trimming silence or exporting the audio track.
How long does a 5 GB file take to transcribe?
Time follows the audio length, not the size: about 2 minutes per hour. A 5 GB WAV of 7.9 hours is ready in about 16 minutes, and a 1.4-hour video of the same size in about 3.
Which pack does a full 10-hour file need?
Ten hours is 600 minutes, past the $6 pack's 500, so the $12 pack (2,000 minutes) covers it with 1,400 left. A 7.9-hour WAV is 474 minutes and fits the $6 pack.
My recording is longer than 10 hours. What then?
Upload it as two files, split at a natural pause. The second transcript's timestamps start at zero, so add the first part's length when you cite a moment from it.
Can I send a link instead of uploading 5 GB?
Yes for YouTube (including live replays), Twitch and Kick VODs, Vimeo, Google Drive share links and podcast RSS feeds, which are fetched without an upload from you. The 10-hour and 5 GB limits per file still apply, and stream recordings over 6 hours start once a pack is on the account.
Related
Related questions about file size.
Up to 10 hours or 5 GB. One file, one upload.
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