How do you split a recording longer than 10 hours? Cut it into equal parts with one command.
Run ffmpeg -i long.m4a -f segment -segment_time 08:00:00 -c copy part%02d.m4a, which writes 8-hour pieces in seconds without re-encoding, or select each half in Audacity and export the selection (menu names vary by version). Packs start at $4 for 300 minutes, and credits never expire.
Splitting a very long file
The limit is 10 hours or 5 GB per file. Everything longer simply becomes more than one file.
Pick a part length
Divide the total by the fewest parts that keep each one at 10 hours or less: 16 hours is two parts of 8, 27 hours is three parts of 9. Shorter parts are fine too, they just mean more files to keep track of. Check the size as well, since a part also has to stay under 5 GB.
Cut with ffmpeg
ffmpeg -i long.m4a -f segment -segment_time 08:00:00 -c copy part%02d.m4a writes part00, part01 and so on. Because -c copy skips re-encoding it finishes in seconds. Video can be cut the same way, though cuts land on keyframes, so parts may start a second or two earlier or later than asked.
Cut in Audacity
For a cut at a pause you can see, open the file in Audacity, select the first stretch, and export only the selection, then do the same for the rest. Recent versions call it Export Selected Audio; older ones put it under File, Export Selected. Audacity re-encodes, so allow time for a long file.
Upload the parts
Send each part from the box above or the upload page. Every part gets its own transcript, brief, chapters with timestamps and a chat. Parts up to 5 GB upload with or without a pack on the account.
Splitting carelessly
The problem with a long recording is rarely the length. It is the way it gets cut.
✗ Many small pieces
Chopping by habit into hour-long clips multiplies the work.
- Sixteen files for a 16-hour day
- Sixteen clocks starting at zero
- Sentences cut in half at each join
- Hours lost to re-encoding
- Parts named by guesswork
- Chapters that stop every hour
✓ As few parts as possible
Two parts cover anything up to 20 hours.
- Two 8-hour files for 16 hours
- A stream copy, finished in seconds
- Offsets written into each file name
- Chapters that run for hours
- About 32 minutes of processing
- 960 minutes, 1,040 left on the pack
Sample
The opening of part two of a long-running charity stream.
Illustrative lines written for this page; not from a real stream. Part two restarts at 00:00:00.
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
Splitting past 10 hours, answered.
When do I not need to split?
When the recording is 10 hours or less and under 5 GB, upload it whole: that gives one transcript, one brief and one clock. Most files upload as they are. Up to 5 GB, the file uploads with or without a pack, and it still does not need splitting.
Why does part two start at zero?
Each part is its own file, so its clock begins again. Write the offset in the name, such as day-part2-from-08h, and add it when you quote a time from the second part.
What does a very long recording cost?
Packs start at $4 for 300 minutes, and credits never expire. A 30-hour stream as three 10-hour parts is 1,800 minutes, also inside the $18 pack.
How long does it take?
About 2 minutes per audio hour per part. Two 8-hour parts are about 16 minutes each, so roughly 32 minutes in all. The public proof page shows 9.31 hours done in 1,033 seconds.
Is the long recording on Twitch, Kick or YouTube?
Paste the link when the VOD is 10 hours or less. A longer stream has to be downloaded and split before upload. Stream recordings over 6 hours start once a pack is on the account.
Languages, exports and privacy?
99 languages are detected automatically. Each part exports as TXT, DOCX, SRT, VTT or JSON. Recordings are transcribed on our own servers and are never used for training.
Related
Related pages
Two parts, one evening. The opening minutes of part one are free.
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