What is the maximum file size for transcription? 5 GB per file, with 10 hours as the time line.
On WhipScribe the maximum is 5 GB for one file, or 10 hours of running time, whichever the file reaches first; before an account has its first pack, a file over 2 GB waits until one is added. A file is processed at about 2 minutes per audio hour, the first 20 minutes are free, and a 5-hour recording uses 300 of the 500 minutes in the $6 pack.
The size rules
Three numbers, and what fits under each.
500 MB, 2 GB, 5 GB
The box on this page takes up to 500 MB, which covers most audio files of any length. Larger files, up to 5 GB, go through the upload page. On an account with no pack yet, files above 2 GB start the moment one is added, and nothing has to be uploaded twice.
What fits under 5 GB
Uncompressed 16-bit stereo WAV at 44.1 kHz runs about 635 MB an hour, so 5 GB holds just under 8 hours of it. MP3 or M4A at 128 kbps is about 58 MB an hour, so 10 hours fits in under 600 MB. A 1080p video at 5 Mbps is about 2.25 GB an hour.
Time is the other ceiling
Size is only half the rule. A small, low-bitrate file can still run longer than 10 hours, and then it goes in as two files however few megabytes it holds. Whichever line a file meets first is the one that applies.
Shrinking a file that is over
For a video above 5 GB, export only the sound track; the transcript needs nothing else. For a large WAV, save it as FLAC, M4A or MP3. For a recording longer than 10 hours, cut once at a natural pause and upload both halves.
Size ceilings compared
Small caps force you to cut. A 5 GB line rarely does.
✗ Small upload ceilings
Where long files tend to get stuck.
- A 25 MB cap on the OpenAI Whisper API
- Email attachments that stop at a few MB
- Free tiers that refuse big video
- Converting every file to fit
- Cutting a lecture into dozens of parts
- Timestamps that restart in each part
✓ The ceilings here
Stated once, before you upload.
- 5 GB per file
- 10 hours per file
- 2 GB before the first pack
- Main upload page for files over 500 MB
- Links that skip the upload
- No cap on how many files you send
Sample output
A 4 GB video, read from start to finish.
Illustrative lines invented for this page, not from a real recording, as they might appear for a large camera file from a full-day workshop.
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
Questions about file size.
What is the maximum file size for transcription?
5 GB per file, with a running-time ceiling of 10 hours; whichever comes first applies. Before an account's first pack, files over 2 GB wait until a pack is added.
Why does the box on this page stop at 500 MB?
It is the quick-upload box for most audio files. A larger file, up to 5 GB, continues on the main upload page and is transcribed the same way, with the same exports.
Is there a limit on how many files I can send?
No. The ceiling is per file only; there is no monthly allowance to run out of, and credits never expire. A hundred files of 1 GB each are treated the same as one.
Does a YouTube or Drive link count against the size limit?
A link skips your upload, but each recording still follows the same per-file ceiling of 10 hours. Stream recordings from YouTube, Twitch or Kick that run past 6 hours start once a pack is on the account.
What does a large file cost?
Cost follows running time, not gigabytes. A 4 GB video of 3 hours uses 180 minutes of the $6 pack of 500; a 9-hour WAV saved as M4A uses 540 minutes, which points to the $12 pack of 2,000.
Does a big file take longer to process?
Processing follows the audio length, at about 2 minutes per hour; size only changes how long the upload takes. Every file is transcribed on our own servers and is never used for training.
Related
Related pages on size.
Under 5 GB and 10 hours? Then it goes up as one file.
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