Upload a research interview or focus group and download the text as DOCX or TXT, formats NVivo imports as documents. Whipscribe is an independent transcription service with no NVivo integration: you download the file and import it yourself. Files over 500 MB continue on the upload page. First transcript free at any length · instant preview, no signup · packs from $8 for 1,000 minutes, credits never expire.
How it works
Transcribe in the browser, then import into the analysis software you already use.
Interviews and focus groups in MP3, MP4, M4A, WAV, WebM, FLAC, OGG and MOV. The box above takes up to 500 MB; larger files continue on the upload page, up to 10 hours or 5 GB.
Choose DOCX to read and annotate in Word first, or TXT for plain text. Tick Include timestamps if you want them in the file.
Import the file into your project as a document. From there it is read, coded and queried like any other document in NVivo.
Importing
Checked against the official NVivo help, ATLAS.ti manual and MAXQDA manual in September 2026. Menus change between versions, so follow the help for the version you run.
NVivo's help lists Word documents (.docx and .doc), rich text (.rtf) and plain text (.txt) among the document types it imports, alongside PDF. A DOCX or TXT export from Whipscribe fits that group.
NVivo also has a separate transcript import for audio or video already in a project, which expects Word or rich text paragraphs that start with timestamps, or delimited text. It has its own formatting rules; importing as a document is the simpler route.
The ATLAS.ti manual lists .doc, .docx, .rtf, .odt, .htm, .html and .txt among its supported text formats, so the same DOCX or TXT export can be added there as a document.
The MAXQDA manual describes importing Word documents (DOCX and DOC), ODT and Markdown files through Import, then Texts, PDFs, Tables, or by dragging files into the documents window.
Before you code
Read each transcript against the audio once before coding. Automatic transcripts can mishear names, places and specialist vocabulary, and a wrong word can hide a passage from a text search.
Replace participant names and identifying details as your ethics approval requires before the file enters a shared project.
Name each file by participant code and date, such as P07-2026-09-14.docx, so your document list sorts cleanly and carries no names.
Your ethics approval and consent forms say how recordings may be processed and stored. Confirm they allow an online transcription service before uploading.
Pricing
Your first transcript is free and readable in full at any length; longer files need credits. Anyone can preview instantly with no signup. After that, one-time packs cost $8 for 1,000 minutes, $12 for 2,000 minutes or $24 for 5,000 minutes, about $0.29 to $0.48 per audio hour. Credits never expire and there is no subscription.
A study of 30 interviews of about 50 minutes each is 1,500 minutes: one $12 pack of 2,000 minutes, about $9.00 at that pack's rate. A doctoral project with 60 hours of interviews is 3,600 minutes, covered by one $24 pack of 5,000 minutes: about $17.28.
Full details on the pricing page.
FAQ
Yes, as documents. NVivo's help lists Word (.docx and .doc), rich text and plain text among the document types it imports. Download the transcript as DOCX or TXT and import it into your project.
No. Whipscribe is an independent transcription service and is not affiliated with NVivo. You download the transcript file and import it yourself.
DOCX keeps paragraphs and is easy to read and annotate in Word before import. TXT is plain text with no formatting, which some researchers prefer for consistency across a project.
Speaker labels appear in the transcript on the page. The DOCX and TXT downloads give you the text, with timestamps if you tick the option. Coders may want to mark speakers after import. For a file with the speaker on every segment, use the JSON export.
Their official manuals describe importing Word documents, so a DOCX export works the same way. Check the manual for the version you use.
MP3, MP4, M4A, WAV, WebM, FLAC, OGG and MOV, up to 10 hours or 5 GB per file. The box on this page takes files up to 500 MB; larger files continue on the upload page.
The first transcript is free at any length. After that, one-time packs cost $8 for 1,000 minutes, $12 for 2,000 minutes or $24 for 5,000 minutes, about $0.29 to $0.48 per audio hour, and credits never expire.
Instant preview, no signup, no card. A free account keeps your transcripts in one searchable library.