Potok turns speech into text in 33 languages, including English and Russian.
In groups the Potok (potok.now) bot takes only voice messages, video notes and audio up to 10 minutes, while video, documents and links are not supported there; in private messages they work. The bot sees group messages if it is an administrator.
The bot stays silent on a voice message in a group, although in private messages the same file is transcribed. In groups the bot has a shorter list of features than in private messages.
What to check if the bot does not transcribe voice messages in a group
- Look at what exactly was sent. In groups the bot takes only voice messages, video notes and audio.
- Check the length of the recording: in a group it is up to 10 minutes.
- Make sure it is not a video, a document or a link. They are not supported in a group.
- Check that the bot is an administrator in the group: it sees group messages if it has that role.
If the recording fits all four points, you can forward it to the bot in private messages: a voice message can be forwarded there from any chat.
What to do if the recording does not fit a group
You can forward a voice message from a group to the bot @potok_now_bot in private messages: a voice message from any chat can be forwarded there. Video, a file (including sent as a document) and a link to YouTube, VK Video or RuTube work in private messages. A short recording comes back as text in the chat, a long one as a file. What the bot accepts and returns overall is described in the article about the bot for transcription in Telegram; in the bot 60 minutes of recording per month are free. Other answers about voice input are in the FAQ section.
| Service | Platforms | Free | Price | Payment from Russia | Where speech is recognized |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potok bot and web version | Telegram (@potok_now_bot, mini app inside the bot) | 60 minutes per month | 7 days: 249 ₽, 30 days: 449 ₽, one year: 2 890 ₽; included in the Potok app subscription | Russian bank cards, rubles | cloud, servers in Russia; internet required |
| Transkriptor | Web | 10 minutes on sign-up, limited to 2 min/day (according to the localized Russian site transkriptor.ru); the international site transkriptor.com states a free trial (up to 90 minutes according to secondary sources; the official pricing page could not be opened directly because it timed out) | 490 ₽/one-time (Start, 150 minutes (transkriptor.ru)); 790 ₽/one-time (Pro, 700 minutes (transkriptor.ru)); 1900 ₽/one-time (Premium, 2100 minutes (transkriptor.ru)) | yes, on the localized site transkriptor.ru: Visa/Mastercard/Mir bank cards with no fee, SBP via QR code with no fee, YooMoney with a 3% fee; payments are one-off (no subscription) and processed by the KASSA service. The international site transkriptor.com presumably bills in dollars; this is not confirmed directly (the pricing page timed out) | not disclosed |
| KolerskyAI Whisper Bot | Telegram | the first 5 minutes | 69 ₽/15 minutes; 149 ₽/50 minutes; 490 ₽/200 minutes | rubles | not disclosed |
| Telegram voice message transcription | Telegram | without Premium, a few transcriptions per week; with Premium, no limit on their number | — | not disclosed | Telegram servers |
| Notta | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | 120 minutes per month, up to 3 minutes per recording | $13.99/mo (Pro, monthly, 1800 minutes); $27.99/mo (Business, monthly) | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| Tactiq | Chrome extension | 10 meeting transcriptions per month | $12/mo (Pro, monthly) | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| Voicee (@Voicee_AI_Bot) | Telegram, Web | 45 minutes to start | 500 ₽/hour of recording (without a package; cheaper with packages) | rubles | not disclosed |
| Fireflies.ai | Web, iOS, Android, Chrome extension | limited storage and AI credits | — | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| Video summary in Yandex Browser | Yandex Browser | free | — | not disclosed | Yandex cloud |
| Audio2Text | Web, Telegram | 15 minutes per month | 295 ₽/mo (Basic, 500 minutes); 495 ₽/mo (Standard, 1000 minutes); 1245 ₽/mo (Expert, 5000 minutes) | rubles | not disclosed |
| Voicy (@voicybot) | Telegram | free; on the Wit.ai engine, recordings of up to 50 seconds | — | not disclosed | Wit.ai, Yandex SpeechKit or Google Speech; the user chooses the engine |
When the question is not for the bot
The bot recognizes 100+ languages (the language is detected automatically), and there is no translation into another language. The Potok app cannot transcribe ready recordings: it is dictation, while recordings and voice messages are transcribed by the bot, and the subscription for the app and the bot is the same. Potok is a cloud service, recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet.
Frequently asked questions
Not directly in the group: video, documents and links are not supported there. In private messages the bot accepts video, files (including sent as a document) and links to YouTube, VK Video, RuTube, Instagram and TikTok.
The bot sees group messages if it is an administrator.
Bot does not transcribe voice messages in a group. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. Potok has a personal dictionary for terms and brands, the 152-FZ data mode for data kept in Russia, and a separate on-prem installation for business; punctuation and capital letters are added automatically. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For Bot does not transcribe voice messages in a group you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Bot does not transcribe voice messages in a group. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. Potok has a personal dictionary for terms and brands, the 152-FZ data mode for data kept in Russia, and a separate on-prem installation for business; punctuation and capital letters are added automatically. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For Bot does not transcribe voice messages in a group you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Bot does not transcribe voice messages in a group. Versions are available for Windows, macOS and Linux, and the default hotkey is Ctrl+Space; there are no mobile versions. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. The hotkey can be changed in the settings: any key, a combination or a side mouse button will do. Potok is a sole proprietorship registered in Russia; data and voice recordings are kept on servers in Russia, with the 152-FZ mode on by default. For Bot does not transcribe voice messages in a group you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Bot does not transcribe voice messages in a group. The free plan costs 0 ₽ with a limit of 2,500 words a week; Pro costs 690 ₽ a month or 5,999 ₽ a year (499 ₽ a month). Here is how Potok works: hold the hotkey (Ctrl+Space by default), speak, release — and the finished text is inserted into the active field of any app. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For Bot does not transcribe voice messages in a group you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Recording to text
Send a recording to Potok's Telegram bot or upload a file of up to 2 GB in the bot's mini app. The first 60 minutes of every month are free.
Open @potok_now_bot in TelegramPrimary sources: support.microsoft.com · support.apple.com
Transcribe a recording in Telegram
Voice messages, video notes, audio and video are transcribed by Potok's Telegram bot @potok_now_bot: forward it a voice message from any chat, or send a file or a YouTube, VK Video, RuTube, Instagram or TikTok link. A short recording comes back as text in the chat, a long one as a file; timestamps and speaker labels can be turned on. The buttons give a short summary, tasks and deadlines, an answer to a question about the recording and export to TXT, DOCX, PDF or SRT. Large files, up to 2 GB, are easier to upload in the bot's mini app, via the Upload button next to the input field. The bot recognizes 100+ languages (the language is detected automatically); 60 minutes per month are free.