Potok turns speech into text in 33 languages, including English and Russian.
The Potok Telegram bot @potok_now_bot gets text from MP3: send a file in private messages, and it transcribes the speech into text; a short recording comes back at once, a long one as a file. A large file is easier to upload in the bot's mini app, up to 2 GB by dragging. Recognition is free for 60 minutes per month, and there is no translation into other languages.
Did you record a conversation on a voice recorder, download a podcast or receive a meeting recording in MP3, and you need text? The easiest way is to send the file to the Potok Telegram bot @potok_now_bot: a separate transcription program is not needed, the bot does everything.
How to get text from MP3 step by step
- Open the Telegram bot @potok_now_bot and press Start (the /start command) if you write to it for the first time.
- Send the MP3 file in private messages as an attachment, as an ordinary document or as audio.
- For a large file the bot's mini app is more convenient: drag in a file of up to 2 GB, and if the connection breaks, the upload continues from where it stopped.
- A short recording comes back as text right in the chat (or on the screen in the web version), a longer one as a separate file.
- The format of the automatic reply (TXT or DOCX) is chosen beforehand in the bot settings (/settings).
- Timestamps and speaker labels, Speaker 1 and Speaker 2, can also be turned on in the bot settings (/settings).
- With the buttons under the finished text you get a short summary, a list of tasks by speaker and an answer to your own question about the recording at once, and the Other format button exports the same text to Markdown, PDF and SRT and VTT subtitles.
How to check and correct the transcript
Before you use the text, it is worth checking it against the recording. The bot proofreads long transcripts itself: it places punctuation and capital letters and removes obvious recognition errors, but it does not shorten the text or retell it. The bot's mini app has a player: a click on any phrase in the text plays the recording from exactly that place, so it is easier to check a doubtful word by ear. All transcripts are saved in the My recordings section, and you can open and check them at any time without uploading the file again. If several people speak in the recording, it is worth turning on speaker labeling, Speaker 1 and Speaker 2, in advance: replacing one line with another in the finished text would have to be done by hand.
| Task | Characters | Typing (200 chars/min) | Voice (900 chars/min) |
|---|---|---|---|
| chat reply | 300 | 2 min | 0.5 min |
| 1500 | 8 min | 1.7 min | |
| post or meeting minutes | 4000 | 20 min | 4.4 min |
| article | 10000 | 50 min | 11.1 min |
When the bot will not fit
A recording in another language works too, the bot understands 100+ languages (the language is detected automatically), but it does not translate. The bot will not tell you the real names of the participants either: in the labeled text they appear as Speaker 1 and Speaker 2. Transcription works only on an already finished recording: the bot cannot join a live call and turn speech into text on the fly. The bot accepts links to Instagram (Reels and posts with video) and TikTok, as well as YouTube, VK Video and RuTube. A broader overview of transcription services is in the comparison of transcription services. It is a cloud service: without a network recognition will not start, and all processing runs on Potok's servers in Russia.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, in the bot's mini app: drag in a file of up to 2 GB or paste a link to YouTube, VK Video or RuTube. Sign in by email or through Telegram; recordings are shared with the bot.
60 minutes of recognition per month, and the limit renews on the 1st. Large files are easier to upload in the web version, where the limit is by size, up to 2 GB.
How to get text from MP3. 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 How to get text from MP3 you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
How to get text from MP3. 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 How to get text from MP3 you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
How to get text from MP3. 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 How to get text from MP3 you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
How to get text from MP3. 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 How to get text from MP3 you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Try it on your own recording
Potok's Telegram bot transcribes a voice message, video note, audio or video, and its buttons make a summary and a task list. 60 minutes per month for free.
Open @potok_now_bot in TelegramPrimary sources: speech2text.ru · audio-2-text.ru · turboscribe.ai · turboscribe.ai
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.