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Speech to Text limits and credits

Every limit on the Speech to Text page with the message it shows, what a transcription costs in credits and when the credits are taken, and what you see when the balance cannot cover a file.

This page is the lookup table for the Speech to Text page: every limit and the message you see when a file crosses it, the price of a transcription in credits and the moment it is charged, and what the page shows when the workspace balance cannot cover a file. The steps themselves are on Transcribe a file.

Limits

Limit Value Applies to Message when crossed
Audio length 1 hour Uploaded files, checked in the browser Audio must be 1 hour or shorter.
Audio length 1 hour Uploaded files, checked again after upload on the decoded audio Audio exceeds the 1-hour limit.
Readable length The server can measure the audio The file as sent Could not read the audio length. Try another file.
Microphone take 1 hour Recording stops on its own and the take is held on the page No message
File size 150 MB Files chosen on the drop area, before upload This file is larger than 150 MB.
File size 150 MB The file as sent, after any conversion in the browser File too large
Format MP3, WAV, FLAC, OGG, M4A, AAC, WEBM Uploaded files, by extension Please upload one of: MP3, WAV, FLAC, OGG, M4A, AAC, WEBM.
File type Must be audio The file as sent Unsupported file type: … Please upload an audio file.
Shortest audio 50 milliseconds The audio inside the file A reason starting Audio is too short
Files at a time One The page sends one file per upload or take No message
Transcription time 10 minutes after acceptance, then marked failed within 5 minutes Every transcription Job timed out — AI server did not respond
Page wait 65 minutes after acceptance The page, if no result has arrived Timeout has occurred

Every message appears in the status line under the box on the page, followed by a short code in square brackets. Once a file has passed the browser checks, a Try again button appears beside Transcribe.

Everyone in the workspace can use the page.

Get it right

The 150 MB size limit is checked on the file as you chose it, and the 10-minute transcription window applies to every job. Both favour shorter, compressed files.

Recommended

  • A one-hour recording exported as MP3 and split into two or three files, each transcribed on its own.

Less effective

  • The same hour as one stereo 44.1 kHz WAV, which passes 150 MB long before the hour ends and is refused before upload.

Credits

Fact Value
Rate 100 credits per minute of audio, charged per second.
What is measured The length of the audio as the server decodes it, not as the file's header claims. A file whose length cannot be measured is refused with Could not read the audio length. Try another file.
Rounding Per second, with a minimum of 1 second. The charge is rounded to a whole credit, at least 1.
When it is taken After the file is received and passes the checks after upload, before transcription starts.
Refunds The whole charge is refunded if the transcription fails for any reason, including the 10-minute timeout.
Adjustment None. The charge is computed from the length before transcription and does not change when the transcript arrives.
Where you see it When the transcript arrives, Used followed by the credits charged appears under the box. The credit counter in the sidebar, shown as used out of total with the label Used, refreshes too. Credits remaining in the user menu shows the same balance. The page shows no price before you press Transcribe.

The rate is set by hand and can change; a transcription is priced at the rate in force when it runs. The rates for every service are on Credits.

Worked examples

At today's rates:

Audio Charged
A 10-second note 17 credits (16.67, rounded)
A 12-minute interview 1,200 credits
A 15-minute recording 1,500 credits
A 45-minute lecture 4,500 credits
A full hour 6,000 credits

Every second costs the same; nothing is rounded up to a minute.

When the balance cannot cover a file

The charge is checked against the workspace balance before anything runs. If the balance is short, nothing is transcribed and nothing is charged. You see the message twice: as an error notice titled Error, and in the status line under the box, with a Try again button.

Message Meaning What to do
Insufficient subscription balance Your credit balance is less than the charge for this file. Open Subscription & billing from the user menu and add credits, or transcribe a shorter file.
Subscription has expired No paid plan and no extra credits left. Basic limits apply, with no plan credits. Choose a plan or add credits under Subscription & billing.

Try again sends the same file again. Press it only after the balance has changed; the check runs again and fails the same way otherwise.

FAQ

What does a short clip cost?

Its seconds at 100 credits a minute: a 3-second clip costs 5 credits. Each charge is a whole number of credits.

Is a refused file charged?

No. Every check before and after upload runs before the charge is taken. A file refused in the browser never leaves your computer.

Is a failed transcription charged?

No. The charge is taken when the file is accepted and refunded when the transcription fails, including when it times out.

Where can I see what one transcription cost?

The page shows Used and the credits charged under the box once the transcript arrives. Before that, work it out from the length at 100 credits per minute, or watch the sidebar counter before and after. For a transcription made over the API, the job carries the exact figure; see Credits.

Does a microphone take cost the same as an upload?

Yes. It is priced by its length at the same rate once it is sent.

Can I raise the 1-hour limit?

No. Split the recording and transcribe each part.