What it does: turns the speech in a video or audio file into text, with timestamps. When to use it: any recording up to 60 minutes: a YouTube video, a podcast, a meeting, a lecture or a voice note.
How do I turn a video or audio file into text for free?
Open the home page and choose Audio & video to text.
Drop your file on the box, or click it to choose a file. You can also choose Paste link and paste a link to the file.
Pick the spoken language (or leave Auto-detect) and Fast or Accurate.
Press Transcribe for free. The first time, your browser downloads the speech model once; the text appears as it's ready.
Edit the text if you like, then press Copy or Download TXT.
Which files and how long?
MP4, MOV, MP3, M4A, WAV, OGG and WebM, up to 60 minutes per file. Longer recordings: split them, or use Cloud AI in the studio (up to 2 hours).
Fast or Accurate?
Fast
Quick and good for clear speech. One-time download of about 125–200 MB.
Accurate
Slower, better for Arabic dialects, accents and noisy audio. One-time download of about 385–565 MB.
The size depends on your browser; the button shows the exact size for your device. After the first time, the model is saved in your browser and starts instantly.
What it does: downloads a public file from a link so you don't have to save it first. When to use it: your recording is already in Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or on a website.
Which links work?
Direct file links ending in .mp3, .m4a, .wav, .ogg, .mp4, .mov or .webm.
Google Drive: in Drive, click Share → General access → "Anyone with the link", then Copy link.
Dropbox: click Share → Copy link.
OneDrive: click Share → "Anyone with the link can view" → Copy.
Links can be up to 100 MB, and you can paste up to 10 links an hour. Very large Google Drive files can't be downloaded from a link; download them and upload the file.
Why don't YouTube, TikTok or Instagram links work?
YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X don't allow downloading videos from their sites, so Spokly doesn't do it. Save your own video to your device, then upload it. It's still free. See how to save a video.
What do the link errors mean?
The file is private
Share it with "Anyone with the link", copy the link again and paste it.
Larger than 100 MB
Download the file and upload it instead.
Not an audio or video file
The link opens a web page. Use the file's own link (see above), or download and upload it.
Too many links
You pasted 10 links in the last hour. Wait a bit, or upload the file.
Paused until tomorrow
Link downloads have a daily limit for everyone. Upload the file instead; that always works.
What it does: makes SRT and VTT subtitles with timings, in the language that's spoken. When to use it: captions for YouTube, TikTok, Reels, CapCut or Premiere.
How do I make subtitles for free?
Open the home page and choose Subtitle maker.
Upload your video or audio, or paste a link.
Press Make subtitles for free.
Fix any line by clicking it and typing. Long lines are split at 42 characters automatically.
Press Download SRT or Download VTT, or Copy.
SRT or VTT?
SRT works almost everywhere: YouTube, CapCut, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Facebook. VTT is for websites and web video players.
Can I get subtitles in another language?
Translated subtitles use AI, so they're in the studio: use Subtitles with a subtitle language, or the Translate tool with your SRT file. Or translate your SRT file for free in Chrome with Translate a file.
What it does: translates a document or subtitle file with Chrome's built-in translator, on your device. When to use it: quick, free translations of TXT, MD, SRT, VTT, DOCX and PDF files.
How do I translate a file for free?
Open the home page in Chrome on a computer and choose Translate a file.
Drop your file, or choose Paste text.
Pick From (or Detect automatically) and To.
Press Translate for free. The first time, Chrome downloads the language pack once.
Press Download: you get the same format back (DOCX stays DOCX, SRT stays SRT).
Which browsers support free translation?
Chrome 138 or newer on a computer. In other browsers, and for dialects or the best quality, use AI translation in the studio (1 credit per 10,000 characters).
Under every free result there's a Want more? row. Click it to open the studio with your transcript (and its timestamps) already loaded, ready for summaries, posts, articles, translated subtitles, chapters or a voice-over.
Getting started
The basics: what Spokly does, accounts, files and languages.
What is Spokly?
Spokly turns video and audio into text, then into ready-to-publish content: summaries, social posts, articles, newsletters, subtitles, chapters, translations and voice-overs, in 33 languages. The free tools run in your browser; the studio adds AI tools that use credits.
Do I need an account?
Not for the free tools: audio and video to text, voice typing, the subtitle maker and translating a file in Chrome. To use AI tools in the studio, sign in with your Google account and choose a plan.
Which files can I use, and how long can they be?
Video and audio
MP4, MOV, MP3, M4A, WAV, OGG, WebM.
On your device
Up to 60 minutes per file. Free.
Cloud AI
Up to 2 hours per file. 1 credit per 10 minutes.
Links
Up to 100 MB.
Documents to translate
TXT, MD, SRT, VTT, DOCX and PDF, up to 10 MB and 150,000 characters.
Which languages does Spokly support?
33 languages, including 7 kinds of Arabic (Modern Standard, Egyptian, Gulf, Levantine, Iraqi, Maghrebi and Sudanese), English, French, Spanish, German, Turkish, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Indonesian, Malay, Persian, Bengali, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Swedish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Thai, Filipino, Swahili and Hebrew. Choosing the exact dialect helps the AI write the way the speaker talks.
How do the samples work?
In the studio's Home, pick YouTube intro, Egyptian podcast or Gulf voice note. The sample transcript loads, and some tools show a pre-written result tagged Sample, so you can see what Spokly makes without spending credits. Generating a new result uses credits as usual.
Source tools
Every tool in the studio works from one source: a transcript from a file, your voice, or pasted text.
What it does: transcribes your file in your browser, with timestamps. When to use it: most recordings, especially when privacy matters or you want it free.
How do I transcribe a file on my device in the studio?
In the studio, open Speech to text and choose On this device.
Drop your file or click to choose it.
Pick the spoken language and Fast or Accurate.
Press Transcribe for free and keep the tab open until it's done.
Review the transcript, then pick a next step: Summary, Subtitles or Content pack.
Why does it download a model the first time?
The speech model runs on your device, so your browser downloads it once: Fast is about 125–200 MB and Accurate about 385–565 MB, depending on your browser. It's saved in your browser, so next time it starts instantly without downloading again.
Is on-device transcription private?
Yes. Your audio never leaves your device; nothing is uploaded. It's free and unlimited.
What it does: transcribes your file with a cloud speech model. When to use it: strong dialects and accents, noisy audio, several speakers, or recordings up to 2 hours.
How do I use Cloud AI transcription?
Sign in, open Speech to text and choose Cloud AI.
Choose your file. The button shows the exact cost for its length.
Tick Add timestamps for subtitles and chapters if you'll make subtitles or chapters.
Press Transcribe.
How much does Cloud AI transcription cost?
1 credit per 10 minutes of audio: an 8-minute video is 1 credit, a 25-minute video 3, a 1-hour podcast 6.
Already have a transcript, notes or an article? In the studio's Home, click Paste text, paste it, and press Use as source. Every tool can use it. Pasted text has no timestamps, so Subtitles and Chapters need a transcribed file.
Write
Turn your transcript into clean text, summaries, notes and translations. Each tool shows its cost on the button before you click.
What it does: fixes recognition mistakes, adds punctuation and splits the text into paragraphs, without shortening it. When to use it: before publishing a transcript, or to make it easier to read.
How do I clean up a transcript?
Add a source, then open Clean transcript.
Choose Remove fillers or Keep every word, and the language to write in.
Press Generate. Long transcripts are cleaned in parts, so nothing gets cut off.
Remove fillers or keep every word?
Remove fillers
Drops "um", "you know", repeats and false starts. Best for reading.
Keep every word
Keeps everything the speaker said, just punctuated. Best for interviews and quotes.
How much does Clean transcript cost?
1 credit per 10,000 characters (about 25 minutes of speech).
What it does: translates your transcript, a file or pasted text into any of 33 languages. When to use it: reaching a new audience, or reading content in your language.
How do I translate in the studio?
Open Translate and choose Transcript, Upload file or Paste text.
Choose the engine: AI · best quality or Free in Chrome.
Pick Translate to. The button shows the cost, for example "Translate · 3 credits".
Press Translate, then Download: the file comes back in the same format.
Which files can I translate?
TXT, MD, SRT, VTT, DOCX and PDF, up to 10 MB and 150,000 characters. The file is read in your browser.
Word files come back as DOCX with the same headings, paragraphs and lists.
Subtitles keep every number and timestamp exactly; only the text is translated.
File names get the language added: report.ar.docx, episode-12.fr.srt.
My PDF says "This PDF has no selectable text". Why?
The PDF is a scan or a photo, so there's no text to read. Open it in a tool with text recognition (OCR) first, or copy the text and use Paste text.
How much does translation cost?
AI translation: 1 credit per 10,000 characters (an 8,000-character transcript is 1 credit, a 40,000-character document 4). Free in Chrome: free. Long texts are translated in parts, in order, so nothing gets cut off and terms stay consistent. If a part fails, press Retry from part N; finished parts aren't charged again.
An Instagram caption with clean line breaks and hashtags. Same four tones as Facebook. Tip: the first line is what people see before "more", so keep it strong.
A blog article from your recording: Short (about 500 words), Standard (about 900) or Long (about 1,500). Tip: run Titles & SEO with "Blog / website" to get a title and description for it.
Questions and answers taken from your content, for a website or a video description.
What is the "Add FAQ schema code" option, and where do I paste it?
It adds a block of code (FAQ structured data) that helps search engines understand your questions and answers. Paste it into your page's HTML: in WordPress, add a Custom HTML block; on other site builders, use "embed code" or "custom code" on that page. You can check it with Google's Rich Results Test.
Paste it into your video's description in YouTube Studio and save.
YouTube's rules: the first chapter must start at 0:00, you need at least 3 chapters, and each one must be at least 10 seconds long. Spokly's chapters follow these rules. With "With summaries", paste only the list part into YouTube.
Audio
Voice-overs, and everything for one video in one click.
What it does: reads any output or your own text aloud in a natural voice, in the language it's written in. When to use it: Reels and Shorts narration, audio versions of articles, ads.
How do I make a voice-over?
Open Voice-over (or press Listen under any result).
Choose Current output or Custom text (up to 20,000 characters).
Pick a voice and a style.
Press Create voice-over, listen, then Download MP3.
1 credit per 2,000 characters. Long text is split into parts automatically and joined into one MP3: a Reels script (about 800 characters) is 1 credit, an article (about 6,000) is 3.
What it does: makes 7 outputs at once: Summary, Facebook, Instagram, X post, LinkedIn, Reels script and Titles & SEO. When to use it: publishing one video everywhere.
How does the content pack work, and what does it cost?
Add a source and open Content pack.
Choose the language to write in.
Press Make content pack · 3 credits. You'll see each item tick off as it's ready.
Open each result in the tabs to copy or download it.
It costs 3 credits instead of 7. If one item fails, press Retry on it: that costs 1 credit. If the very first item fails, nothing is charged.
Brand voice
Make posts, articles, newsletters, titles and Ask anything sound like you. Open it from Brand voice at the bottom of the studio's sidebar. It's saved in your browser.
What should I write in each brand voice field?
Name or brand
Used when the AI signs off or mentions you. Example: "The Marketing Lab".
Audience
Who you write for. Example: "startup founders, age 25–40".
Voice and style
How you sound, in two or three words. Example: "professional but approachable, short sentences".
Call to action
Added at the end where it fits. Example: "Subscribe for weekly growth tips".
Never use
Words, emojis or topics to leave out. Example: "emojis, the word 'hack'".
When brand voice is set, you'll see On next to it in the sidebar.
Account & credits
Signing in, credits, plans and payments.
How credits work
Credits pay for AI actions. Free tools never use credits.
What you do
Credits used
Example
Audio & video to text (on-device), voice typing, subtitle maker (SRT/VTT in the spoken language), translating a file in Chrome
Free
—
Generate one output (summary, post, article, notes…)
Your credits renew every month. Unused credits don't roll over.
Cancel anytime. You keep your credits until the end of the paid period.
How do I sign in?
In the studio, click the Google sign-in button at the top right. You only need an account for AI tools.
What costs credits?
Only AI actions: writing tools, AI translation, Cloud AI transcription, translated subtitles, chapters, the content pack and voice-overs. The free tools never use credits. The cost is always on the button before you click.
Do my credits renew? Do unused credits roll over?
Your plan's credits renew every month, also on annual plans. Unused credits don't roll over to the next month.
How do I upgrade or change my plan?
Go to Plan & credits in the studio and click Upgrade (or Change plan). When you upgrade, you get the extra credits right away. A downgrade starts at your next renewal. Annual plans are 2 months free.
How do I cancel?
In the studio, open Plan & credits → Manage subscription and cancel. You keep your plan and credits until the end of the period you paid for.
Privacy
What's stored, where, and what never leaves your device.
What does Spokly store, and what doesn't it store?
Stored on our servers: your Google account ID, your credit balance and your subscription (plan and renewal date). Payments are handled by Lemon Squeezy; we never see your card.
Not stored on our servers: your files, audio, transcripts and results. To create AI results, the text or audio is sent to our AI providers (Anthropic or OpenAI) and the result comes straight back to you. Files fetched from a link pass through our server to your browser and aren't kept.
Only in your browser: your current transcript (until you close the tab), your last 50 results (History), your brand voice and your settings, like the theme.
Which tools never send my data anywhere?
On-device transcription, the subtitle maker and free translation in Chrome run on your device: nothing is uploaded. Live dictation and voice typing use your browser's speech recognition, which in Chrome and Edge is processed by Google or Microsoft; Spokly doesn't receive the audio.
"Your browser could not read audio from this file"
Your browser can't open that file's audio format. Convert it to MP3 (any free audio converter works) or export the audio from your video editor, then upload the MP3.
Live dictation or voice typing isn't working
Use Chrome or Edge.
Allow the microphone: click the lock icon next to the address → Microphone → Allow, then reload.
Check that the right microphone is selected in your computer's sound settings.
Pick the language you're actually speaking; some languages aren't supported by the browser.
The speech model download is stuck or slow
The first download can take a while on a slow connection; keep the tab open. Try Fast (smaller). If it never starts, your network or an ad blocker may be blocking the download: try another network or allow Spokly in your blocker, then reload.
"Not enough credits"
Check your balance in Plan & credits. Credits renew every month on your plan's renewal day. To get more now, upgrade your plan. The free tools keep working without credits.
Something doesn't load with an ad blocker
Some ad blockers also block Google sign-in, the speech model or the file readers. If a button does nothing or sign-in doesn't appear, allow Spokly in your ad blocker and reload the page.
Free translation isn't available
It needs Chrome 138 or newer on a computer. The first time, Chrome prepares the language pack, which can take a few minutes; keep the tab open. Some language pairs aren't available in Chrome yet: use AI translation in the studio instead.
A long translation stopped part-way
Press Retry from part N. The parts that are done are kept and aren't charged again.
Still stuck?
Contact us and tell us what you tried. We reply within 24 hours.
Social
Ready-to-post captions and scripts. Each costs 1 credit and follows your brand voice.
Facebook
Try itA Facebook post from your recording, in the tone you pick.
Which Facebook tone should I choose?
Instagram
Try itAn Instagram caption with clean line breaks and hashtags. Same four tones as Facebook. Tip: the first line is what people see before "more", so keep it strong.
X post
Try itA thread or a single post for X.
Thread or single post? And what's the 280 counter?
Above the result you'll see "longest N/280": the length of the longest post. Every post is written to stay at 270 characters or less, so it fits on X.
LinkedIn
Try itA LinkedIn post in one of three formats.
Which LinkedIn format should I choose?
Posts end with a question for the comments and up to 3 hashtags.
Reels script
Try itA short-video script with a hook, timing and a call to action, for Reels, TikTok and Shorts.
Which length and style should I choose?
Tip: press Listen to turn the script into a voice-over.