Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (2024)

Word for Microsoft 365Word for the webOneNote

Note:This feature is currently only available in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows in Commercial Tenants. Transcription for Government tenants is only available for Word for the web.

The transcribe feature converts speechto a text transcript with each speaker individually separated. After your conversation, interview, or meeting, you can revisit parts of the recording by playing back the timestamped audio andedit the transcription to make corrections. You can save the full transcript as a Word document or insert snippets of it into existing documents.

You can transcribe speech in two ways:

  • Record directly in Word

  • Upload an audio file

You can record directly in Word while taking notes in the canvas and then transcribe the recording. Word transcribesin the background as you record; you won't see text on the page as you would when dictating. You'll see the transcriptafter you save and transcribe the recording.

  1. Go to Home > Dictate> Transcribe.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (1)

  2. In the Transcribe pane, select Start recording.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (2)

    Tips:

    • Be careful to set the correct microphone input on your device, otherwise results may be disappointing. For example, if your computer's microphone input is set to your headset mic based on the last time you used it, it won't work well for pickingup an in-person meeting. You can change which microphone is used in Windows sound settings.

    • If you want to record and transcribe a virtual call, don't use yourheadset. That way, the recording can pick upthe sound coming out of your device.

  3. Wait for the microphone buttonto be outlined in blueand the timestamp to start incrementing to let you know that recording has begun.

  4. Start talking or begin a conversation with another person. Speak clearly.

  5. Leave the Transcribe pane open while recording.

  6. Pause recording by selecting the microphone button.

  7. Resume recording by selecting the microphone button.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (3)
  8. When finished, select Save and transcribe now to save your recording to OneDriveand start the transcription process.

  9. Transcription may take a while depending on your internet speed. Keep the Transcribepane open while the transcription is being made. Feel free to do other work or switch browser tabs or applications and come back later.

    Note:The recordings will bestored in the Transcribed Filesfolder on OneDrive. You can delete them there. Learn more about privacy at Microsoft.

You can upload a pre-recorded audio file and then transcribe the recording.

  1. Go to Home > Dictate dropdown > Transcribe.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (4)

  2. In the Transcribe pane, select Upload audio.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (5)
  3. Choose an audio file from the file picker. Transcribe currently supports.wav, .mp4, .m4a, .mp3 formats.

  4. Transcription may take a while depending on your internet speed, up to about the length of the audio file. Be sure to keep the Transcribepane open while the transcription is happening, but feel free to do other work or switch browser tabs or applications and come back later.

Notes:

  • Recordings are stored in the Transcribed Filesfolder on OneDrive. You can delete them there. Learn more about privacy at Microsoft.

  • Users with a Microsoft 365 subscription can transcribe a maximum of 300 minutes of uploaded audio per month.

Your transcript is associated with the document it’s attached to until you remove it. If you close and reopen the pane or close and reopen the document, the transcript remains saved with the document.

You can interact with the transcript in a few different ways.

Access the audio file

The audio file, whether recorded or uploaded, is saved to the Transcribed Files folder in OneDrive.

Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (6)

Play back the audio

Use the controls at the top of the Transcribe pane to play back your audio. The relevant transcript section highlights as it plays.

Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (7)

  • Select the timestamp of any transcript section to play that portion of audio.

  • Change the playback speed up to 2x.

Relabel a speaker or edit a section

The transcription service identifies and separates different speakers and labels them "Speaker 1," "Speaker 2," etc. You can edit the speaker label and change all occurrences of it to something else. You can also edit the content of a section to correct any issues in transcription.

  1. In the Transcribe pane, hover over a section you want to edit.

  2. Select theEdit transcript sectionbutton.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (8)
  3. Edit the content or change the label. To change all instances of a label, select Change all Speaker [x].

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (9)
  4. To save your changes, select theConfirmbutton.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (10)

Add a transcript to the document

Unlike Dictate, Transcribe doesn't automatically add the audio to the document. Instead, from the Transcribe pane, you can add the entire transcript, or specific sections of it, to the document.

  • To add a specific transcript section, hover over the section and select the Add section to documentbutton.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (11)
  • To add the entire transcript to the document, select Add all to document.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (12)
  • To delete the transcript or create a new one, select New transcription. You can only store one transcript per document; if you create a new transcript for the document, the current transcript will be deleted. However, any transcript sections you've added to the document remain in the document, but not in the Transcribe pane.

Rename a recorded audio file

You can rename an audio file that has been recorded.

  1. Go to the Transcribed Filesfolder in OneDrive, or at the top of the Transcribe pane, click the name of the recording.When the audio player interface appears, close it to return to the Transcribed Files folder.

  2. Find your recording, then select Actions > Renameandrename the recording file.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (13)

    Note:TheTranscribed Files folder looks different depending on whether yourOneDriveaccount is for a business or personal.

  3. Close the Transcribe pane in Word and then reopen it to see the name update.

You can share the transcript with someone in two ways:

  • SelectAdd all to documentto add the entire transcript to your document, then share the Word document as usual. The transcript will appear as regular text in the document and there will be a hyperlink to the audio file in the document.

  • Share the Word document as usual. The recipient can open theTranscribepane to interact with the transcript. To protect your privacy, playback of the audio file is by default notavailable in theTranscribepane for anyone that you share the Word document with.

You can also share the transcript and enable playback of the audio file in the Transcribepane:

  1. On your version of the Word document, click the filename at the top of theTranscribepane to go to where the audio file is saved in OneDrive.

  2. The Transcribed Filesfolder in OneDriveopens.

  3. Find your recording, then select Actions > Shareandadd the email address of the person you want to share the recording with.

  4. Share the Word document as usual.

  5. The person that you shared both the Word document and audio file with will be able to open the Word document, open theTranscribepane, and interact with both the transcript and audio file.

Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (14)

The transcribe feature converts speechto a text transcript with each speaker individually separated. After your conversation, interview, or meeting, you can revisit parts of the recording by playing back the timestamped audio andedit the transcription to make corrections. You can save the full transcript as a Word document or insert snippets of it into existing documents.

You can transcribe speech in two ways:

  • Record directly in Word

  • Upload an audio file

You can record directly in Word while taking notes in the canvas and then transcribe the recording. Word transcribesin the background as you record; you won't see text on the page as you would when dictating. You'll see the transcriptafter you save and transcribe the recording.

  1. Make sure you’re signed intoMicrosoft 365, using the new Microsoft EdgeorChrome.

  2. Go to Home > Dictate> Transcribe.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (15)

  3. In the Transcribe pane, select Start recording.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (16)
  4. If it’s your first time to transcribe, give the browser permission to use your mic. There might be a dialog that pops up in the browser or you may have to go to the browser settings.

    • In the new Microsoft Edge: > Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Microphone > Allow https://[your company URL]...sharepoint.com

      Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (17)
    • In Chrome: > Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Microphone > Allow https://[your company URL]...sharepoint.com

      Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (18)

      Tips:

      • Be careful to set the correct microphone input on your device, otherwise results may be disappointing. For example, if your computer's microphone input is set to your headset mic based on the last time you used it, it won't work well for pickingup an in-person meeting.

      • If you want to record and transcribe a virtual call, don't use yourheadset. That way, the recording can pick upthe sound coming out of your device.

  5. Wait for the microphone button to be outlined in blueand the timestamp to start incrementing to let you know that recording has begun.

  6. Start talking or begin a conversation with another person. Speak clearly.

  7. Leave the Transcribe pane open while recording.

  8. Pause recording by selecting the microphone button.

  9. Resume recording by selecting the microphone button.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (19)
  10. When finished, select Save and transcribe now to save your recording to OneDriveand start the transcription process.

  11. Transcription may take a while depending on your internet speed. Keep the Transcribepane open while the transcription is being made. Feel free to do other work or switch browser tabs or applications and come back later.

    Note:The recordings will bestored in the Transcribed Filesfolder on OneDrive. You can delete them there. Learn more about privacy at Microsoft.

You can upload a pre-recorded audio file and then transcribe the recording.

  1. Make sure you’re signed into Microsoft 365, using the new Microsoft EdgeorChrome.

  2. Go to Home > Dictate dropdown > Transcribe.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (20)

  3. In the Transcribe pane, select Upload audio.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (21)
  4. Choose an audio file from the file picker. Transcribe currently supports.wav, .mp4, .m4a, .mp3 formats.

  5. Transcription may take a while depending on your internet speed, up to about the length of the audio file. Be sure to keep the Transcribepane open while the transcription is happening, but feel free to do other work or switch browser tabs or applications and come back later.

Notes:

  • Recordings are stored in the Transcribed Filesfolder on OneDrive. You can delete them there. Learn more about privacy at Microsoft.

  • Users with a Microsoft 365 subscription can transcribe a maximum of 300 minutes of uploaded audio per month.

Your transcript is associated with the document it’s attached to until you remove it. If you close and reopen the pane or close and reopen the document, the transcript remains saved with the document.

You can interact with the transcript in a few different ways.

Access the audio file

The audio file, whether recorded or uploaded, is saved to the Transcribed Files folder in OneDrive.

Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (22)

Play back the audio

Use the controls at the top of the Transcribe pane to play back your audio. The relevant transcript section highlights as it plays.

Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (23)

  • Select the timestamp of any transcript section to play that portion of audio.

  • Change the playback speed up to 2x.

Relabel a speaker or edit a section

The transcription service identifies and separates different speakers and labels them "Speaker 1," "Speaker 2," etc. You can edit the speaker label and change all occurrences of it to something else. You can also edit the content of a section to correct any issues in transcription.

  1. In the Transcribe pane, hover over a section you want to edit.

  2. Select theEdit transcript sectionbutton.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (24)
  3. Edit the content or change the label. To change all instances of a label, select Change all Speaker [x].

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (25)
  4. To save your changes, select theConfirmbutton.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (26)

Add a transcript to the document

Unlike Dictate, Transcribe doesn't automatically add the audio to the document. Instead, from the Transcribe pane, you can add the entire transcript, or specific sections of it, to the document.

  • To add a specific transcript section, hover over the section and select the Add section to documentbutton.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (27)
  • To add the entire transcript to the document, select Add all to document.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (28)
  • To delete the transcript or create a new one, select New transcription. You can only store one transcript per document; if you create a new transcript for the document, the current transcript will be deleted. However, any transcript sections you've added to the document remain in the document, but not in the Transcribe pane.

Rename a recorded audio file

You can rename an audio file that has been recorded.

  1. Go to the Transcribed Filesfolder in OneDrive, or at the top of the Transcribe pane, click the name of the recording.When the audio player interface appears, close it to return to the Transcribed Files folder.

  2. Find your recording, then select Actions > Renameandrename the recording file.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (29)

    Note:TheTranscribed Files folder looks different depending on whether yourOneDriveaccount is for a business or personal.

  3. Close the Transcribe pane in Word and then reopen it to see the name update.

You can share the transcript with someone in two ways:

  • SelectAdd all to documentto add the entire transcript to your document, then share the Word document as usual. The transcript will appear as regular text in the document and there will be a hyperlink to the audio file in the document.

  • Share the Word document as usual. The recipient can open theTranscribepane to interact with the transcript. To protect your privacy, playback of the audio file is by default notavailable in theTranscribepane for anyone that you share the Word document with.

You can also share the transcript and enable playback of the audio file in the Transcribepane:

  1. On your version of the Word document, click the filename at the top of theTranscribepane to go to where the audio file is saved in OneDrive.

  2. The Transcribed Filesfolder in OneDriveopens.

  3. Find your recording, then select Actions > Shareandadd the email address of the person you want to share the recording with.

  4. Share the Word document as usual.

  5. The person that you shared both the Word document and audio file with will be able to open the Word document, open theTranscribepane, and interact with both the transcript and audio file.

System requirements are:

  • Transcribeonly works on the new Microsoft Edge and Chrome.

  • Transcribe requires an Internet connection.

Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (30)

Note:This feature is currently available only on the Windows platform in OneNote for Microsoft 365.

Voice and Ink are a powerful combination. Together for the first time in Office, transcription and ink  makes it easier than ever to take notes, focus on what’s important, and review your content later. With transcription on, you can record what you hear. You’re free to annotate, write notes, or highlight what’s important. When you’re ready to review, your ink will play back in lockstep with the recording. You can easily jump to a specific moment by tapping on any annotation to recall more context.

Note:Transcribe is not available for GCC/GCC-H/DoD customers.

You can transcribe speech in two ways:

  • Record directly in OneNote.

  • Upload an audio file.

Note:When you play back theaudio,you can see theink strokes that you made during the recording.

You can record directly in OneNote while taking notes in the canvas and then transcribe the recording. OneNote transcribes in the background as you record; you won't see text on the page as you would when dictating. You'll see the transcript after you save and transcribe the recording. The ink strokes you make while recording it will be captured and replayed.

Make sure you’re signed into Microsoft 365 and using the latest version on OneNote.

Tips:

  • Be careful to set the correct microphone input on your device for the best result.For example, if your computer's microphone input is set to your headset mic based on the last time you used it, it won't work well for picking up an in-person meeting.

  • If you want to record and transcribe a virtual call, don't use your headset. That way, the recording can pick up the sound coming out of your device.

Record

  1. Go to Home> ... More commands> Transcribe.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (31)
  2. In the Transcribepane, selectStart recording.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (32)
  3. If it’s your first-time transcribing, give the OneNote app permission to use your mic:How to set up and test microphones in Windows (microsoft.com).

    Tip:When the microphone button is outlined in purple and the timestampstarts to change, therecording has started and you can speak, have a conversation, or record a lecture. Speak clearly or make sure the incoming audio is clear.

  4. Start talking or begin a conversation with another person. Speak clearly.

  5. Leave the Transcribe pane open while recording.

  6. Pause and resume recording as you need.

    Pause therecording by selecting the microphone button.

    Resume recording by selecting the microphone button.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (33)
  7. When finished, select Save and transcribe now to save your recording to OneDriveand start the transcription process.

  8. Transcription may take a while depending on your internet speed. Keep the Transcribepane open while the transcription is being made. Feel free to do other work or switch browser tabs or applications and come back later.

    Note:The recordings are stored in the Transcribed Filesfolder on OneDrive. You can delete them there. Learn more about privacy at Microsoft.

You can upload a pre-recorded audio file and then transcribe the recording.Make sure you’re signed into Microsoft 365 and using the latest version on OneNote.

  1. Go to Home > Transcribe > Transcribe.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (34)
  2. In the Transcribe pane, select Upload audio.

  3. Choose an audio file from the file picker. Transcribe currently supports .wav, .mp4, .m4a, .mp3 formats.

Notes:

  • Transcription may take a while depending on your internet speed, up to the length of the audio file. Be certain to keep the Transcribe pane open while the transcription is happening, but feel free to do other work,switch browsertabs or applications, and come back later.

  • You can delete stored recordings in the Transcribed Files folder on OneDrive.Learn more about privacy at Microsoft.

Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (35)

You can do the inking on the canvas while the recording continues. Each movement iscaptured and played back in sync with the audio during playback.

Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (36)

Note:Inking strokes made during the paused state replay at the same time.

Your transcript is associated with the OneNote pageit’s attached to, until you remove it from that document. If you close and reopen the pane orthe document, the transcript remains saved with the document.

You can interact with the transcript these different ways.

Access the audio file

The audio file, whether it is recorded or uploaded, is stored in the Transcribed Files folder in OneDrive.

Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (37)

Play back the audio

Use the controls at the top of the Transcribe pane to play back your audio. The relevant transcript section highlights as it plays.

Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (38)

  1. Select the timestamp of any transcript section to play that portion of audio.

  2. Change the playback speed up to 2x.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (39)

Relabel a speaker or edit a section

The transcription service identifies and separates different speakers and labels them "Speaker 1," "Speaker 2," etc. You can edit the speaker label and change all occurrences of it to something else. You can also edit the content of a section to correct any issues in transcription.

  1. In the Transcribe pane, hover over a section you want to edit.

  2. Select the Edit transcript sectionbutton.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (40)
  3. Edit the content or change the label. To change all instances of a label, select Change all Speaker [x].

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (41)
  4. To save your changes, select the Confirm button.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (42)

Add a transcript to the document

Unlike Dictate, Transcribe doesn't automatically add audio to the document. Instead, from the Transcribe pane, you can add the entire transcript, or specific sections of it, to the document.

  • To add a specific transcript section, hover over the section and select the Add section to pagebutton.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (43)
  • To add the entire transcript to the document, select Add to page.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (44)
  • To delete the transcript or create a new one, select New transcription.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (45)

Note:You can only store one transcript per document; if you create a new transcript for the document, the current transcript will be deleted. However, any transcript sections you've added to the document remain in the document, but not in the Transcribe pane.

Rename a recorded audio file

You can rename an audio file that has been recorded.

  1. Go to theTranscribed Filesfolder in OneDrive, or at the top of the Transcribepane. Selectthe name of the recording.  When the audio player interface appears, close it to return to the Transcribed Files folder.

  2. Find your recording, then selectActions>Rename and rename the recording file.

    Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (46)
  3. Close the Transcribe pane in OneNote and then reopen it to see the name update.

Note: The Transcribed Files folder looks different depending on whether your OneDrive account is for a business or personal.

You can share the transcript with someone in two ways:

  • Select theAdd all to documentbutton to add the entire transcript to your OneNote page, then share the OneNote pageas usual. The transcript displaysas regular text in the pagewith a hyperlink to the audio file in the document.

  • Share the OneNote pageas usual. The recipient can open theTranscribepane to interact with the transcript. To protect your privacy, playback of the audio file is, by default, notavailable in theTranscribepane for anyone that you share the OneNote pagewith.

You can also share the transcript and enable playback of the audio file in the Transcribepane:

  1. On your version of the OneNote page, click the filename at the top of theTranscribepane to go to where the audio file is saved in OneDrive.

  2. The Transcribed Filesfolder in OneDriveopens.

  3. Find your recording, then select Actions > Shareandadd the email address of the person you want to share the recording with.

  4. Also share the OneNote page as usual.

  5. The person that you shared both theOneNote page and the audio file with will be able to open the OneNote page, open theTranscribepane, and interact with both the transcript and audio file.

System requirements are:

  • Transcribe + Ink only works on version 2211 Build16.0.15819.20000 or later.

  • Transcribe + Ink requires an Internet connection.

Can't find the Transcribe button

If you can't see the button to start Transcription, make sure you're signed in with an active Microsoft 365 subscription.

Switch accounts

Note:If you see themessage “Switch account to transcribe on this notebook”, you need to switch your active account to the identity that has the required edit permissions.This message displays when you try to transcribe a page of thenotebook where you don’t have the edit permission.

Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (47)

  1. Selectthe user profile currently displayed on the top right corner.

  2. Select the user profile that has edit permissions for that page.

Transcribe experience works with 80+ locales:

  • Arabic (Bahrain), modern standard

  • Arabic (Egypt)

  • Arabic (Iraq)

  • Arabic (Jordan)

  • Arabic (Kuwait)

  • Arabic (Lebanon)

  • Arabic (Oman)

  • Arabic (Qatar)

  • Arabic (Saudi Arabia)

  • Arabic (Syria)

  • Arabic (United Arab Emirates)

  • Bulgarian (Bulgaria)

  • Catalan

  • Chinese (Cantonese, Traditional)

  • Chinese (Mandarin, Simplified)

  • Chinese (Taiwanese Mandarin)

  • Croatian (Croatia)

  • Czech (Czech Republic)

  • Danish (Denmark)

  • Dutch (Netherlands)

  • English (Australia)

  • English (Canada)

  • English (Hong Kong SAR)

  • English (India)

  • English (Ireland)

  • English (New Zealand)

  • English (Philippines)

  • English (Singapore)

  • English (South Africa)

  • English (United Kingdom)

  • English (United States)

  • Estonian (Estonia)

  • Finnish (Finland)

  • French (Canada)

  • French (France)

  • German (Germany)

  • Greek (Greece)

  • Gujarati (Indian)

  • Hindi (India)

  • Hungarian (Hungary)

  • Irish (Ireland)

  • Italian (Italy)

  • Japanese (Japan)

  • Korean (Korea)

  • Latvian (Latvia)

  • Lithuanian (Lithuania)

  • Maltese (Malta)

  • Marathi (India)

  • Norwegian (Bokmål, Norway)

  • Polish (Poland)

  • Portuguese (Brazil)

  • Portuguese (Portugal)

  • Romanian (Romania)

  • Russian (Russia)

  • Slovak (Slovakia)

  • Slovenian (Slovenia)

  • Spanish (Argentina)

  • Spanish (Bolivia)

  • Spanish (Chile)

  • Spanish (Colombia)

  • Spanish (Costa Rica)

  • Spanish (Cuba)

  • Spanish (Dominican Republic)

  • Spanish (Ecuador)

  • Spanish (El Salvador)

  • Spanish (Guatemala)

  • Spanish (Honduras)

  • Spanish (Mexico)

  • Spanish (Nicaragua)

  • Spanish (Panama)

  • Spanish (Paraguay)

  • Spanish (Peru)

  • Spanish (Puerto Rico)

  • Spanish (Spain)

  • Spanish (Uruguay)

  • Spanish (USA)

  • Spanish (Venezuela)

  • Swedish (Sweden)

  • Tamil (India)

  • Telugu (India)

  • Thai (Thailand)

  • Turkish (Turkey)

About Transcribe

Transcribe is one of the Office Intelligent Services, bringing the power of the cloud to Office apps to help save you time and produce better results.The Transcribe feature in Word for desktop requires optional connected experiences to function properly.

Your audio files are sent to Microsoft and used only to provide you with this service. When the transcription is done your audio and transcription results are not stored by our service. Formore information seeConnected Experiences in Office.

Transcribe your recordings - Microsoft Support (2024)
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