How to transcribe an audio file or interview on iPhone

Voice Memos transcribes its own recordings in a few languages. For an audio file someone sent you, an interview recorded on another device, or a language Voice Memos doesn't cover, open the file in a transcription app. In Referat, tap Import audio file and pick the file, or share it to Referat from Files or Mail. The text appears on your phone, split by speaker, and nothing is uploaded.

Step by step with Referat

Open Referat and tap Import audio file. Choose the recording in Files; you can pick several at once.
Or start from the file: share it from Files, Mail or another app and choose Referat in the share sheet.
Referat transcribes on the phone and finds the language by itself. Each speaker gets a number; tap Rename speakers to give them names.
Tap a word to hear that spot in the recording, and slow playback down when you check a quote.
Export the transcript as text, Markdown, PDF or subtitles (SRT/VTT), or copy the summary.

Referat opens m4a, mp3 and wav audio and mp4 and mov video, so a video interview or a saved recording of an online meeting works too.

For a cleaner transcript

Record close to the speaker. For an interview, put the phone between you, a little closer to the person you're interviewing. Background music and a noisy café cost more accuracy than anything else.
One at a time. When people talk over each other, both the words and the speaker labels get worse.
Use the best speech model for hard audio. In Settings → Speech model, Best is the most accurate but takes longer. Balanced is the default.
Set the language if it guesses wrong. Settings → Language → Meeting language. Automatic handles most recordings.
Check names and numbers. Listen again to the parts you'll quote. Speech recognition is good, not perfect.

Your interview stays with you

Interviews often hold things people said in confidence. With Referat, neither the recording nor the transcript leaves your iPhone: no account, no upload and no transcription service in between. Only the speech model is downloaded, once; after that Referat works offline. Ask before you record, and say what the recording will be used for.

Recorded in Voice Memos?

Voice Memos can show a transcript of its own recordings on iPhone 12 or later. Read how to transcribe Voice Memos on iPhone.

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