5 Best Wav to Text Converters Online Free [+ Guide]

The purpose of this guide is to narrow down your options and point you to the best online free programs for converting a WAV file to text.
Lam Chow
Lam Chow Originally published Aug 10, 23, updated Dec 20, 23

Finding a WAV to text converter for all your transcription needs is not a problem, but finding the best one that ticks all the boxes may be a little harder. Thankfully, we are here to help!

WAV file format is used when high-quality audio is needed. Its most common use would be recording original audio such as podcasts, studio recordings, etc. It is also a very common audio format in Microsoft Windows System.

So, if it happens that your audio files are mostly in WAV format and you want to transcribe them to text files at some point, it is very doable and easily so too. There are many audio converters available online; while some are free, others are not, and they all have their strengths and limitations, as not all of them support a wide range of audio formats, including WAV.

The purpose of this guide is to narrow down your options and point you to the best online free programs for converting a WAV file to text.

Before deciding on an audio converter, you must confirm its reliability, availability, efficiency, accuracy, etc. When transcribing a WAV audio file to a text file, you need as much accuracy as possible so that you don't end up with a shoddy text file that will require you to repeat the process all over. Knowing if the program is efficient, without bugs and glitches, and easy to use is also important.

In short, take your time to go through user reviews. We have taken that into account for this guide to bring you the best WAV to text converters online.

In this article
  1. Why Convert WAV Audio to Text?
  2. Top 5 Online WAV to Text Converters [Proven]
  3. FAQs of WAV to Text Transcription

Part 1: Why Convert WAV Audio to Text?

As we said earlier, there are a good number of reasons why the need to convert a WAV audio file to text; here are some of them.

Searchability for organic traffic

Converting a WAV file to text is one of the greatest ways to improve searchability and SEO ranking. It takes longer to listen to an audio file and find a specific section. Still, when a text file of the same audio file is available, it becomes easier to find by simply inputting any keyword related to your search.

And if you know how a search engine works, you will agree that the more a page has in terms of range, the higher it ranks. This is because having a file in both audio and text on your webpage or blog positions you to two different sets of users, people who come for text and people who come for audio/visuals, making your page a search engine favorite!

Accessibility

Changing a WAV file to text makes things easier to access and understand, especially in e-learning, media, etc. Sometimes, there may be an accent barrier in an audio file, making it a little difficult for viewers and listeners to be more involved and understand what has been said, but a quick transcription of an audio file using a WAV to text converter makes things a lot easier to access and understand.

Content Repurposing and Referencing

Audio-to-text conversion is also necessary for referencing an article accurately. You can now keep written records of important meetings, interviews, etc., for reference purposes using audio to text transcription. In addition, journalists with a WAV audio interview file can quickly turn it into an article that can be easily read.

Part 2: Top 5 Online WAV to Text Converters [Proven]

1. Happyscribe

Happyscribe is a WAV to text converter that has proven efficient and worth it's salt. It is an online audio to text converter with a database of over 60 languages rated 4.8 by users.

Not only is it easy to use and very reliable, it has a user interface that is friendly, straightforward, and easy to navigate. With Happyscribe, you can import your audio file from anywhere, your cloud storage, external storage, or your local drive, and it has about 120 languages, dialects, and accents altogether.

Although it is free in some parts, you will pay to gain full access, but it is totally worth it because of its accurate text delivery. The transcription service here is both human-made and machine-generated. For a machine-generated text file, expect 85% accuracy and a transcript that will be generated in minutes tops, but human-made generation takes about 24 hours to complete.

This is because it will be transcribed by an expert and a native speaker with 99% accuracy!

2. Media.io

Media.io is a free online program with a modern user interface and easy steps. It uses AI and deep ML to analyze video, audio correctly. This deep ML and AI sound recognition service helps it quickly convert WAV to text online without wasting unnecessary time, and you can expect a 95% accurate transcript!

It is easy to navigate, and transcription takes only three quick steps to instantly upload, transcribe, and save your text file to your device.

Media.io can generate text and speech subtitles in over 90 languages with impressive speed and accuracy, and it also has so many great reviews. One of its key features is compatibility with every device and a wide range of audio format acceptance, including mp3, M4A, WAV, NOV, WebM, AVI, OGG, FLAC, etc.

So, if you have a reliable internet connection, you should be able to conveniently convert your WAV file to text with no charges.

3. Flixier

If you need an AI-powered tool to transcribe podcasts, meetings, and just about any WAV file you have to a text file, Flixier is good for it. It is reliable, efficient, completely free, and swiftly completes the job.

It has one of the simplest and easy to understand user interfaces. Once you launch the program, you will immediately see the "Transcribe" button without scrolling to the bottom of the screen. It works well on every operating system and computer, old or new.

There is almost nothing to complain about with Flixier except maybe you have a poor internet connection; otherwise, it is solid and gives a timely and accurate output!

4. Anyconv

Anyconv is an efficient online audio converter. It is free, reliable, and swift. One of its best features is the ability to convert batch WAV files to text in a few seconds.

The user interface is nothing too complex; you will see the "Choose File" tab when you open the program, where you can begin the WAV-to-text conversion process either by upload or drag-and-drop method.

Your files will be deleted after one hour on the server, and only you can access them when it is still there. Overall, it is a convenient WAV-to-text transcription tool that works with any browser and operating system and requires no software. Your text file is ready in just three quick steps, completed in seconds.

5. Descript

Descript is an audio to text converter with great speech-to-text capabilities to convert your WAV audio files to text quickly and swiftly. It also helps you edit your audio in real-time by editing the text.

It converts your WAV to text in three basic steps in a simple and intuitive user interface and an advanced speech recognition technology that turns files into editable transcripts. It is great for Youtubers, vloggers, podcasters, etc., because of its precise and accurate transcript and other features, such as editable transcripts.

Although it is an almost perfect WAV to text converter tool that saves your transcript specifically as a text file, it is only free for a limited size of the file, so you will subscribe to a paid plan to be able to convert an unlimited length of an audio file.

Part 3: FAQs of WAV to Text Transcription

1. Can I Convert A WAV/Audio File to Text Online?

Absolutely. There are different ways you can convert your WAV audio file to text which include manually, with apps, and online. Each method has its strengths and limitations, but online transcriptions work almost perfectly.

There are many reasons why we came to this conclusion which include high compatibility with devices and operating systems, ease of use, instant conversion, accurate transcript, etc. One of the major reasons we recommend WAV to text online transcription is because it requires no software installation to work, thereby taking up no space in your device while delivering a great transcript.

2. What is the Best Way to Transcribe WAV files?

The best way to do anything is always the easiest and most efficient. In this case, it is an online WAV to text converter like Media.io that is free, easy to use, has a 99% accuracy with over 90 languages, has a modern user interface, and uses AI and deep ML to analyze audio and video correctly.

The steps are easy and straightforward, and we will illustrate them for you.

Upload Your Voice Files to Convert

Launch the Media.io speech-to-text converter on your browser (any browser) to upload the WAV files and begin the conversion process. You can upload them from your device's local storage.

Start Transcribing Audio to Text Online

Choose the language you want to transcribe the WAV audio to, then click 'Transcribe Now,' Media.io will immediately analyze the voice and generate an accurate text file instantly.

Download Speech-to-Text File

Your transcript is ready, and you can preview and save the text file to your device.

Each step of your WAV to text transcription should look like this:

Step 1.

online-wav-to-text-converter-1.jpg

Step 2

online-wav-to-text-converter-2.jpg

Step 3.

online-wav-to-text-converter-3.jpg

And with these easy steps, your WAV to text transcription is complete, and you can save your file as a TXT file instantly.  

Ultimately, whatever format your audio file is, it does not matter if you want to transcribe it to a text file because tools are available online to assist you. However, make sure you are asking the right questions and looking in the right places before settling for any WAV to text converter so you don't end up frustrated with a shabby transcript.

Thankfully, this detailed guide will help you find the right audio to text converter for your podcasts, Youtube, vlogs, and any WAV file you want to transcribe to text. So, take your time and go through our selections carefully!

Lam Chow
Lam Chow Dec 20, 23
Share article: