> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.wittify.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Upload Audio

> Drag-drop or browse an audio file, pick a language, toggle speaker detection and subtitles, then start transcribing.

<Note>
  The **Upload Audio** modal is reached from the dashboard's **Upload File** card and from the topbar's **+ Transcribe Audio** dropdown. It accepts a single audio file, validates the size and type, and queues it for transcription.
</Note>

## What this modal looks like

A 600 px popup over the dashboard with a header, a dropzone, an uploaded-file card, a language selector, two toggles, and a submit button.

| Region                                   | What you see                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| ---------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Header                                   | Title **Upload Audio** with a short subtitle below. A small **X** in the upper end-edge corner closes the modal.                                                                                                                          |
| Dropzone                                 | A 166 px tall area with a dashed border. Click anywhere inside it or drag a file onto it to add the audio. While you're dragging a file over it, the dropzone tints to the brand color and the label changes to **Drop the file here...** |
| Uploaded-file card                       | Once you've added a file, the dropzone is replaced by a green card showing the file name, the size in MB, and the file type. A **trash** icon on the end edge removes the file so you can try again.                                      |
| Language selector                        | A dropdown with 16 languages plus **Auto Detect**. Hovering it shows the tooltip *Selecting a language increases the accuracy of the transcription.*                                                                                      |
| **Detect Speakers Automatically** switch | When on, the AI labels each speaker so you can rename them in the editor. Default: on.                                                                                                                                                    |
| **Include subtitles** switch             | When on, the engine produces a subtitle file alongside the transcript. Default: off.                                                                                                                                                      |
| **Start transcribing** button            | The brand-gradient submit button. Disabled until a valid file is selected.                                                                                                                                                                |

## Using the modal

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the modal">
    Click **Upload File** on the dashboard's **Start Transcribing** grid, or **+ Transcribe Audio** in the topbar then **Upload File**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a file">
    Drag the file onto the dropzone, or click anywhere in the dropzone to browse. While you're dragging over it the dropzone tints to the brand color and the label changes to **Drop the file here...** until you let go.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm the file">
    The dropzone is replaced by a green confirmation card showing the file name, size in MB, and type. Click the **trash** icon to clear it and try again.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick a language">
    Choose a language from the dropdown or leave it on **Auto Detect**. Hover the tooltip for the accuracy hint.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Tune the toggles">
    Turn **Detect Speakers Automatically** on (default) or off. Turn **Include subtitles** on if you want subtitles produced.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Submit">
    Click **Start transcribing**. A toast confirms **File uploaded successfully** with the file name. You go straight to the [Transcript Editor](/en/Systems/Speech-to-Text/Transcript-Editor) while the file processes in the background.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Validation

The modal checks the file before accepting it. If a check fails, a toast appears and the dropzone stays empty.

| Rule      | Limit                                                            | Toast on failure                            |
| --------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| File size | 500 MB maximum                                                   | **File too large. Maximum size is 500 MB.** |
| File type | Must be audio (.mp3, .wav, .m4a, .aac, .ogg, .flac, .mp4, .webm) | **Please upload a valid audio file.**       |

## Settings

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Detect Speakers Automatically" icon="users">
    The AI separates voices by speaker. The transcript carries a label per speaker that you can rename later in the [Transcript Editor](/en/Systems/Speech-to-Text/Transcript-Editor). Default: on.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Include subtitles" icon="closed-captioning">
    The engine produces a subtitle file alongside the transcript. You can export the subtitles to SRT or VTT later. Default: off.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Supported languages

16 languages plus **Auto Detect**. The same list shows up in the [Live Transcribe](/en/Systems/Speech-to-Text/Live-Transcribe) modal.

| Language    | Default flag |
| ----------- | ------------ |
| Auto Detect | ,            |
| English     | GB           |
| Arabic      | SA           |
| French      | FR           |
| Spanish     | ES           |
| German      | DE           |
| Turkish     | TR           |
| Urdu        | PK           |
| Hindi       | IN           |
| Chinese     | CN           |
| Japanese    | JP           |
| Korean      | KR           |
| Portuguese  | BR           |
| Russian     | RU           |
| Dutch       | NL           |
| Italian     | IT           |

<Tip>
  **Verify the detected language before submitting.** Picking the right language is the single biggest accuracy improvement you can make.
</Tip>

## What happens after submit

1. A new file row appears under **Your Files** in the sidebar with the status **Processing...** (a pulsing amber chip).
2. You're pushed to the [Transcript Editor](/en/Systems/Speech-to-Text/Transcript-Editor), which starts loading the transcript as soon as it's ready.
3. When transcription finishes, the row flips to **Completed** and the audio duration replaces the **Processing...** chip.

## Limits

| Limit                         | Value                                          |
| ----------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| Maximum file size             | 500 MB                                         |
| Maximum length                | 5 hours                                        |
| Maximum files in your library | 200 (oldest are removed when you go past this) |

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="My file is rejected as too large.">
    The limit is 500 MB. If your file is over that, compress it (lower bit rate or convert to a more compact format like AAC) and try again. The 5-hour duration cap also applies regardless of file size.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My file is rejected as not a valid audio file.">
    Only `.mp3`, `.wav`, `.m4a`, `.aac`, `.ogg`, `.flac`, `.mp4`, and `.webm` are accepted. If you're trying to upload a video, the `.mp4` container works, the engine extracts the audio. Other formats (`.mov`, `.avi`, `.wma`) are not supported.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Should I leave the language on Auto Detect?">
    If your audio is mostly one language, picking it explicitly gives you the best accuracy. Use **Auto Detect** when your audio mixes languages or when you genuinely don't know what's on the recording.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why is Detect Speakers Automatically on by default?">
    Most audio with more than one speaker (interviews, calls, meetings) reads better when each speaker has their own line. You can always turn it off if your audio is a single narrator.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My transcription is taking forever.">
    A rule of thumb is about 30 seconds of processing per minute of audio. Files near the 5-hour cap can take a while. The row in **Your Files** stays in **Processing...** until done. You can leave the page and come back, the file will be there with **Completed**.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I cancel a running transcription?">
    Yes. Go to the [File Library](/en/Systems/Speech-to-Text/File-Library) and use the 3-dot menu's **Delete** action on the row, that stops the job and removes the row.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where do my uploaded files actually go?">
    Files are tied to your Wittify account. Other users on your team can't see them. If you need to share a transcript, export it to TXT, DOCX, SRT, or VTT from the [Transcript Editor](/en/Systems/Speech-to-Text/Transcript-Editor) and send the file directly.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The 200-file cap, what happens when I hit it?">
    Your oldest unpinned file is removed automatically to make room for the new one. **Pinned** files (pinned via the 3-dot menu in [File Library](/en/Systems/Speech-to-Text/File-Library)) are never auto-removed.

    <Warning>
      Don't upload sensitive content. Audio is stored against your account, but treat any recording as you would any document, redact personal data before transcription if your policy requires it.
    </Warning>
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>