How to Easily Transcribe Audio and Video on Windows 11

If you work or study on a Windows 11 computer, you probably deal with a lot of audio and video:

• Online meetings and webinars

• University lectures

• Research interviews

• Podcasts and YouTube videos

• Training recordings and internal company calls

Having a searchable text transcript of that content saves hours of rewinding and re-listening. In this guide, you’ll learn practical ways to transcribe audio and video on Windows 11 – from built-in tools to professional human transcription.

We’ll go through:

1. What you need before you start

2. Built-in Windows 11 options

3. Automatic (AI) transcription services

4. 100% human-made transcription with GoTranscript

5. How to choose the best option for your use case

6. Tips to get the best accuracy

1. What You Need Before You Start

Before transcribing on Windows 11, make sure you have:

• Your audio or video file ready
  Common formats: .mp3, .wav, .m4a, .mp4, .mov, .avi, .mkv, etc.

• A stable internet connection
  Needed for most AI and professional transcription solutions.

• A quiet environment (for live/voice-based tools)
  If you use Windows’ built-in voice tools, background noise hurts accuracy.

• A text editor
  Notepad, Word, or any note app to edit and store the final transcript.

2. Method 1 – Using Windows 11 Built-In Tools (Good for Quick Personal Use)

Windows 11 offers a couple of features that can help you create rough transcripts without installing anything. These are great for personal notes, but they’re not ideal for professional or client-facing work, because accuracy and formatting are limited.

2.1. Using Live Captions for On-Screen Audio/Video

Windows 11 has a Live captions feature that can display subtitles for almost any audio playing on your computer.

What it’s good for:

• Quick understanding of what’s being said

• Accessibility when you watch videos or listen to audio

• Copy-pasting small snippets of text

How to turn on Live captions:

1. Open Settings on your Windows 11 PC.

2. Go to Accessibility.

3. Choose Captions (or Live captions, depending on your version).

4. Turn Live captions on.

5. Play your audio or video file in any player (e.g., Movies & TV app, browser, media player).

Windows will show a caption box on the screen and begin displaying text.

How to get a rough transcript from Live captions:

• While captions are generated, select and copy the text from the Live captions box.

• Paste it into Notepad, Word, or any text editor.

• Manually clean up errors, punctuation, and speaker labels.

Pros:
– Completely built-in and free
– No upload required
– Works with almost any sound played on your PC

Cons:
– Accuracy varies a lot
– No speaker identification
– You need to copy-paste and manually clean the text
– Not suitable for legal, medical, or business-critical documents

2.2. Using Windows 11 Voice Typing for Audio Played into the Microphone

Another built-in tool is Voice typing, useful if you’re willing to “re-speak” content or play audio near the microphone.

How to use Voice typing for transcription:

1. Open a text editor (Notepad, Word, email, etc.) on your Windows 11 PC.

2. Place your cursor where you want the text to appear.

3. Press Windows key + H to open Voice typing.

4. Click the microphone button to start listening.

5. Either:

   • Speak directly and re-dictate the content you hear, or

   • Play the audio out loud near your PC microphone.

6. When finished, click the microphone again to stop.

All captured text will appear in your editor. You’ll still need to go through it and fix mistakes.

Best use cases:
– Short voice notes
– Personal summaries
– Very small clips where high accuracy isn’t critical

3. Method 2 – Using Automatic (AI) Transcription Services on Windows 11

If you want something faster and more accurate than the built-in tools – but you’re okay with AI-level accuracy – you can use online automatic transcription services.

These services usually do this:

• You upload your file.

• AI converts speech to text.

• You download a transcript and edit it yourself.

Typical workflow with AI transcription:

1. Prepare your file

   • Save your recording locally on your Windows 11 PC.

   • Make sure the file is complete and not corrupted.

2. Upload the audio or video

   • Open your browser on Windows 11.

   • Go to your chosen AI transcription provider.

   • Upload the file (or paste a video URL if supported).

3. Choose the language and options

   • Select the spoken language.

   • Turn on options like timestamps if they’re offered.

4. Wait for the AI to process

   • The service will transcribe your file automatically.

5. Download and edit the transcript

   • Export as a text file, Word document, or subtitle file.

   • Open it in your favorite editor on Windows 11.

   • Correct names, jargon, and any misheard phrases.

Pros:
– Much faster than typing everything manually
– Relatively inexpensive

Cons:
– AI struggles with accents, crosstalk, poor audio quality
– No guarantee of very high accuracy
– You still have to proofread everything
– Not ideal when accuracy and confidentiality really matter

For professional use (legal, medical, research, corporate), relying only on AI can be risky. That’s where human-made transcription comes in.

4. Method 3 – 100% Human-Made Transcription on Windows 11 with GoTranscript

If you need reliable, polished transcripts for clients, compliance, or publication, human transcribers are still the gold standard.

GoTranscript provides 100% human-made transcription, so you can work entirely from your Windows 11 computer but let professionals handle the heavy lifting.

When human transcription is the best choice

Think about using human transcription when:

• You have interviews, focus groups, or research recordings

• Content is legal, medical, or technical

• There are multiple speakers or overlapping conversation

• You need very high accuracy and consistent formatting

• You want ready-to-use subtitles or captions for your videos

How to use GoTranscript from Windows 11

1. Export or collect your recordings

   • Save your Teams, Zoom, Meet, or other call recordings on your Windows 11 PC.

   • Convert them to a standard format if needed (e.g., MP4 or MP3).

2. Sign in or create an account with GoTranscript

   • Open your browser on Windows 11.

   • Go to the GoTranscript website and log in or sign up.

3. Place a transcription order

   • Choose Transcription (or subtitles/captions if you need them).

   • Upload your audio or video file directly from your PC.

   • Select language, turnaround time, and any extras (timestamps, verbatim, etc.).

4. Let professional transcribers do the work

   • Human transcribers listen to your file and type everything out.

   • Editors review the transcripts for accuracy and formatting.

5. Download and work with your transcript on Windows 11

   • When it’s ready, download the transcript in the format you prefer (Word, text, etc.).

   • Open it on your computer and use it for analysis, publishing, or training.

Key advantages of GoTranscript:
– 100% human-made transcription
– High accuracy across complex content
– Support for multiple languages and accents
– Optional subtitles and captions for your videos

This method is ideal if you’re a business, researcher, lecturer, podcaster, or media producer working primarily on Windows 11 and you want accurate transcripts without spending your time editing AI mistakes.

5. Which Transcription Method Should You Choose on Windows 11?

Here’s a quick comparison to help you decide:

If your goal is simply “understand this video quickly”, built-in tools or AI might be enough.

If your goal is “send this transcript to a client, submit it with research, or publish it”, a human service like GoTranscript is a safer and more efficient choice.

6. Tips to Improve Transcription Quality on Windows 11

Regardless of the method you use, these tips can significantly improve results:

1. Record in the highest quality possible

   • Use a good microphone for meetings and interviews.

   • Avoid recording in noisy environments.

2. Keep speakers from talking over each other

   • Ask participants to take turns speaking.

   • This helps both AI and human transcribers identify speakers correctly.

3. Use headphones when monitoring playback

   • On Windows 11, play your audio through headphones while you control transcription tools to avoid echo.

4. Label speakers in advance

   • If you’re working with interviews or focus groups, keep a list of speakers’ names and roles to make it easier to label them later.

5. Choose the correct language and accent

   • In any AI tool or service order form, select the right language and, if available, dialect (e.g., US English vs. UK English).

6. For sensitive content, always prefer human transcription

   • Especially for legal, medical, and financial material where errors can be costly.

7. Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transcribe audio and video on Windows 11 without installing anything?

Yes, you can use Live captions and Voice typing, both built into Windows 11. They’re useful for quick, personal transcriptions but not ideal if you need very accurate, formatted text for professional use.

Is there a completely free way to get transcripts?

Free methods exist (Windows tools, some AI free tiers), but they typically require more manual cleanup and come with lower accuracy. For serious projects, it’s often more economical to pay for reliable transcription than to spend hours correcting errors.

What if my audio quality is poor?

Poor audio negatively affects both AI and humans, but humans cope better. If possible, improve your recording setup for the next time and consider human-made transcription for existing poor-quality files.

Can I get subtitles or captions instead of just plain text?

Yes. With services like GoTranscript, you can order subtitles or closed captions created by humans. These can be used on training platforms, video players, and social media directly from your Windows 11 computer.