oTranscribe

Free plan Open source Self-hostedWeb

What oTranscribe is

oTranscribe is a free web app for manually transcribing recorded interviews. It does not convert speech into text automatically; users listen and type. Keyboard shortcuts let you pause, rewind, fast-forward, and change playback speed while working. You can insert clickable timestamps that jump to a point in the audio or video, and play video in the integrated player. Supported media formats depend on the browser, and YouTube videos are also mentioned. The app saves work to browser storage every second. Its help page says transcript backups are made every five minutes, with 100 copies retained. Transcripts can be downloaded as Markdown, plain text, or oTranscribe format, or sent to Google Drive. Audio and transcript data stay on the local computer rather than a remote server. Saved transcripts cannot be accessed from another computer, and the help page advises exporting work because browser storage may be unreliable. An offline copy can be saved in the browser, but YouTube support and Google Drive export do not work offline. oTranscribe works on desktop computers only. The app and its custom-built components are open source under the MIT license.

Who it suits

It suits desktop users who are willing to transcribe recordings manually and want playback controls and timestamp links. It may also suit people who prefer transcripts to stay in local browser storage.

What it does well

Playback shortcuts include speed controls and rewind.
Clickable timestamps jump to a point in the recording.
Exports Markdown, plain text, and oTranscribe files.
Audio and transcript data stay on the local computer.

What to know first

Does not transcribe audio automatically.
Works on desktop computers only.
Saved transcripts cannot be accessed from another computer.
YouTube support and Google Drive export do not work offline.

Limits

The free app is for manual transcription and desktop computers only. Saved transcripts remain in browser storage on that computer, which the help page says may be unreliable; YouTube support and Google Drive export are unavailable offline.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Free	manual transcription workspace · desktop browsers · local browser storage · Markdown/plain-text/OTR export · Google Drive export	Free

As otranscribe.com lists them, read 15 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Open the oTranscribe website on a desktop computer.
Load supported audio or video in the browser, or use a YouTube video.
Type the transcript while controlling playback with keyboard shortcuts.
Add clickable timestamps as needed.
Download the transcript or send it to Google Drive; export work you need to keep.

Verdict

oTranscribe is a manual transcription workspace with useful playback controls and several export options. Export your work regularly, since browser storage may be unreliable and saved transcripts do not transfer between computers.

Questions

Is oTranscribe free?

Yes. Its Free plan costs nothing.

Does oTranscribe transcribe audio automatically?

No. Users listen to recordings and type the transcript themselves.

Which platforms does it support?

It is a web app for desktop computers only.

Can I use it offline?

You can save an offline copy in the browser. YouTube support and Google Drive export do not work offline.

Where does oTranscribe save audio and transcripts?

The help page says they stay on the local computer in browser localStorage, not on a remote server. Saved transcripts cannot be accessed from another computer.

Is oTranscribe open source, and who maintains it?

The app and its custom-built components are open source under the MIT license. It is maintained by MuckRock Foundation and has been hosted and maintained by MuckRock since 2018.

Facts from oTranscribe's own pages

Autosave: The current transcript is saved to browser storage every second. · otranscribe.com, 15 Oct 2026
Backup behavior: Automatic backups are made every five minutes and exactly 100 copies are retained before older copies are deleted. · otranscribe.com, 15 Oct 2026
Browser support: The help page identifies Chrome 31 or later and Safari 7 or later as the preferred browsers. · otranscribe.com, 15 Oct 2026
Company finances: For fiscal 2024, ProPublica reports MuckRock Foundation revenue of $5,277,573, expenses of $3,908,683 and net assets of $3,931,801. · projects.propublica.org, 15 Oct 2026
Company legal status: MuckRock Foundation Incorporated is listed by ProPublica as a Boston, Massachusetts 501(c)(3) civil-liberties nonprofit with tax exemption issued in May 2016. · projects.propublica.org, 15 Oct 2026
Creator and launch: Journalism.co.uk reported that journalist Elliot Bentley created oTranscribe and launched it at Hacks/Hackers London on November 27, 2013. · journalism.co.uk, 15 Oct 2026
Desktop requirement: The current homepage says oTranscribe works on desktop computers only. · otranscribe.com, 15 Oct 2026
Developer commands: The repository documents npm run build, npm run serve and npm run dev workflows. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Developer requirements: The current build instructions require Node.js 24 or newer and npm 10 or newer, with npm 11.12.1 and Node 24.14.1 verified. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Export formats: The application exports Markdown, plain text and its OTR format, and can send transcripts to Google Drive. · otranscribe.com, 15 Oct 2026
Exports: The app offers transcript downloads in Markdown, plain text, and oTranscribe format, and can send transcripts to Google Drive. · otranscribe.com, 11 Oct 2026
Extensible components: The project publishes oTplayer, Progressor.js and oTinput as reusable open-source components. · otranscribe.com, 15 Oct 2026
File format: The OTR format is JSON containing transcript HTML plus optional media name, media source and playback time. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Free plan: Yes · otranscribe.com, 20 Sept 2026
Interactive timestamps: The editor inserts clickable timestamps that jump back to the corresponding media position. · otranscribe.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: data durability: The maker warns that browser storage is unreliable and recommends exporting regularly to avoid losing work. · otranscribe.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: editing depth: Clubic characterizes the feature set as limited and says advanced editing is not provided. · clubic.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: missing automation: Clubic lists the absence of automatic transcription as a disadvantage because users must do the transcription themselves. · clubic.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: recovery: If a transcript is absent from the history panel, the help page says it cannot be recovered. · otranscribe.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: storage capacity: Backups may stop when browser local storage is full, and clearing storage can affect data belonging to other sites. · otranscribe.com, 15 Oct 2026
Local privacy: The help page says audio and transcript data stay on the local computer in browser localStorage and are not kept on a remote server. · help.muckrock.com, 11 Oct 2026
Local-storage limitation: Saved transcripts cannot be accessed from another computer because they are kept in browser localStorage. · otranscribe.com, 15 Oct 2026
Maintainer: oTranscribe says it is maintained by MuckRock Foundation and has been hosted and maintained by MuckRock since 2018. · otranscribe.com, 11 Oct 2026
Manual transcription: oTranscribe does not automatically convert audio into text; users do the transcription themselves. · help.muckrock.com, 11 Oct 2026