Why Did My Transcription or Analysis Fail?
Common reasons
File format not supported
Speak AI supports most common audio and video formats including MP3, MP4, WAV, M4A, WEBM, OGG, FLAC, and more. If your file is in an unusual format, try converting it to MP3 or MP4 first using a free tool like HandBrake (video) or Audacity (audio).
File is too large
Files up to 4 hours in length are supported. If your file is very large, try compressing the audio bitrate. Reducing from 128kbps to 64kbps significantly decreases file size without noticeable loss in speech clarity.
Audio quality is too low
If the audio is very quiet, heavily distorted, or has excessive background noise, the transcription engine may not be able to detect speech. Try:
Recording in a quieter environment
Using a dedicated microphone instead of a laptop mic
Placing the recording device closer to the speakers
Corrupted or incomplete file
If a recording was interrupted or the file was partially downloaded, it may be corrupted. Try re-downloading or re-recording the file.
Server timeout
Very long files (2+ hours) occasionally time out during processing. If this happens, the file will usually complete on retry.
How to retry
Go to your media file in the dashboard
Click the options menu on the file
Select Re-transcribe or Re-analyze
If the file fails again after retry, send us a message with the file name and we will investigate.