Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
To download a transcript as PDF or Markdown, press the “Other format” button under it in the Potok Telegram bot @potok_now_bot and choose the format you need: it has TXT, Markdown, DOCX, PDF, SRT and VTT. The bot transcribes 60 minutes per month for free.
A transcript in a chat is not yet a document: sometimes you need a PDF to forward or Markdown for notes. All of this is exported from the Potok Telegram bot @potok_now_bot.
How to download a transcript as PDF or Markdown from a Telegram bot
- Send the bot @potok_now_bot a voice message, a video note, audio or video, or send a file or a link to YouTube, VK Video or RuTube.
- Wait for the transcript: a short recording arrives as text in the chat, a long one as a file.
- Press the “Other format” button under the transcript.
- Choose the format you need: TXT, Markdown, DOCX, PDF, SRT or VTT.
The button is under the transcript itself, so you first need the recording: in private messages to the bot you can forward a voice message from any chat or send a file, including as a document. The formats TXT, Markdown, DOCX, PDF, SRT and VTT all belong to the one “Other format” button. All transcripts stay in “My recordings”, and you can open them again. Only Russian speech is recognized.
What format arrives without a choice
Without the button, the bot sends a short recording as text in the chat and a long one as a file: TXT or DOCX, as chosen in the settings. PDF and Markdown are not part of this choice; they are taken with the “Other format” button. The subtitle files SRT and VTT in the same list are covered separately, on the page about subtitle formats.
Where Potok cannot do this
Export to PDF or Markdown is a function of the Telegram bot, not of the Potok app: the app for Windows, macOS and Linux is for dictation, and ready recordings are transcribed by the bot @potok_now_bot. There is one subscription for both. Potok has no apps for Android and iPhone, no voice commands and no offline mode: recognition is cloud-based, on servers in Russia, and without the internet Potok does not work. There is no translation between languages, and the bot understands only Russian speech.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The same “Other format” button has SRT and VTT, which are subtitle files. They are covered in more detail on a separate page about SRT and VTT.
A short recording arrives as text right in the chat, a long one as a file. The format of such a file, TXT or DOCX, is chosen in the bot settings. Other formats are taken with the “Other format” button.
Voice input is real-time dictation into the active text field. Transcription turns an already finished audio or video recording (a lecture, a call, a podcast) into text after the fact, often with diarization (splitting by speaker).
Yes, several platforms have built-in meeting transcription: Zoom for cloud recordings, Microsoft Teams during the meeting, Google Meet on Google Workspace plans. The alternative is to record the sound and process it with a separate transcription service after the call. The Potok app does not do this kind of transcription, it is for live dictation; a call recording can be sent as a file to Potok's Telegram bot @potok_now_bot.
Voice input is real-time dictation: you speak and immediately get text in the active field. Transcription turns an already finished audio or video recording (for example, a meeting recording) into text after the fact. The Potok app handles the first task, live dictation; finished recordings in Russian are transcribed by its Telegram bot @potok_now_bot.
With Potok you can dictate the minutes live, speaking them during or right after the meeting. Transcribing an already recorded audio file of a meeting (a finished Zoom or Telemost recording) is a separate transcription task: such a file can be sent to Potok's Telegram bot @potok_now_bot.
Try it on your own recording
Potok's Telegram bot transcribes a voice message, video note, audio or video, and its buttons make a summary and a task list. 60 minutes per month for free.
Open @potok_now_bot in TelegramPrimary sources: support.microsoft.com · support.apple.com
Transcribe a recording in Telegram
Voice messages, video notes, audio and video are transcribed by Potok's Telegram bot @potok_now_bot: forward it a voice message from any chat, or send a file or a YouTube, VK Video or RuTube link. A short recording comes back as text in the chat, a long one as a file; timestamps and speaker labels can be turned on. The buttons give a short summary, tasks and deadlines, an answer to a question about the recording and export to TXT, DOCX, PDF or SRT. Large files, up to 2 GB, are easier to upload in the bot's mini app, via the Upload button next to the input field. The bot recognizes Russian speech; 60 minutes per month are free.