An MP3 is cut into many tiny frames, so its own clock is not made of readable minutes. To get a text with timestamps from MP3 files, send the recording to Potok in Telegram as 1 file. You receive the transcript with times in minutes and seconds; compare 2 lines with the audio.
Turn a recording into text
In Telegram, write to @potok_now_bot and add your file. The finished text appears in the conversation when recognition ends.
Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram
About 30 languages · speaker labels and timestamps · files up to 2 GB · export to TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, SRT and VTT
Key facts
- Telegram Bot API accepts MP3 as an audio file and as a voice message.
- The audio/mpeg media type covers MPEG audio layers I, II and III elementary streams and lists .mp3 among its file extensions.
- An MPEG-1 Layer III frame covers 1152 samples (about 26 ms at 44.1 kHz), so time in MP3 is counted in frames.
- Send .mp3 files up to 2 GB as they are: Potok decodes them without a separate conversion.
What a MP3 file is
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Kind | Audio format (MPEG audio, Layer III) with perceptual coding |
| File extensions | .mp3 |
| What it holds | An MPEG audio elementary stream; layers I, II and III share the audio/mpeg media type |
How to get timestamps for MP3 files
- Send the MP3 file to the bot. In Telegram, open @potok_now_bot and attach the .mp3 file to the chat. Larger recordings, up to 2 GB, go through the Upload button in the bot's mini app.
- Mind this about the format. An MPEG-1 Layer III frame covers 1152 samples (about 26 ms at 44.1 kHz), so time in MP3 is counted in frames.
- Switch on timestamps. Open the other-format options under the result, turn on timestamps (speaker labels can be added there too) and check three marks against the sound.
- Before sending. Send the MP3 as it is: re-saving it at a lower bitrate removes detail the recognizer may need.
What time marks look like
[00:00] Speaker 1: Welcome everyone to the parents' evening.
[00:12] Speaker 1: First, the teacher will explain the new reading plan.
[00:31] Speaker 1: Questions are welcome after the short presentation.
[00:58] Speaker 1: The new library opens on Monday with a children's reading hour.
Lines written by us to show the layout. They are not output from a real MP3 file.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Where it works | In Telegram, through @potok_now_bot; the bot's mini app takes large files |
| Upload limit | Files up to 2 GB |
| Input | Voice messages, audio and video |
| Other languages | The text keeps the language of the audio and is not translated |
| Digest | A summary button under the transcript gives a short digest |
Common mistakes with MP3 files
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Expecting MP3 frame counts instead of readable times | You get numbers that are hard to read in a transcript | Use the minutes and seconds shown in the bot text |
| Cutting the start of the MP3 after getting the transcript | Every timestamp shifts and no longer matches the audio | Trim the MP3 first, then request the transcript |
| Joining several MP3 files before sending them | Times run from one start, so finding a source file is hard | Send each MP3 separately to keep its own times |
| Copying timestamps into notes without keeping the file name | Later you cannot tell which recording each time belongs to | Write the file name above every group of timestamps |
Where to look next
Need a converter or a calculator? Open the tools. Unsure about a term? Check the glossary. Apps are on the download page.
Common questions
Does Potok accept MP3 files?
Yes. The bot accepts .mp3 files up to 2 GB, so no conversion is needed first.
Do the time marks depend on the MP3 format?
The marks point to a place in the recording so you can find it again. Check a few against the sound before you quote them.
Which apps and devices create MP3 files?
Telegram sendVoice accepts audio in MP3 format (Telegram sendVoice input), so MP3 reaches a bot as a voice message too.
Sources
Every source below was checked by hand on the date given. Sites change, so open the source if the exact wording matters.
- RFC 3003: The audio/mpeg media type, IETF · checked
- MPEG-1 Audio Layer III / MP3 (Library of Congress), Library of Congress · checked
- Telegram Bot API, Telegram · checked
- RFC 2250: RTP payload format for MPEG1/MPEG2 video and audio, IETF · checked
Try it on your own recording
In Telegram, write to @potok_now_bot and add your file. The finished text appears in the conversation when recognition ends.
Write to @potok_now_bot in Telegram