A text with timestamps from MP4 files is one message away: send the video to Potok in Telegram and it comes back with times. Only the sound is transcribed, so a long silent opening still counts toward the times shown. Compare 2 stamped lines with the video to confirm they line up.
Send a file, get the text
Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram, attach the recording and wait: the transcript arrives as a message in the same chat.
Write to @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
Facts that matter here
- Android lists MPEG-4 (.mp4, .m4a) among container formats for AAC LC audio.
- RFC 4337 registers video/mp4 and audio/mp4, and says the MP4 file format is based on the ISO base media file format.
- MPEG-4 files use a per-track timescale to manage playout of time-based media streams.
- Potok accepts .mp4 files up to 2 GB and reads them without a conversion step.
About the MP4 format
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Kind | Container (ISO base media file format) |
| File extensions | .mp4 |
| What it holds | A container that holds video, video with audio, or audio only |
How to get timestamps for MP4 files
- Send the MP4 file to the bot. In Telegram, open @potok_now_bot and attach the .mp4 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. MPEG-4 files use a per-track timescale to manage playout of time-based media streams.
- 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.
- Get the file ready. If the video has several audio tracks, check that the track with speech is the one that plays by default.
What time marks look like
[00:00] Speaker 1: Chop the onions finely and heat the pan.
[00:12] Speaker 1: Add garlic when the oil starts to shimmer.
[00:31] Speaker 1: Stir for two minutes and then pour the tomatoes.
[00:58] Speaker 1: Add some flour and stir until the dough feels smooth.
Lines written by us to show the layout. They are not output from a real MP4 file.
| Topic | Answer |
|---|---|
| Upload limit | Files up to 2 GB |
| Labels and times | Speaker labels and timestamps are optional switches |
| Input | Voice messages, audio and video |
| Translating | The text keeps the language of the audio and is not translated |
| Dictation | The separate desktop app of Potok dictates into any program; it recognises Russian speech |
What to avoid with MP4
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Reading MP4 timescale ticks as seconds | Times look far too long when ticks are mistaken for seconds | Use the minutes and seconds from the transcript |
| Sending an MP4 with a long silent intro | Early stamps sit far from the first spoken line | Trim the intro or note where speech starts |
| Editing the MP4 after getting the timestamps | Cuts move the speech, so the old times point elsewhere | Request the transcript from the final edited MP4 |
| Searching the video for a time taken from another file | You jump to the wrong place and doubt the transcript | Match each stamp to the same MP4 it came from |
Keep going
Terms used here are explained in the glossary. Handy helpers live in tools; apps are on the download page.
Questions and answers
Is MP4 supported?
It is: the bot takes .mp4 files of up to 2 GB and decodes them itself, so you do not need to convert anything first.
Do the time marks depend on the MP4 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 MP4 files?
Android MediaRecorder offers an MPEG_4 output format, so recordings made with it can be .mp4 files.
Sources
We opened each page below on the date shown. Because pages get updated, confirm important details at the source.
- RFC 4337: MIME type registration for MPEG-4, IETF · checked
- MPEG-4 file format, version 2 (Library of Congress), Library of Congress · checked
- Supported media formats, Android Developers · checked
Run your own recording through it
In Telegram, write to @potok_now_bot and add your file. The finished text appears in the conversation when recognition ends.
Go to @potok_now_bot in Telegram