You have a WAV file and want SRT and VTT subtitles from it. Send it to Potok in Telegram as 1 message, and you get both subtitle files back with the spoken text split into timed captions. Keep them beside the recording, since they are separate files, not part of the audio.
Transcribe a recording
Drop an audio or video file, or a voice message, into the chat with @potok_now_bot; the recognized text is sent back there.
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
Key facts
- The 4 GB barrier of RIFF/WAVE comes from 32-bit addressing, which EBU RF64 extends with 64-bit addressing.
- Android documents WAVE (.wav) with 8- and 16-bit linear PCM.
- WAV is an audio-only RIFF subtype with no subtitle track, so an SRT stays a separate file.
- Potok accepts .wav files up to 2 GB and reads them without a conversion step.
About the WAV format
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Kind | Audio file (RIFF container, usually PCM) |
| Media types | audio/wav, audio/wave, audio/x-wav, audio/vnd.wave |
| What it holds | A RIFF container; the 4 GB barrier of RIFF/WAVE comes from 32-bit addressing |
How to make subtitles from WAV files
- Hand the file to the bot. Find @potok_now_bot in Telegram and add your .wav file as a message. The bot takes up to 2 GB; very long recordings are better uploaded with the mini app's Upload button.
- Mind this about the format. WAV is an audio-only RIFF subtype with no subtitle track, so an SRT stays a separate file.
- Get the subtitle file. Press the SRT or VTT export button; each caption carries a start and an end time. Then attach the file to the video and check how it lines up.
- A useful detail. Android documents WAVE (.wav) with 8- and 16-bit linear PCM.
What the subtitle file looks like
[00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,400] Caption 1: Thanks for joining us today, Maria.
[00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,100] Caption 2: Let's start with how the bakery began.
[00:00:06,300 --> 00:00:09,000] Caption 3: It was a tiny kitchen and one oven.
[00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:11,800] Caption 4: We should move the dentist appointment to Thursday morning, if possible.
Captions written by us to show the layout. They are not output from a real WAV file.
| Option | What it means |
|---|---|
| Where it works | Telegram bot @potok_now_bot; large files go through the bot's mini app |
| What you can send | Voice messages, audio and video |
| Size limit | Files up to 2 GB |
| Desktop app | The separate desktop app of Potok dictates into any program; it recognises Russian speech |
| Output formats | TXT, MD, DOCX and PDF for text; SRT and VTT for subtitles |
What to avoid with WAV
| What goes wrong | Effect | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Looking for subtitles inside the WAV file | The player shows nothing because WAV has no subtitle track | Load the separate SRT file next to the audio |
| Sending a huge uncompressed WAV when a short clip would do | Upload takes longer on a weak connection | Cut the WAV to the speech part before sending |
| Renaming the SRT so it no longer matches the WAV | Media players skip the captions when the names differ | Keep the same base name, such as talk.wav and talk.srt |
| Pasting the SRT text into a video editor without timing | Captions appear all at once instead of in sync | Import the SRT file itself so each caption keeps its timing |
Next steps
The tools section has converters and calculators, the glossary explains the terms, and the download page covers the apps.
Frequently asked questions
Does Potok accept WAV files?
Yes. The bot accepts .wav files up to 2 GB, so no conversion is needed first.
What is the difference between SRT and VTT?
SRT is a plain list of numbered captions with start and end times. VTT starts with a WEBVTT header and is the format web video players read.
What do the specifications say about WAV?
The 4 GB barrier of RIFF/WAVE comes from 32-bit addressing, which EBU RF64 extends with 64-bit addressing. Android documents WAVE (.wav) with 8- and 16-bit linear PCM.
Sources
Each source was opened by hand on the date shown. Pages change, so open the source if a detail matters to you.
- WAVE audio file format (Library of Congress), Library of Congress · checked
- EBU Tech 3306: RF64, an extended file format for audio, EBU · checked
- Supported media formats, Android Developers · checked
- WAVE audio file format, subtype notes (Library of Congress), Library of Congress · checked
See the result on your recording
Send your voice message, audio or video to @potok_now_bot on Telegram and the text comes back in the chat.
Write to @potok_now_bot in Telegram