WebM to Text: Transcribe a WebM Recording

To convert a WebM to text, send the file to the Potok bot on Telegram and read the transcript in the chat. A recording from a browser tool can go in as it is. Files up to 2 GB are accepted, and you can export TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, SRT or VTT.

Transcribe a recording

Send your voice message, audio or video to @potok_now_bot on Telegram and the text comes back in the chat.

Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram

Files up to 2 GB · export to TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, SRT and VTT · speaker labels and timestamps · about 30 languages

Key facts

WebM is a container for video or audio, built on open codecs such as VP9 and Opus.
Browser-based recorders often save WebM files, including online meeting tools, voice note widgets and screen capture extensions.
A WebM with no video track is a plain audio recording. The bot treats it like any other audio file.
The file you get from the browser is usually a download in the downloads folder.

How to do it

Locate the download. Look in the downloads folder of the browser, or in the place where the recording tool saved it.
Check that it plays. Open the file in a browser tab. An unfinished recording may be cut short or have no length shown.
Open the bot. Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram.
Send the WebM. Attach it as a document. A large recording, up to 2 GB, goes through the Upload button of the mini app.
Switch on labels for meetings. Online calls have several voices, so speaker labels and timestamps help.
Export. Save as TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, SRT or VTT.

What the result looks like

Example: an online meeting recording as a transcript

[00:00] Speaker 1: Can everybody hear me? I will share the agenda in the chat.
[00:05] Speaker 2: Yes, loud and clear. Let's begin with the release plan.

Sample text written by us to show the layout of a transcript. It is not the output of the recognition engine and not a real recording.

What Potok can do
Feature	Details
Where it works	Telegram bot @potok_now_bot; large files go through the bot's mini app
File size	Up to 2 GB
Export	TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT
Speakers and time	Speaker labels and timestamps can be switched on
Languages	About 30 languages with good published results; a few more with warnings
Translation	The transcript is not translated into another language
Dictation	A separate Potok desktop app lets you dictate text into any program; it recognises Russian speech

Common mistakes

Common mistakes and how to fix them
Mistake	What happens	Fix
Closing the tab before the recording finished	The file may be damaged or missing its end.	Press stop in the tool and wait until the download is complete.
Recording a call with only the microphone	Your voice is clear and the other side is missing.	Capture the tab or system audio too, if the tool allows.
Renaming the file to .mp4 to make it open	A wrong extension confuses programs and does not change what is inside.	Keep the .webm name, since the bot accepts it.
Losing the file in a temporary folder	Some tools keep the recording only until you leave the page.	Download it immediately and store it with your other files.

See the full list of languages, the tools and the glossary.

Frequently asked questions

What is WebM?

WebM is a container for video or audio, built on open codecs such as VP9 and Opus.

Where do WebM files come from?

Browser-based recorders often save them: meeting tools, screen capture extensions and voice note widgets.

Can I send a WebM with no video?

Yes. It is an audio recording in a WebM container, and the bot handles it as audio.

How large can the file be?

Up to 2 GB, with the Upload button of the mini app for large files.

Which export formats are there?

TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, SRT and VTT are available for the same transcript.

Sources

Each source was opened by hand on the date shown. Pages change, so open the source if a detail matters to you.

WebM (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked 2026-10-18
Opus audio format (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked 2026-10-18
Bit rate (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked 2026-10-18

Try it on your own recording