WebM files give you a text with timestamps once you send 1 recording to Potok in Telegram. Very long screen captures are safer split, and delayed audio can make the stamps look late against the picture. Play the video beside the transcript and check 2 lines.
Transcribe a 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
Up to 2 GB per file · speaker labels and timestamps · six export formats · about 30 languages
Facts that matter here
- WebM is an open, royalty-free media file format designed for the web.
- WebM files use VP8 or VP9 video and Vorbis or Opus audio.
- WebM is a Matroska subset; Matroska timestamps default to 1 ms ticks (TimestampScale 1000000 ns).
- Send .webm files up to 2 GB as they are: Potok decodes them without a separate conversion.
WebM at a glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Kind | Open container for the web (a Matroska subset) |
| File extensions | .webm |
| What it holds | A subset of Matroska with the .webm extension; VP8 or VP9 video, Vorbis or Opus audio |
How to get timestamps for WebM files
- Upload the .webm file. Start a chat with @potok_now_bot and upload the WebM file. Each file may be up to 2 GB, and the Upload button in the mini app handles the largest ones.
- Keep the format in mind. WebM is a Matroska subset; Matroska timestamps default to 1 ms ticks (TimestampScale 1000000 ns).
- 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.
- Prepare this format. A browser recording is often a WebM: send it as downloaded, and check that the file has an audio track.
What time marks look like
[00:00] Speaker 1: Our team moved the old service to the cloud.
[00:12] Speaker 1: The biggest challenge was migrating the customer data.
[00:31] Speaker 1: Here is what we would do differently.
[00:58] Speaker 1: The chess club meets in the school hall every Wednesday.
Lines written by us to show the layout. They are not output from a real WebM file.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Translating | No translation: the text stays in the language of the recording |
| Accepted | Audio, video and voice messages |
| Typing by voice | For dictating into other programs there is a separate Potok desktop app that recognises Russian speech |
| Languages | Around 30 languages have good published results; a few more come with warnings |
| Speakers and time | Speaker labels and timestamps are optional switches |
Typical WebM slips
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Assuming WebM timestamps follow a video frame count | The transcript uses time, so frame numbers do not match | Search by minutes and seconds in the player |
| Sending a WebM screen recording with delayed audio | Stamps follow the audio and look late against the picture | Fix the audio delay in the WebM first |
| Trimming the WebM after the transcript is ready | The cut moves every line and the old stamps point wrong | Request the transcript from the final WebM |
| Quoting stamped lines without opening the video at that point | A misheard word reaches your final text unnoticed | Open the video at the stamp before you quote it |
Where to look next
See the tools, the glossary and the download page for converters, explanations of terms and the apps.
Questions and answers
Can I send WebM files straight to Potok?
Yes. .webm files up to 2 GB go to the bot as they are; there is no conversion step before recognition.
Do the time marks depend on the WebM 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 WebM files?
Android MediaRecorder offers a WEBM output format (Android MediaRecorder WEBM).
Sources
Each source was opened by hand on the date shown. Pages change, so open the source if a detail matters to you.
- About WebM, The WebM Project · checked
- WebM container guidelines, The WebM Project · checked
- RFC 9559: Matroska media container format, IETF · checked
Run your own recording through it
Your recording goes to @potok_now_bot as a file or a voice message, and the transcript returns to you in Telegram.
Go to @potok_now_bot in Telegram