Do I have to make the file public?
“Anyone with the link” is enough, and only while it is fetched — you can restrict it again immediately after. A file left restricted cannot be reached.
Transcribe a recording from Google Drive
The meeting recording is already sitting in Drive. Paste the share link instead of downloading it twice.
Yes — set the Drive file to “anyone with the link” and paste the address; WhoScribe fetches it and transcribes it, so you never download it yourself. Speaker labels and timestamps are included and you can export DOCX or PDF. Your first one needs no account, and every file shows its first 15 minutes free.
- The file must be shared with “anyone with the link”
- Saves downloading a large recording just to upload it again
- Speaker labels and DOCX or PDF for the written record
From the link to the text
From a Drive link to text
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Open sharing on the file
General access has to be “anyone with the link”. While it stays restricted, the address opens a permission screen rather than the file.
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Copy the link
The address of the file itself, not the folder. A folder link does not identify which recording you mean.
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Paste it above
Pick the spoken language and turn on speaker recognition if it is a meeting.
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Export the record
Rename the speakers, correct the terms, then export DOCX or PDF for the people who were not there.
Why the sharing setting decides everything
Drive links look identical whether the file is open or locked; the difference only shows when something tries to fetch it. We arrive as an anonymous visitor, so a restricted file gives us the same permission screen a stranger would see. Switching general access to “anyone with the link” for the few minutes it takes is enough, and you can switch it back straight afterwards. If the file has to stay private, downloading it and uploading it directly avoids the question entirely.
FAQ
Questions before you upload
Try it on this pageCan I paste a folder link?
No. Link to the recording itself; a folder does not say which file you mean.
Does it work with Meet recordings?
Yes — Google Meet saves recordings to Drive, and that file behaves like any other. There is a separate page for the Meet path.
Is a large file a problem?
Fetching from the link avoids sending it from your own connection, which is the slow part. Plan limits on file size and length are on the pricing page.
Price, limits and formats
| YouTube and other links | Paste a YouTube link: the audio itself is transcribed, so videos without captions work, up to 10 hours per video. Links from TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, SoundCloud, Google Drive work too. |
|---|---|
| One file, no subscription | $5 unlocks the whole file, whatever its length up to 10 hours. One payment, nothing renews. |
| Try before paying | No account: the first 5 minutes of each file, 1 file a day. Free account: the first 15 minutes of each file, 3 files a day, 90 minutes a month. |
| Unlimited plan | $15 a month or $90 a year: files up to 10 hours and 10 GB, 50 files at once. (campaign price until October 31) |
| Export formats | Unlimited plan and any unlocked file: TXT, SRT, VTT, DOCX and PDF. Free plan: TXT. |
Start with one file
No account, no card. See the transcript before you decide anything.