Google Classroom transcript

Google Classroom doesn't store the video of a lesson — it stores a link to a file that lives in Google Drive. So to get a transcript of a Classroom lesson, upload the recording, or paste its Drive or YouTube link if the file is public. You get timestamped text with search, a summary and key moments.

Once the transcript is ready, you can post it straight to Google Classroom with the "Post to Classroom" button: Classroom opens and you pick the class. Nothing to connect, nothing to install.

Up to 150 minutes per recording on a free account (40 minutes on the first one, with no account at all).

First transcript free, no account. Lessons up to 150 minutes.

How it works

Get the recording

In Classroom, open the assignment or material and download the attached file — it lives in Drive. If the lesson ran on Meet, the recording sits in the organiser's Drive under the "Google Meet" folder. A phone recording works just as well.

Upload it, or paste the link

Drop the file here, or paste the link if the video is public on Drive or YouTube. Language is detected automatically and the transcript comes back with word-level timestamps. An hour-long lesson takes a few minutes.

Post it to your class

Create the transcript's public link and hit "Post to Classroom". Choose the course and it lands as material, so students can read, search and revise from it without an account.

Formats & limits

What you need to know:

Audio: MP3, M4A, WAV, OGG, OPUS. Video: MP4, MOV, WEBM, MKV. Public YouTube and Google Drive links.
Up to 500 MB and 150 minutes per recording with an account; 40 minutes without one.
We never read your Classroom account or your courses: you bring the recording, you choose where the result goes.
A Drive file that is private or restricted to your school's domain has to be downloaded and uploaded — a link to it can't be opened.
Speaker labels to separate teacher from students, and translation into 111 languages.
Export as DOCX, PDF, TXT, Markdown, or SRT/VTT subtitles.
The first transcript is free with no account (up to 40 minutes); after that, a free account raises the limit to 150 minutes and 500 MB per file — unlimited transcripts during the beta, no card needed.

Frequently asked questions

Does this connect to my Google Classroom account?

No, deliberately. We ask for no access to your courses or your Drive: you upload the recording, and you can post the finished transcript to a class if you want to. That means there are no permissions for an admin to review and no student data on our servers.

Can I paste a classroom.google.com link?

That won't work: the link requires a sign-in and only points at the file rather than containing it. Download the attachment from Classroom — it's in Drive — and upload it here. A direct link does work when the video is public on Drive or YouTube.

Where does a Google Meet class recording end up?

In the Drive of whoever started the recording, inside the "Google Meet" folder; attendees get a shortcut to it in their own Drive. Note that Meet recording is only available on some Google Workspace editions — the free education tier can't record.

What do my students see when I post it?

A read-only page with the transcript, search and the summary. They need no account and can't edit anything, and you can revoke the link at any time — it stops working immediately.

What if the lesson isn't in English?

Language is detected automatically and the transcript comes back in the language spoken. You can then translate it into any of 111 languages without reprocessing the audio.

How much does it cost?

The first transcript is free with no account (up to 40 minutes). A free account raises the limit to 150 minutes and 500 MB per file, with unlimited transcripts during the beta and no card required.

How does JustTranscribe compare? vs TurboScribe · vs Transkriptor · vs Happy Scribe · All comparisons

Need more than one transcript?

A free account keeps them all in a searchable library — with speaker labels, translation into 111 languages, exports and the AI summary. No card during the beta.

Create a free account