Video Editors
Log interviews and B roll with SMPTE frames, mark selects and build a paper edit before you open the timeline. Turn any video to transcript with timestamps first, or use MP4 to text for a finished cut.
Time Coded Transcript Generator for Audio and Video
Upload a recording or paste a link and EzTranscriber returns a time coded transcript in minutes, with a timecode on every line, speaker labels and your choice of HH:MM:SS, milliseconds or SMPTE frames.
Private and Secure99 LanguagesFree Credits to StartSMPTE Timecode Formats
Upload an audio file or paste a direct audio link.
Supported formats: MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, FLAC, OGG, OPUS, WMA
More Tools
Common Problems a Time Coded Transcript Solves
A plain transcript tells you what was said, but not where to find it. Without transcription time codes, every quote turns into a hunt through the recording, and every handoff between editor, producer and client starts with "somewhere around the middle, I think". Linking each line of text to the second it was spoken changes that. The document becomes a map of the recording: you read, you click, and you hear the exact moment again. If any of these sound familiar, timestamps will save you hours every week.
- Scrubbing back and forth through an hour of audio to find one sentence
- Time coding transcripts by hand with a stopwatch and a spreadsheet
- Editors, producers and clients referring to different moments of the same take
- Interview notes that cannot be traced back to the original recording
- Subtitles and chapter markers that drift because the timing was guessed
What You Get with the EzTranscriber Time Coded Transcript Generator
Everything you need to turn speech into text you can cite, edit and share, with the timing kept in every line.
Precise Timestamps
Every line starts with the moment it was spoken, shown to the second, the millisecond or the video frame, so the text lines up with your recording instead of drifting a few seconds per minute.
Four Timestamp Formats
Switch between HH:MM:SS, HH:MM:SS.mmm, MM:SS and SMPTE HH:MM:SS:FF at 24, 25 or 30 fps at any time. The text stays the same, only the clock changes, and nothing has to be processed again.
Flexible Stamping Interval
Put a transcript timestamp on every line, at the start of every paragraph, or at a fixed interval of 15, 30 or 60 seconds, depending on how the document will be read.
Speakers on Every Line
Speaker identification labels each voice next to its time, so interviews, panels and meetings read like a script that anyone can follow without listening first.
Click Any Line to Play
The player sits beside the text. Click a time to jump straight to that moment, listen again and confirm the wording of a quote in seconds rather than minutes.
Export to TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT or CSV
Download documents, subtitle files or a spreadsheet with one row per line. Your chosen format is kept in every export, so the numbers match wherever the file goes.
How to Create a Time Coded Transcript in Three Steps
From raw recording to timecodes on every line, without a stopwatch or a spreadsheet.
- 1
Upload your audio or video
Sign in, then drop in an MP3, WAV, M4A or MP4 file, or paste a direct media link. Choose the spoken language or leave it on Auto, and switch on speaker identification if more than one person is talking. Upload, transcribe, timestamp and export all happen in the same browser tab.
- 2
Choose a timecode format and interval
Pick HH:MM:SS for documents, milliseconds for research, or SMPTE frames for video editing, then decide whether to stamp every line, every paragraph or every 30 seconds. You can change both later without uploading again.
- 3
Review, then export
Read the result next to the player, rename speakers and search for key phrases. Space plays or pauses and the arrow keys skip five seconds, so checking a quote is quick. When it looks right, download it as TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT or CSV, or copy it straight into your notes.
Four Features That Make Timecode Transcription Easy
Built for editors, researchers and producers who need transcription with timecodes they can trust.
Pick the Transcription Timestamp Format You Need
Different jobs read time differently. Writers want a clean [00:12:45], researchers want milliseconds, and video editors want SMPTE timecode with frames at 24, 25 or 30 fps. EzTranscriber stores the precise start and end of every phrase, so you can change the transcription timestamp format whenever you like and the whole document updates instantly. There is no second upload and no extra cost, and the same precise timing feeds your subtitle and spreadsheet exports too.
Try the Timecode FormatsStamp Every Line, Every Paragraph or Every 30 Seconds
A legal summary may need a time on every sentence, while a lecture recap reads better with one stamp per paragraph. Choose per line, per paragraph or a fixed interval of 15, 30 or 60 seconds. Fixed intervals are perfect for logging long footage: the page stays calm and readable, yet you can still jump to any part of a two hour recording in one click. Switch modes whenever the audience for the document changes.
Set Your IntervalTime Coded Transcripts with Speaker Labels
For interviews, panels and meetings, speaker identification puts a name next to every timestamp. Rename Speaker 1 to the real person once and every line updates. The result reads like a script, which makes it simple to pull quotes for an article, check who agreed to what, or log selects for an edit. Running a weekly call? Our meeting transcription page shows a workflow built for that.
Transcribe with SpeakersSend Transcription Time Codes to Your Editing Software
Export a CSV with one row per line, holding start time, end time, speaker and text, ready to turn into markers in Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve or Final Cut. Need captions instead? Download SRT or VTT, or open the audio to SRT converter to control caption length and line breaks before you publish. Either way, you go from audio to timestamp markers without typing a single number.
Export Your TimecodesTime Coded Transcript Example
The same short interview shown in every timecode format. Switch the format and the interval to see how a timecode transcription example changes.
river-documentary-interview.mp4
00:49 · English · 2 speakers
View
Format
Stamp every
00:00:02
Maya: When did you first realize the river was changing?
00:00:06
Elias: About ten years ago. The spring floods came earlier every year.
00:00:11
Elias: By July the water was so low you could walk across it.
00:00:18
Maya: How did the town react?
00:00:21
Elias: At first nobody believed it. Then the mill closed, and everyone believed it.
00:00:29
Elias: That was the turning point for us.
00:00:34
Maya: And today?
00:00:36
Elias: Today we measure the river every morning. The kids help, and they write it all down.
00:00:45
Elias: It feels like we finally have a record of our own.
Every option rewrites the whole sample instantly, just like the real export.
Each phrase keeps its exact start and end, which is why you can switch formats after the fact, export the same lines as subtitles, or paste them into a script your editor can match against the timeline. Copy the sample if you need a template for your own style guide.
Transcription Timestamp Formats Compared
Which time code transcription format fits your project? Here is how each one reads and where it works best.
| Transcription Timestamp Formats Compared | Looks like | Precision | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| HH:MM:SS | [00:12:45] | Second | Documents, show notes, meeting minutes |
| HH:MM:SS.mmm | [00:12:45.320] | Millisecond | Research, linguistics, data analysis |
| MM:SS | [12:45] | Second | Short clips, podcasts under an hour |
| SMPTE HH:MM:SS:FF | [00:12:45:08] | Frame (24, 25 or 30 fps) | Video editing, film logging, broadcast |
Who Uses a Time Coded Transcript?
Anyone who needs to find, quote or cut a moment from a recording without replaying it from the start.
Journalists
Cite every quote with the exact second it was said, so fact checkers and editors can verify it in moments and nobody argues about context later.
Researchers
Code qualitative interviews with millisecond precision and trace every finding back to the source audio when a reviewer asks where a claim came from.
Podcasters
Turn times into chapter markers and show notes. The podcast transcript generator adds host and guest labels for every episode.
Educators and Students
Stamp each paragraph of a recorded lecture so the class can jump straight to the formula, date or definition they missed during the live session.
Legal and Compliance Teams
Keep timed records of recorded calls and hearings so every statement can be located, reviewed and quoted accurately during an audit.
What Users Say About Our Timecode Transcription
I used to log every interview by hand before an edit. Now I export SMPTE timecodes at 25 fps, drop the CSV into Resolve as markers and start cutting the same afternoon.
Lukas Bauer
Documentary Editor
My thesis relies on 40 interviews. Millisecond timestamps let me cite the exact moment of every quote, and my supervisor can check each one against the audio.
Priya Raman
PhD Researcher
We stamp every paragraph for show notes and every 30 seconds for the producer. Switching between the two takes one click, not another upload.
Jordan Ellis
Podcast Producer
Clients send feedback as timecodes now instead of vague descriptions. Review rounds are shorter because everyone points at the same second.
Camille Durand
Video Agency Owner
Time Coded Transcript FAQs
Quick answers about timecodes, formats and exports. Still need help? Write to our support team.
What is a time coded transcript?
It is a written record of a recording where each line or paragraph begins with the time it was spoken, for example [00:04:12]. Those times let you jump from the text back to the exact moment in the audio or video, which makes quoting, editing and reviewing much faster.
What does a time coded transcript example look like?
A typical line reads "[00:01:24] Speaker 1: We moved the launch to Thursday." The example section above shows the same interview in HH:MM:SS, milliseconds, MM:SS and SMPTE frames, so you can compare them side by side and copy the style you prefer.
How do I add time codes to a transcript?
Upload the recording to EzTranscriber, pick a format and an interval, and the AI places every time automatically. If you only have plain text, upload the original audio instead, because the timing has to come from the real speech rather than from guesswork.
Which transcription timestamp format should I use?
Use HH:MM:SS for documents and meeting notes, HH:MM:SS.mmm for research, MM:SS for short clips, and SMPTE HH:MM:SS:FF when the file will be used inside video editing software. You can switch at any time, so start with the one your reader expects.
What is the difference between a timecode and a timestamp?
People often use the words interchangeably. A timestamp usually means hours, minutes and seconds, while a timecode in video work follows the SMPTE standard and adds a frame number. EzTranscriber supports both in the same document.
How accurate is timestamp transcription on noisy audio?
Timing follows the speech itself, so stamps usually stay close even when a word is hard to hear. Background music, crosstalk and very quiet speakers can still cause wording errors, which is why the player sits next to the text and highlights each word as it plays, for quick checks.
Can I get SMPTE timecodes with frames?
Yes. Choose SMPTE and select 24, 25 or 30 frames per second to match your project. Each line then shows HH:MM:SS:FF, ready to compare against your timeline or an edit decision list.
Can I export time codes to Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve?
Export a CSV with start time, end time, speaker and text for each line and turn it into markers, or download SRT and VTT files, which both editors import as caption tracks.
Can I transcribe audio to text with timestamps for free?
Signing in is required, and every new account gets free credits to try it on real recordings. After that you pay only for the minutes you transcribe; see pricing for plans and credit packs.
Does timecode transcription work in other languages and with video?
Yes. It works in 99 languages with automatic detection, and you can translate the finished text while every timestamp stays in place. Upload MP4, MOV or WEBM video, or paste a direct link, and EzTranscriber extracts the audio first.
More Converters for Timestamped Transcripts
Every tool below keeps the timing on each line, whatever file you start from.
Get Your Time Coded Transcript Now
Stop logging timestamps by hand. Upload a recording, choose your format and get a time coded transcript you can cite, edit and export in minutes. Prefer plain text without times? Transcribe audio to text on our homepage instead.