How to turn an audio file into text
An hour from a dictaphone, a podcast, a file someone sent you. Almost any bot in Telegram trips over that: the ordinary Bot API hands a bot files no larger than twenty megabytes, so an hour-long recording never reaches it. Molnia fetches the file another way — up to three hours and two gigabytes in one recording — and replies not with a wall of transcript but with text that has the key point on top.
How it works
Send the audio file to @molniavoicebot in a DM, or forward it from another chat. Formats: mp3, m4a, wav, ogg, plus mp4 and video files — the bot pulls out the audio track itself. There is no need to split the recording or compress it first.
Why other bots ask you to shrink the file
It isn't stinginess but a Telegram limit: through the ordinary Bot API a bot receives files no larger than twenty megabytes. Hence the familiar requests to cut the recording up or send it in worse quality. Molnia gets the file past that ceiling, so its own limit is different — three hours and two gigabytes. A long recording is processed in parallel parts, and the first ones arrive before the rest is done.
Transcript or meaning
Most bots return the verbatim text: an hour of recording becomes an hour of reading. Molnia sends a summary by default — the key point on the first line, then topics as separate paragraphs. The word-for-word transcript is still there, under the full-text button, and /mode makes it the default if that is what you need.
What it costs
Free — 20 minutes of recording a month, no signup and no card. Beyond that a subscription: 1,000 minutes for $5 a month. What counts is the length of the recording, not the processing time; /status shows what is left.
Common questions
How do I turn audio into text without signing up?
Open @molniavoicebot in Telegram and send the file: your Telegram account is the login, there is nothing else to register. The first 20 minutes of recording each month are free.
Which audio formats does the bot accept?
mp3, m4a, wav, ogg, plus mp4 and video files, from which the audio track is taken. Files forwarded from another chat or channel work too.
How large a file can I send?
Up to two gigabytes and up to three hours in a single recording. That is Molnia's own limit, not the Bot API's.
How long does an hour-long recording take?
About half a minute: the recording is split into parts, the parts are processed in parallel, and the first one arrives before the others.
Can I get the word-for-word transcript instead of a summary?
Yes. Every reply has a full-text button underneath, and /mode makes the verbatim text the default.