A simple, free tool for third sector organisations to transcribe audio files.

What it does

This is a straightforward web app that transcribes audio files into text. Upload your file, get your transcript, copy the text. That’s it.

Why we built it

At ProMo Cymru, we occasionally need to transcribe audio – an interview, a workshop recording, a podcast episode. We don’t need expensive enterprise transcription software with team management, integrations, and monthly subscriptions. We need something that works when we need it and helps us keep costs reasonable. 

We’re big believers in prototyping, and we wanted to test what’s now possible when you use AI to build simple tools. The result is this: a working transcription app that does exactly what we need, built quickly and at minimal cost.

This thinking aligns with what Vaughn Tan calls “Boring Tiny Tools” – narrowly scoped software that does exactly what you need and nothing more, designed to fit seamlessly into how you already work. AI coding tools have made it realistic for the average third sector organisation to build these kinds of focused, practical solutions without needing a development team or a big budget. We’re also happy to help if you need it.

How it works

The tool connects to AI transcription services (Google or OpenAI) to process your audio. You’ll need to provide your own API key – there are links within the tool to help you set this up, you can do this for free or low cost (Google offer a free API tier, Open AI requires payment). This keeps the tool free to use and means we’re not storing your data or API keys, but you will have to check you are happy with how your data is used by your API provider.

Important: The tool doesn’t save anything. Once you’ve got your transcript, copy the text somewhere safe. When you close the page, it’s gone.

We’re sharing this so other third sector organisations can use it as-is, learn from it, or adapt it for their own needs.

If you would like to discuss using AI in third or public sector, email nathan@promo.cymru