File Upload Issues
Fix failed uploads, unsupported files, and stuck processing.
Most upload problems come from one of a few causes: an unsupported file type, a file that is too large or too long for your plan, a reached weekly limit, a low balance, or a temporary network hiccup. This page maps each message you might see to a clear fix.
Once a file finishes uploading, transcription continues in the background. You can safely leave the page and come back to the finished transcript. You only need to stay until the upload itself completes.
Before you start
Two quick checks resolve the majority of upload errors. First, confirm the format: Kalima accepts MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, FLAC, OGG, Opus, WebM, AIFF, and AMR audio, plus MP4, MOV, and WebM video. Second, confirm the limits, since each plan sets its own size and weekly upload caps and every file is capped at 5 hours.
Upload and format errors
The file is not one of the supported audio or video types. Kalima accepts MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, FLAC, OGG, Opus, WebM, AIFF, and AMR audio, plus MP4, MOV, and WebM video.
Fix: convert or re-export the file to a supported format, then try again. MP3, WAV, M4A, or MP4 are safe choices. The upload card lists the accepted formats. WhatsApp voice messages (.opus) are supported, so you can upload those directly.
The file exceeds your plan's maximum upload size. Limits are 100 MB on Free, 500 MB on Plus, and 1 GB on Pro and Team. Enterprise has no fixed size limit.
Fix: upload a smaller file, compress it, or upgrade your plan to raise the limit. If you are uploading a video, the audio is extracted in your browser before transfer, which usually makes the upload far smaller than the original video.
The recording is longer than the 5-hour (300-minute) maximum that applies to every upload, or it exceeds your plan's per-file duration cap (Free 60 minutes, Plus 180 minutes, Pro and Team 300 minutes, Enterprise unlimited).
Fix: split the recording into shorter parts and upload them separately. If your plan's per-file duration is the limiting factor, upgrading raises that cap.
The connection dropped or timed out while the file was transferring.
Fix: check your internet connection and try the upload again. A more stable network (for example, wired or a stronger Wi-Fi signal) helps for large files. This is a temporary error, so a retry usually succeeds.
Processing and balance errors
Your available transcription time is less than the estimated cost of the file. Kalima checks this before you spend anything.
Fix: tap the warning to add more time or upgrade your plan, then start the transcription. You are only ever charged for the actual transcribed duration, and the estimate shown before you start is reconciled to the exact amount when processing finishes.
This is a transient condition: the service was momentarily busy or rate-limited.
Fix: wait a moment and try again. Kalima treats these as retryable errors, so the same file should go through on a second attempt without any changes.
Something went wrong during processing. Temporary problems (a busy service, a timeout) are retryable; permanent problems (an unsupported format, a file that is too large or too long) are not.
Fix: if the message suggests retrying, try again. If it points to the file (format, size, or duration), fix the file as the message describes or upgrade your plan, then upload again. A reserved amount of time is always released back to your balance when an upload fails, so a failed attempt does not cost you.
Longer files simply take longer, and processing runs server-side rather than in your browser.
Fix: leave it and check back later. The session updates from 'Processing' to 'Completed' on its own, so you do not need to keep the page open. Multi-hour recordings can take several minutes or more to finish.
Leaving the page and cancelled uploads
You left the page while the file was still uploading, that is, before the transfer finished and processing began. The still-uploading phase is cancelled when you leave.
Fix: re-select the file and upload it again. Wait until the upload itself completes (you will see the message that you can leave the page) before navigating away. After that point, processing continues in the background and you can safely close the tab.
No. When you cancel during upload, or if an upload fails, the time reserved for the file is released back to your balance.
You are only billed when a transcript is actually produced, based on its real duration.
Result and quality problems
The video likely has no audio track, or its audio is silent or too quiet to transcribe. Kalima extracts and transcribes only the audio from a video.
Fix: confirm the video contains audible speech, then upload a version with the audio intact. Preview the file with the built-in player before starting to verify there is sound.
The engine guessed at unfamiliar proper nouns, brand names, or jargon.
Fix: re-run the upload with 'Context (Optional)' filled in, adding the names, terms, and acronyms that appear in the recording. Setting 'Expected Languages' to the language(s) actually spoken also improves accuracy. You can also clean up specific words afterward in the Studio with AutoCorrect+.
Each plan includes a set number of uploads per week: Free 20, Plus 50, Pro 100, Team 100, and Enterprise unlimited. When you reach the limit you are prompted to upgrade.
Fix: wait for your weekly count to reset, or upgrade to a plan with a higher limit.
A quick preview before you commit prevents most quality complaints. After selecting a file, play it back in the built-in player (with volume and speed controls) to confirm you grabbed the right recording and that the speech is clear.
Still stuck?
If a file keeps failing after you have checked its format, size, and duration, reach out and we will help.