Supported Formats & Limits
Which file types Kalima accepts and the size, duration, and weekly limits for your plan.
Before you upload a recording, it helps to know what Kalima can read and how much it will accept. This page lists every audio and video format we support and lays out the size, duration, and weekly upload limits that apply to each plan.
What you can upload
Kalima accepts almost any common recording. You can drop in audio files directly, or upload a video and Kalima will pull out just the audio track for transcription.
- Audio files: MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, FLAC, OGG, Opus, WebM, AIFF, and AMR.
- Video files: MP4, MOV, and WebM, the audio is extracted automatically.
- Voice notes: WhatsApp voice messages (.opus) work without converting them first.
Supported audio formats
You can upload any of these audio formats and start transcribing right away:
- MP3
- WAV
- M4A
- AAC
- FLAC
- OGG
- Opus (including WhatsApp voice messages)
- WebM
- AIFF
- AMR
Supported video formats
Kalima accepts these video containers and transcribes the spoken content inside them:
- MP4
- MOV
- WebM
When you upload a video, Kalima extracts the audio track in your browser before anything is sent. Only the extracted audio is uploaded and stored, the video itself never leaves your device. This keeps uploads small and lets you transcribe screen recordings, phone videos, and recorded meetings directly.
A video with no audio track, or with silent or near-silent audio, cannot be transcribed. If you upload a video and get an empty transcript, confirm the recording actually contains audible speech.
Per-plan limits
Three limits depend on your plan: the maximum size of a single file, the longest recording you can upload in one file, and how many files you can upload each week. Every plan also shares one fixed ceiling: no single file may exceed 5 hours (300 minutes) of audio, regardless of plan.
| Limit | Free | Plus | Pro | Team | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max file size | 100 MB | 500 MB | 1 GB | 1 GB | No fixed limit |
| Max duration per file | 60 min | 180 min | 300 min | 300 min | Unlimited (up to 5 h cap) |
| Uploads per week | 20 | 50 | 100 | 100 | Unlimited |
The 5-hour (300-minute) maximum per file applies on every plan, including Enterprise. On Free, Plus, and Pro/Team your per-file duration limit is lower than that overall cap, as shown above.
How the limits work in practice
Tips for staying within limits
Upload video, not just audio. Because Kalima only keeps the extracted audio, uploading a video file is usually much smaller and faster than you'd expect, a multi-gigabyte screen recording can shrink to a fraction of its size once the audio is pulled out.
- Split long recordings. If a file is over your duration limit, export it in shorter segments and upload each one separately.
- Compress before uploading. Re-exporting a very large audio file at a lower bitrate (for example to MP3) can bring it under your size limit without noticeably affecting transcription quality.
- Upgrade for headroom. If you regularly bump into the size, duration, or weekly-count limits, a higher plan raises all three at once. Pro and Team allow files up to 1 GB and 5 hours, with 100 uploads a week; Enterprise removes the fixed size and count limits entirely.
Frequently asked questions
Audio: MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, FLAC, OGG, Opus, WebM, AIFF, and AMR. Video: MP4, MOV, and WebM, with the audio extracted automatically. WhatsApp voice messages (.opus) are supported.
Up to 5 hours (300 minutes) of audio on any plan. Your plan may set a lower per-file duration: 60 minutes on Free, 180 minutes on Plus, and 300 minutes on Pro and Team. Enterprise allows up to the 5-hour overall cap.
It depends on your plan: up to 100 MB on Free, 500 MB on Plus, 1 GB on Pro and Team, and no fixed size limit on Enterprise. If a file is too large you'll see a message with your plan's limit and an option to upgrade.
Free includes 20 uploads per week, Plus 50, Pro and Team 100 each, and Enterprise is unlimited. The count resets every Monday (00:00 UTC). When you reach the limit you'll be prompted to upgrade or wait for the reset.
Yes, MP4, MOV, and WebM. Kalima extracts the audio in your browser and transcribes only the audio, so the video itself is never uploaded or stored. A video with no audio track can't be transcribed.
No. Only the extracted audio is uploaded and kept. The original video stays on your device.
Kalima shows an "Unsupported file format" message and lists the accepted types. Convert or re-export the recording to a supported format, MP3, WAV, M4A, and MP4 are all reliable choices, and try again.
Yes. Uploads are billed from your time balance based on the actual transcribed duration, in addition to counting toward your weekly upload limit. You'll see an estimated cost before you start.