Can OneNote transcribe audio?

Yes. OneNote can transcribe audio, but Microsoft limits the feature to Windows in OneNote for Microsoft 365 ¹, and it is not available to GCC, GCC-H or DoD customers ². Microsoft's Word note also says the feature is currently only available in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows in commercial tenants ³, so the two statements do not fully agree, and you should check your own copy. Transcription is separate from Dictate: Dictate types as you speak, while Transcribe turns a recording into text. If you are on Windows with a Microsoft 365 account outside those government tenants, the OneNote note covers you, but whether your version shows the feature depends on the version.

OneNote is named in Microsoft's transcription article

The question is harder than it looks because Microsoft has two OneNote articles. Its recording article explains how to make an audio or video note, and it says that to transcribe an existing recording, you should read a separate help article about transcribing in OneNote ⁴. That separate article is "Transcribe your recordings". It lists OneNote for Microsoft 365 under Applies To, next to Word.

The note in that article for OneNote says the feature "is currently available only on the Windows platform in OneNote for Microsoft 365" ¹. The word "currently" means the platform list can change, so check the article again before a big project.

Two other features are easy to confuse with this one. Dictate in OneNote is, in Microsoft's words, a quick way to create drafts, capture notes and make comments ⁵. It types as you speak and does not read a file. Record Audio is a way to capture a recording inside a page: click Home, then Record Audio ⁶.

Four conditions decide whether it works

Platform. Transcription is Windows only. Microsoft's note does not name OneNote for Mac or OneNote for the web as supported, so do not count on either. The same article's shared system requirements also list the new Microsoft Edge or Chrome, but they do not say which app that line applies to. Microsoft does say that Transcribe requires an internet connection ⁷, so plan for one.

Tenant. Microsoft says Transcribe for OneNote is not available for GCC, GCC-H and DoD customers ². The same article also says that for government tenants, Transcription is only available for Word for the web ⁸. If your work account is a government tenant, ask your administrator before you start.

Version. Microsoft's recording article says the Record button might be visible once you click Transcribe, depending on the OneNote version ⁹. If you do not see a Transcribe option in your version, the feature may not be in your copy, and updating may help.

Monthly limit. Microsoft's Transcribe article gives the upload limit for a Microsoft 365 subscription: a maximum of 300 minutes of uploaded audio per month ¹⁰. A few long interviews can use up a month's allowance, so plan large batches around the limit.

It depends on the case

• You have a recording on a Windows PC. Use the Windows copy of OneNote for Microsoft 365, keep the monthly limit in mind, and transcribe the file there.
• You have a recording on a Mac. Microsoft's note limits the feature to Windows, so transcription on the Mac is not documented. Transcribe the file on a Windows PC, or use a free browser tool such as free audio to text for a short file.
• Your work account is a government tenant. Microsoft excludes GCC, GCC-H and DoD from OneNote transcription, so ask your administrator for the approved route.
• You are on an older OneNote. The Transcribe option depends on the version, so check Home for it before you plan a backlog.

How to test your own copy

1. Confirm you are on Windows and signed in to a Microsoft 365 account in OneNote.
2. Make a one-minute audio note in a test page with Home, then Record Audio.
3. Look for a Transcribe option. If it is missing, your version or account does not have the feature.
4. If it appears, let the transcript finish and check the words against the recording before you rely on it.
5. Keep the monthly limit in mind before a large batch.

If the test does not work, the problem is usually the platform, the tenant, the version or the limit, in that order. For the same question about Word, read can Microsoft Word transcribe an audio file, which covers the Transcribe pane in more detail. For Google's tool, see can Google Docs transcribe an audio file. If you only need Dictate in OneNote, the steps are in our guide to Dictate in PowerPoint, OneNote and Excel. For the glossary entry on Microsoft's transcription feature, see Transcribe (Microsoft 365). For the other Microsoft Dictate questions, see can you dictate in Excel and why Dictate is not working in PowerPoint.