# How does transcription work in Canto?

> What happens between stopping a recording and seeing a transcript: upload, transcription, AI notes, and what each status means.

Updated: 2026-08-16 · Canonical: https://usecanto.com/help/transcription/how-transcription-works/

When you stop a recording, Canto uploads the audio, transcribes it in the cloud, and then generates a title and notes. The transcript is not live — it appears a few minutes after the recording ends, split into speaker turns with a timestamp on every word.

## What happens after I stop recording?

1. **Upload** — the audio is compressed and sent to your Canto library. On mobile this happens in the background; keep the device online until the upload finishes.
2. **Transcription** — the audio is transcribed with the spoken language detected automatically and speakers separated into turns. See [Which languages does Canto transcribe?](https://usecanto.com/help/transcription/supported-languages/) and [How does Canto tell speakers apart?](https://usecanto.com/help/transcription/speaker-separation/)
3. **AI preparation** — Canto writes a title and notes, and indexes the recording so chat and search can find it. See [How do AI notes work?](https://usecanto.com/help/ai/summaries/)

Once all three finish, the recording shows **Ready**.

## What do the statuses mean?

- **Recording** — audio is still being captured on your device.
- **Processing** — the recording has stopped and the audio is being prepared for upload.
- **Uploading** — the audio is on its way to your library.
- **Queued** — uploaded and waiting for transcription to start.
- **Transcribing** — the transcript is being generated.
- **Preparing AI** — the transcript exists; the title, notes, and search index are being built. You can already read the transcript at this point.
- **Ready** — everything is done.
- **Failed** — transcription didn't complete. See [Retry a failed transcription](https://usecanto.com/help/transcription/retry-transcription/).

A recording can also show **Locked** or **Not transcribed** on the free plan — that's a quota state, not an error. See [Why is my recording locked or not transcribed?](https://usecanto.com/help/transcription/locked-recordings/)

## Is transcription live while I record?

No. Canto records first and transcribes after the recording stops and uploads. During a long recording you see the timer and can add bookmarks, but there is no on-screen text until transcription finishes.

## How long does it take?

Transcription runs much faster than real time — a one-hour recording is typically ready in a few minutes after the upload completes. Upload time depends on your connection; the audio is compressed to roughly 14 MB per hour. If a recording sits in **Transcribing** far longer than that, see [My transcription is stuck or failed](https://usecanto.com/help/troubleshooting/transcription-stuck/).

## What does the transcript contain?

The transcript is a sequence of speaker turns, each labelled with a speaker name and a start time. Every word carries its own timestamp, so you can tap anywhere to play the audio from that moment — see [Jump the audio to any word](https://usecanto.com/help/transcription/tap-to-play/). Transcripts sync to all your devices, and you can correct mistakes afterwards — see [Edit a transcript](https://usecanto.com/help/transcription/edit-a-transcript/).

Related articles:

- [Which languages does Canto transcribe?](https://usecanto.com/help/transcription/supported-languages/)
- [How does Canto tell speakers apart?](https://usecanto.com/help/transcription/speaker-separation/)
- [Jump the audio to any word](https://usecanto.com/help/transcription/tap-to-play/)
- [My transcription is stuck or failed](https://usecanto.com/help/troubleshooting/transcription-stuck/)