Uploading a Javanese video
Drop in the video file unchanged: MP4, MOV, MKV, WEBM, AVI, M4V, 3GP or a phone screen recording. The sound track is pulled out on the server, so there is no convert-to-MP3 step, and every timestamp still matches the picture. If the video is online, paste its public link under Import from link: YouTube, Shorts, TikTok, public Vimeo, Dropbox or Google Drive share links, or a direct link to a video file. Only the audio is downloaded. Playlists and channels are refused, so queue videos one link at a time, and sign-in-only posts such as Instagram need to be downloaded and uploaded.
After processing, the draft runs beside the player. Click a line to hear it, rewrite the words, and the change is kept automatically.
Be ready to edit: Javanese is a low-resource language
Javanese has tens of millions of speakers but little transcribed speech for the model to learn from. Expect a rough draft: some lines will be close, others will need rewriting, and Indonesian spellings or words often creep in where the speaker used Javanese. It is still faster than typing from nothing, and it works best on slow, clear speech from one person.
The text is written in the Latin alphabet, as Javanese is usually typed today; Aksara Jawa (hanacaraka) is not produced. Speech levels matter: ngoko between friends and krama in polite or formal speech use different words for the same idea, and the draft may mix them. Many speakers also switch between Javanese and Indonesian in one sentence. If a video is mostly Indonesian with Javanese phrases, choose Indonesian instead.
Javanese video people transcribe
Examples:
- Pengajian and religious talks given in Javanese.
- Wayang kulit and traditional performances, for a written record of the narration.
- Family videos and interviews with elders in Central and East Java, or in Javanese communities in Suriname.
- Local YouTube and TikTok vlogs, for subtitles.
Subtitles and exports
After correcting, export SRT or VTT for subtitles in YouTube Studio, CapCut or Premiere Pro, or DOCX, PDF and TXT for a document. Timestamps can stay in or be removed, and CSV gives a row per line for research.
Tips and translation
Use a close microphone, avoid gamelan or music under the voice, and switch on audio repair for noisy outdoor footage. Speaker labels are available on paid plans and with a Minute Pack.
The transcript stays in Javanese. For an English reading, open the Google Translate link on the transcript, or use the AI prompt export to hand the text to ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. For audio-only recordings, see the Javanese audio to text page.