My recording import fails

You import a session recording (voice recorder, phone, video call recorded elsewhere) and Klarity rejects it, or the upload never completes? The cause is usually the file itself (an exotic format from a third-party device, its size) or the network during upload. Here's how to identify and fix each case.


"Unsupported file"


Klarity accepts most common audio formats: MP3, M4A, WAV, OGG, AAC, FLAC… plus two video formats, MP4 and WebM (useful for a screen recording of a video call — the audio is extracted from it). In practice:


  • iPhone Voice Memos (.m4a) — accepted directly. Share the memo to your computer (AirDrop, email) then import it.
  • Android recorder (.m4a, .mp3, sometimes .ogg) — accepted directly.
  • Video-call video (.mp4, .webm) — accepted: no need to extract the audio yourself.
  • iPhone movie in .mov — rejected: this video container isn't supported. Export the video as MP4, or extract the audio track.
  • Professional dictaphones (Olympus .dss/.ds2, some Sony/Philips) — their proprietary formats are rejected. Use the software bundled with the device to export as MP3 or WAV, then import that file.
  • Messaging voice notes (WhatsApp and similar, .opus) — depending on the device, the file may be rejected. If it fails, convert it to MP3 or M4A.


When a file is rejected, the fix is always the same: re-export or convert the recording to a standard format (MP3 or M4A preferably), then import again. Conversion doesn't degrade the transcription.


"File too large"


The limit is 2 GB per file. You rarely hit it with pure audio, but easily with a long video (a 2-hour call recorded in high quality). Two ways out:


  • Extract the audio track from the video (the picture is useless for transcription): the file gets ten times lighter.
  • Or re-export the video at lower quality — only the sound track matters.


An empty or corrupted file (0 bytes, interrupted transfer from the phone) is rejected with Invalid or empty file: redo the transfer from the original device before importing.


The upload never completes


The message The recording couldn't be uploaded. Check your connection and try again points to a network problem during upload, not a file problem:


  1. Check your connection — uploading several hundred MB needs a stable connection. On flaky wifi, prefer a wired connection or a better network, and don't let the computer go to sleep during the upload.
  2. Corporate network or VPN — some corporate firewalls and VPNs block large file uploads. If the upload systematically fails at the office but works from home, disable the VPN for the import or switch networks (mobile hotspot, for example).
  3. Retry — your capture isn't lost when an upload fails: the panel offers to retry the upload.


After the import: nothing happens?


A successful import automatically chains transcription then summary generation — allow a few minutes for a long file. If the session moves to a processing failure after the import, the file was probably inaudible (wrong track, silence): listen to it locally before trying again.


💡 Tip: get in the habit of recording directly in a standard format — most dictaphones have a setting to choose MP3 instead of the proprietary format. You eliminate the conversion step for all your future sessions.


Related articles

  • Capturing a session
  • My session wasn't recorded
  • The microphone picks up nothing

Updated on: 08/09/2026

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