DSS file transcription service

DSS is the original Digital Speech Standard, a compressed audio format developed for professional handheld dictation recorders. Files carry the extension .dss and contain compressed speech audio alongside metadata from the recorder.

The format stores audio at a low bitrate optimised for speech. A ten-minute recording is typically under 1 MB. Many older Olympus recorders saved exclusively in DSS format before DS2 became standard.

DSS uses a proprietary codec. Most standard media players cannot open DSS files, and most cloud transcription services do not support the format at upload. We open DSS directly.

For the newer DS2 format, see the DS2 file guide. For a full list of formats we accept, see file format guide.