Transcripts for MAXQDA

Transcribe an interview or a focus group in SonaFact, name the speakers, then export a file that MAXQDA imports as a focus group transcript: every speaker becomes a code, and the timestamps link the text to the recording.

There is no live connection between the two programs: you export a file from SonaFact and import it into MAXQDA. These exports are included in every plan.

Written from the programs' documentation

These steps follow the import help that each program publishes, as we read it on 1 October 2026. We have not yet tried every import in every version of these programs. If something looks different in yours, or an import does not work, write to support@sonafact.com so we can correct the file or this page.

Menu and button names are given as they appear in the English version of each program. In a version in another language they may be translated.

Which file to choose

Open the transcript in SonaFact and click Export. The files for research software are listed separately from the other formats:

MAXQDA · ATLAS.ti

A Word file (.qda.docx) for MAXQDA and ATLAS.ti. Every utterance is its own paragraph: the speaker's name, a colon, the text, and a timestamp at the end.

MAXQDA · ATLAS.ti (VTT)

A WebVTT file (.qda.vtt) for MAXQDA and ATLAS.ti, with the speaker in every cue and exact start and end times.

You will also need the recording: the programs link the transcript to the audio. Use your original file, or download the recording as MP3 with the Audio button next to Export.

Import into MAXQDA, step by step

In SonaFact, export the file named “MAXQDA · ATLAS.ti”.
In MAXQDA, choose Import > Focus Group Transcripts and select the file. Every speaker becomes a code; in the dialog that follows you can merge speakers and pick their colours.
MAXQDA recognises the timestamps and asks for the recording. Choose the audio file: the timestamps disappear from the text, and the transcript plays along with the recording.

Don't need the speakers as codes? Use Import > Transcripts instead, and the names stay in the text.

With the VTT file, choose Import > Transcripts > From VTT files. According to MAXQDA's documentation it identifies the speakers and inserts timestamps, but it does not describe how speaker names have to be written in the file. If the speakers are missing, use the Word file.

The full guide for NVivo, MAXQDA and ATLAS.ti, with tips on speaker names and clean verbatim →

Sources

The help pages these steps are based on, read on 1 October 2026:

For researchers →
For students →

Other integrations

NVivo, MAXQDA and ATLAS.ti are trademarks of their respective owners. SonaFact is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.