With each passing day, technology frees humanity from the shackles of time-consuming labour, so that we may be free to do other things with our short time here. Audio transcription is one such freedom. Official documentation of facts and figures is still largely done in print, while the unofficial world thrives on any medium of documentation whether graphical or auditory.
Audio transcription bridges this gap. However, while it takes about a second to hear ‘jack’, it takes longer to write it. Transcription simply requires too much from you for the outcome you get from doing it. Hence, the need for a software program to take over the task as soon as needed.
In this article, you will find the best five audio transcription software you can choose from among the numerous ones available on the market.
What is Audio Transcription Software?
Audio transcription software is a computerised software solution that helps to convert audio and video files in to a written transcript within a short period of time without much hassle.
It adopts the use of advanced technology and artificial intelligence to listen to audio files and type in words for users. The transcribable file could be in form of a podcast, video or audio that is intended to be converted to a document or vice versa.
With the constant reliance on online sources by so many people comes the need to push out so many great and reliable content by online magazines, websites and other online based platforms.
Also, Non-virtual magazines and other professionals now have the need to go virtual, especially since the inception of the pandemic which pressed for a new world order.
Why Do You Need Audio Transcription Software?
If you are a business owner, a salesperson, a lawyer, an educator, a human resource manager or an online personality with a career in media or writing or you make any form of online material, there is no doubt that you will need a transcription software. As it is a matter of time before you employ the help of a software as soon as you can afford a subscription.
Virtual assistance, Podcaster , content creators , consultant, lawyers, human resource manager, and business owners to mention a few need an audio transcription software/application to use for ease in their day to day activities.
The rigour of listening and typing it takes to manually transcribe a piece of video/audio file takes hours that could be used to do other high performing tasks thereby saving time and energy. What takes about six hours to transcribe manually will take a transcription software just a few minutes to transcribe so what is there not to like?
Factors to Look Out for When Choosing an Audio Transcription Software?
- Affordability. While there are a few free transcription software you can try your hands on, note that those software services are highly limited. Therefore, for the purpose of efficiency and premium service, you should consider opting for a paid software that is well suitable for whatever purpose you will use the software for.
- Accuracy. Transcription software does not have a 100% accuracy rate and the best audio transcription software you can find only has 90% accuracy. Also, factors such as machine learning models, quality of the recording, the volume of microphone used and the accent of the speaker will determine how accurate a transcription software will be. Therefore, it is important to check out the percentage of accuracy before opting for transcription software.
- Speed.The significant difference between manual transcription and software transcription is the time spent transcribing a video/audio file. Although the conversion time for a software varies, there is still a significant time difference in manual transcription compared to machine transcription. Note that the larger the file, the longer the transcription time. So, you want to check out the maximum transcription time of the software before you subscribe to it.
- Security.Cyber security and data protection is now a big deal in the world and individuals and corporation take cognizance of information shared online since the evolution into the virtual world. In selecting the best transcription software that is suitable for your need, the data privacy cum security policies/regulations should be well studied.
- Optimization. What makes people choose one software application over the other is its optimization. The additional features that come with it and the easy user interface experience. Some transcription software allows you to add extra vocabulary to the already existing dictionary while others allow you to transcribe in as many languages as you want. However, note that the higher the feature, the more likely costly it would be.
- Usability. A good App is mostly determined by a good user experience. For ease of use, you should select your transcription software based on its usability. The best question to ask in this case is Can I use this software effectively without reading the how-to-use guide. Good user experience goes a long in easing user experiences due to the navigable website interface.
Trint
Trint is a cloud-based audio transcription platform that automatically transcribes audio and video files into text. It features an automated transcription engine that can process audio and video files in over 30 languages and accents.
Trint uses AI and speech-to-text technology to accurately transcribe audio and video files in minutes. It also offers a range of editing and collaboration tools to help users quickly review and edit their transcripts.
In adittion, Trint integrates with popular file-sharing and media streaming services, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and YouTube, to make it easier to share and collaborate on transcripts.
Features
- Automated Audio Transcription: Trint’s proprietary speech-to-text engine quickly and accurately transcribes audio and video files into text.
- Editing Tools: Trint’s intuitive editing tools make it easy to review, edit, and enhance transcriptions.
- Customizable Templates: Create custom templates to save time and increase accuracy.
- Multi-language Support: Trint supports 30+ languages and dialects, including English, Spanish, French, and Chinese.
- Searchable Audio: Easily search and find audio content within a transcription.
Pricing
- Starter: If paid annually, this plan costs $44/user/month, however if paid monthly, it costs $55/user/month.
- Advanced: If paid annually, this plan costs $52/user/month, however if paid monthly, it costs $65/user/month.
- Enterprise: This is a custom plan. Kindly contact Trint’s support for enquiries.
Temi
Temi is a one-service type transcription software. It accepts all kinds of video/audio files. It does not charge extra service charges and it is one of the best and most affordable software you can find on the market.
It has a great turnaround time and does not need you to record your card details before you can use the free trial version which means that you can always cancel your free trial subscription without worrying about an indiscriminate automatic subscription when the free trial time has been exhausted.
This shows how many options Temi offers her users and leaves them with the choice to either go along with staying with the software or leave. Temi has an IOS and Android version that can be used anywhere.
Features
- Has tools that can help you skip around easily
- It has an adjustable playback speed option
- It has a mobile App which means you can use it on your phone
- It is more affordable compared to Rev’s price
- To produce an accurate Transcript, Audio or video file sound uploaded on Temi have to be very clear
- Temi offers just one type of transcription option
- It has a 45 minutes free trial option.
- It has a timestamp and automatically separates paragraphs each time the speaker changes
- Delivery time for all files is one quarter the length of the file uploaded
- It accepts all kinds of audio/video file
- 90/95% transcript accuracy rate.
- No credit card is required for a free trial with access to all features
- Great web interface.
Pricing
Since Temi offers only online software transcription services, there is only one pricing system according to the services being offered.
- Temi cost $0.25 per minute of usage with no additional charges.
Sonix
Sonix is a team-focused transcription software. One outstanding feature of Sonix is that it allows access to more than one person which means that it gives multiuser permission. The need for an Integrated workflow cannot be over-emphasized as it helps to stay organized and reduces the fatigue of switching from one software to the other.
With Sonix, you do not have to worry about switching as it is integrated with software like zoom video conferencing, Adobe premiere, Gmail, Dropbox, and Microsoft team to mention a few.
In addition, with Sonix, you can decide to share your transcript on the media player and automatically cut out a clip from your video to share on other popular social media platforms. Call Sonix jack of all trades in the industry because you can choose to transcribe your file in about 35 languages according to your personal preference.
Features
- It provides integration for many in-demand applications with Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Team.
- With Sonix, you can transcribe in over 35 languages. Language is not a barrier.
- It accommodates team usage. Two or more persons can work on the same transcript together.
- 30 minutes free transcription service available for first-time users
- Has an In-browser editor that allows you to search, play, edit, organize, and share your transcripts from anywhere on any device.
- Has automated subtitle feature
- Embedded with multi-layer security/data protection and has 2FA for more security purposes
- You can organise your transcript according to your preference in different folders. That is top-level amazing!
Pricing
With Sonix, you are sure to get more than the value for your money so worry not about not getting value for your money.
Sonix has three payment methods:
- Standard/pay as you go plan. This payment method is designed for project-based user and users who do not make use of transcription services every day. It cost just $10 per hour of subscription to use this service which is relatively cheap considering all the incredible features available for users. Compared to other softwares on the market, Sonix is a king in the fast growing transcription service industry.
- Premium subscription. This plan comes with more collaboration tools so, if you want to grant grant access to your team while also having access to amazing features, this plan is best for you. This plan costs $5/hour and an additional $22 per user/month. If you opt for annual billing, you get to save 25% of the annual bill.
- Entreprise Subscription. This is for entreprises that rely heavily on transcription software. This plan allows high-volume transcription with advanced user control and billing option. To get the prize for this, sonix requires enterprises to contact their support team for further enquiry.
Descript
Descript is a whole new revolutionary software in this industry. You can perform all kinds of editing actions that any video editing app/software provides. From editing video, to editing audio, to adding subtitles to any file, you can find all these on Descript.
Descript has a simple but sophisticated user interface. With a high integration level with other software, Descript allows you to dub your voice in recording audio which is a pretty fantastic addition to this industry. Imagine turning a text into audio in your voice without you actually recording it yourself.
The Overdub feature helps you to create text to speech files in your voice or select from thousands of ultra-realistic stock voices available on the software. With Descript, you can edit your podcast, video, audio, and Overdub and remove filler words from files to avoid too much need for editing in your transcript.
Features
- Descript uses lyrebird AI to achieve the state of the Art in voice synthesis
- Create multiple choices to adapt to the tone and setting of the performance
- Allows multi-user collaboration
- With the overdub features, a trusted third-party collaborator can generate audio using your voice
- Allows sharing of files on social media and other sharing platforms
- Many subscription plan options
- Descript is team-centric software
- Screen recording and editing feature.
Pricing
This software has 4 subscription plans; Free, Creator, Pro, and Entreprise Custom plans.
- Free plan. This plan cost $0 with more than three features that come with it. It comes with 3 hours of transcription, which is much compared to other software in the market. During the free 3 hours of transcription time, you can transcribe as many files as you wish. It is unlimited. This free plan also gives access to video and audio editing. You can Over dub your voice with standard studio sound effects.
- Creator Plan. This plan costs $12/editor per month and the plan contains all features in the free plan plus 10 hours of transcription/month. Here, you can download your edited video which will be free of the watermark. The most outstanding feature here is that other members of your team can screen records freely without having to pay. Only the editor gets to pay for the whole team member. So, if you are looking for a plan to subscribe to with your teammates, this might just be a suitable plan for you.
- Pro Plan. This plan cost $24/editor per month. It has all the features of the creator plan plus 30hrs transcription time per month. It comes with unlimited overdub access and eliminates all filler words in between conversations .it has a high audiogram pro. You can publish your content, batch file export and also custom drive and page branding.
- Enterprise Custom.This plan is specially designed for companies. It allows 10 consecutives user with a sigle sign on. It has everything in the Pro plan plus a 10+ users team although with a dedicated account representative. Overdub enterprise. There is a need for Descript service agreement to be signed, invoicing record, security review for data security purpose and finally Onboarding & training session for all the team members. To know the cost of the Enterprise custom subscription, you have to contact the team at descript for further information.
Asides these four subscription plans, there is an extra all team members Plan in which only the editors pay. This plan does not have a limit on the number of collaborators. You can have as many team mates on this account.
All it will require of you is pay $4.80 per member of the team. It is important to note that this plan session is of two types; the pro and creator type and each plan is priced based on whether it is an annual plan or a monthly plan. Visit Descript website for more information on this plan.
Otter
Otter is an all-class transcription software with considerable reasonable subscription plans. It has plans for different classes in society. The developer is applaudable for many reasons like including student and Academic plans. This is a clue if you are a student or an Academic looking for a subsidized transcription software.
It is available on all platforms you work on be it IOS, android or web. Otter has a centralised payment system for team/collaborator accounts. It has many beautiful revolutionary features like audio playback and syncing your video and audio. You can also capture your zoom or google meet call on this App.
Feature
- Different subscription plan for different user
- Subsidized plan for Student/Faculty and Academic
- A centralised payment system
- Allows for collaboration
- You can sync your zoom and google meet meeting to have a written transcript of the meeting.
- It summarizes the meeting transcript to have a succinct output upon request
- You can insert images in your written transcript
- Speaker labelling for easy identification.
- It allows for annotation like highlighting text and comments in case of team usage
- You can download any version of the software.
- 2FA availability for security purposes
- Single sign-on for multiple users
- Share any of your files on any platform
- Easy file search
- Otter learns your vocabulary and allows you to add new vocabulary to your dictionary.
Pricing
- Basic. This plan cost $0 for usage and it is for individuals just getting started. In this plan, users have free access to record and transcribe live files.
- Pro. This plan is for individuals who need more minutes of transcription with amazing features and it costs just $12.99 monthly. The plan comes with all the features in basic including some extra features.
- Business. This plan comes with the best value for your money. It costs $30/month and all features available in the pro plan are available here too with extra amazing features. If you are a small organisation that need to share and collaborate with your team member, this plan is your best bet.
- Entreprise.This plan is especially designed for large organisations with a need for additional support, control and security. Just like every other transcription software mentioned in this article, to know the price, contact the support team at otter.
Final Thought
Every aspect of technology generally is designed to make human life easier and Transcription software is not an exception to that. The energy that will be conserved, the efficiency in operation and the costly time that will be saved are enough reason to ditch all other methods of note taking and fully embrace transcription software.
We have taken our time to take you through the best of it on the market and streamline the many products that you will be faced with when trying to opt for a transcription service. Per our findings, Rev is our favorite because the platform also provides for human transcription services and its high accuracy rate.
We hope that our top list makes your life easier as it has been designed to.
I help businesses increase revenue with data-driven content marketing strategies that engages their audience. Looks like what you want? Let’s talk.