Below is a collection of some of the best audio recording apps for teachers and students. Using these apps, students will be able to record lectures, webinars, interviews, audio memos, collaborate on editing audio recordings and many more. Some of these apps also provide audio transcription services allowing students to convert audio to editable text thus making audio recordings accessible to all types of learners.
1. Voice Memos
Voice Memos by Apple is my favourite in this list. It is free and offers all the features you need to turn your mobile device into a powerful audio recorder. Using your device's in-built microphone or a compatible external microphone, Voice Memos lets you initiate your recordings on the go. The app's editor allows you to trim parts you don't like and customize your recording the way you want. And since Voice Memo belongs to Apple it means that it offers direct access to iCloud allowing you to seamlessly sync your recordings across different devices.
Other interesting features provided by Voice Memos include: the ability to pinch and zoom for more precision while editing, replace and resume to fine-tune recordings, search functionality to help you easily find your recordings, organize recordings into folders for easy access, automatically name recordings based on your location, share numerous recordings through Mail, Messages, AirDrop, and many more.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad / Price: Free / Age: 4+
2. Voice Recorder & Audio Editor
Voice Recorder & Audio Editor is another good audio recording app that enables you to record as long as you want. You can add notes to your recordings and generate text transcriptions. You can trim and edit your recordings and once they are ready you can upload them to iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive and more.
Other interesting features provided by Voice Recorder include the ability to change playback speed, loop recordings, support for multiple audio formats, skip backwards/forwards 15 seconds, protect recordings with a passcode, and more. The app also supports call recording (both incoming and outgoing).
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android / Price: Free, offers in-app purchases / Age: 9+
3. Dictaphone - Audio Recorder
Dictaphone is an audio recording app that helps you record your lectures, interviews, memos, and more. It offers a wide variety of features including: external mic support, unlimited audio recording length, background sound recording and playback for memos, organize audio recordings (e.g., by name, duration, size, creation date, type, etc), external and bluetooth support, pauses automatically with incoming calls, sync recordings with iCloud, audio editing (e.g., append, trim, cut, overwrite, insert, combine recordings), upload recordings to third party applications (e.g., Dropbox, SoundCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive, SharePoint, YouTube, Box, etc), and more.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android / Price: Free, offers in-app purchases / Age: 4+
4. Rev Voice Recorder & Memos
Rev Voice Recorder & Memos is a voice recording app that lets you create unlimited voice recordings which you can save directly to third party applications such as Google Drive, iCloud Drive, Evernote, Dropbox, and more. Besides voice recording, Rev also lets you order transcripts which can be generated either through professional typists or through the in-buil AI technology. You get to make the choice.
Other helpful features provided by Rev voice Recorder include: record in the background while using phone, the app pauses automatically when you have incoming calls, import recordings from other apps to Rev, search recordings by name, trim recordings, and many more.
5. Otter
Otter is one of my favourite audio transcription apps. It allows you to record and transcribe in real-time. Some of the features it offers include: live captioning, input audio through built-in mic or Bluetooth device, generate word clouds and summary keywords from transcripts, create groups and invite members to view and edit recordings, playback at adjustable speeds, edit transcribed text for errors, import audio and video files, upload from other call recording apps, export as PDF, TXT, SRT, MP3, and many more.
6. Easy Voice Recorder
Easy Voice Recorder is another useful audio recording app that offers numerous features such as record in high-quality to PCM, MP4 or AAC, save recordings to iCloud Drive, convert recordings to text with transcription, cut and trim recordings, share recordings and transcriptions through email, start recording using home Screen widgets, and many more.
