In this post I share with you a collection of some of the best audio transcription apps that you and your students can use to easily convert audio recordings to text. These speech to text apps offer a wide range of features that are especially ideal for us in education. Students can use them to record lectures and voice memos and have them automatically transcribed within minutes. Some of these apps even offer real-time transcription. Transcribed text can be edited for accuracy and be shared with others via email or uploaded to other apps.
Audio transcription apps can be used by ESL students to expand their vocabulary and learn English language as it is spoken in context. Students who are deaf or hard of hearing will also find these speech to text apps very helpful. Additionally, those of you who can not stand going through voice memos to remember what is being said or those of you who prefer to read notes instead of listening to recorded audio, these transcription apps are definitely a life-saver.
1. Otter
Otter is my favourite audio transcription app in this list. Otter allows you to easily record and transcribe meeting notes, conversations, lectures, videos, podcasts, webinars, keynotes and interviews in real-time. Otter's AI capabilities make it an ideal tool for staying focused in meetings while the app takes care of capturing and transcribing data. Otter also offers live captioning functionality which is especially helpful for ESL students and for individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
With audio transcription you are able to search through text without having to listen to the whole audio. You can also follow along the highlighted sections and tap on any word to skip audio to that specific spot. You can edit text to correct errors and once your transcription is ready you can then export it as PDF, TXT, SRT, or MP3.
Otter is perfect for promoting collaborative team work. It enables you to create groups and invite collaborators to join. Members of the group can view, edit, highlight, and collaborate in real time. Highlights are automatically captured into the Takeaways panel where you can add notes, comments and assign action items.
Other interesting features provided by Otter include: widget and shortcut to facilitate quick recording, real-time transcription with high accuracy, the ability to highlight main points for later reference, input audio through integrated microphone or Bluetooth, annotate transcriptions, generate word clouds, import audio and video files, sync your Zoom account to transcribe cloud recordings, upload audio from other recording apps, and many more.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android / Price: Free, offers in-app purchases / Age: 4+
2. Rev Voice Recorder and Memos
Rev Voice Recorder is another good audio transcription app that allows you to easily record your memos and lectures and have them transcribed either through professional typists or through the app's AI. You can also import recordings from other apps and trim them to keep your desired parts then order automated transcripts right from Rev Voice app. Your transcriptions are delivered to you within the app or via email.
Other interesting features provided by Rev Voice Recorder include: free voice recording function, record in the background while using other apps, share recordings with others, edit your recordings the way you want, back up your recording through direct syncing with Dropbox, Google Drive, or iCloud Drive, and many more.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android / Price: Free, offers in-app purchases / Age: 4+
3. Transcribe-Speech to Text
Transcribe, as its name indicates, enables you to transcribe videos and voice memos into text. Transcribe supports over 100 languages and dialects and your finished transcripts can be exported to PDF, TXT, DOCX, or SRT files. You can also import audio files directly from Dropbox or other apps and let Transcribe' s AI technology convert them into text.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android alternative / Price: Free, offers in-app purchases / Age: 4+
4. Voice to Text Pro
Voice to Text Pro lets you convert any audio to text. The app can transcribe your speech in real time. Just speak and your voice is automatically converted into text. You can also convert external files and copy transcriptions to your clipboard to share with others or to other apps you use.
Other features provided by Voice to Text Pro include: supports numerous languages, customize your dictionary to render better and accurate transcription, create new notes and append text to existing ones, sync your notes across different devices, and many more.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad / Price: Free, offers in-app purchases / Age: 4+
5. Easy Voice Recorder
Easy Voice Recorder allows you to convert your recordings to text with transcription. You can record your meetings, lectures, personal notes, songs, etc, to MP4 or AAC and save them to your device or your iCloud Drive. You can then transcribe your recordings and share the transcription with others via email.
Compatibility: iPhone/iPad and Android / Price: Free, offers in-app purchases / Age: 4+
