7 Top Speech-to-Text Transcription Tools

Find the best video conferencing tools, both free and paid. Compare features, pricing, and usability to enhance your meetings.
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Key Takeaways

Speech to text software helps you automatically convert audio and video files into electronic text.

And you can create transcripts for a ton of online content — podcasts, videos, online courses, or even meetings and web conferences.

Most of these transcription tools rely on artificial intelligence technologies like machine learning and natural language processing to transcribe audio into text.

The problem is that with so many options, it's hard to choose the right transcription software.

That's why, in this guide, I've ranked and reviewed the best speech to text software to use based on accuracy, quality, price, features, and more.

Let's get to the list.

What is the best transcription software?

Here is my selection of the best transcription software on the market.

1. Trint.

Trint Homepage

Trint is an online audio transcription and editing platform that does not require software installation, suitable for Mac and Windows users.

It uses AI-based algorithms to transcribe audio and video files accurately and quickly, supporting multiple English languages and dialects.

Features

  • Fast and accurate transcription of audio to text.
  • Editing tools to refine transcripts.
  • iPhone application for mobile use.
  • Support for various file formats.
  • Easy sharing of transcripts.

Pricing

  • Starter Plan: $48/month for 84 annual transcripts.
  • Advanced Plan: $60/month for unlimited transcripts.
  • Pro Plan: $68/month, including collaborative editing features.
  • Pro Team Plan: $68/user/month for teams, with shared workspaces.
  • Enterprise Plan: Customized pricing for advanced security and reporting features.
Trint Pricing Page

Trint stands out for its accessibility and ease of use, offering a reliable solution for high-quality transcriptions.

SEE MORE >> For more information, visit the site of Trint.

2. Rev.com.

Rev transcription


Rev.com is a professional transcription, subtitling and translation service, mainly for audio or video files in English. Rev.com features include:

Features

  • Accurate transcription (over 99%) by professionals.
  • Managing recordings with background noise or accents.
  • Editing and modifying transcripts via an editable document.
  • Standard and express delivery options.
  • API integrations, Zapier, and other video platforms.
  • Subtitling in English and in several foreign languages.
  • Voice recognition for fast automatic transcriptions.

Pricing

  • Manual transcript: $1.25/minute.
  • Machine-generated draft: $0.25/minute.
  • English subtitles: $1.25/minute.
  • Foreign subtitles: $3-7/minute.

Rev.com stands out for its precision, flexibility, and ability to manage complex audio files. However, it should be noted that the service is limited to English audio files.

For more information, visit the site of Rev.com.

3. Transcribe.

Transcribe Homepage


Transcribe is a privacy-focused transcription tool that automatically converts audio files to text. It has an advanced audio player for efficient and accurate transcription. Transcribe is ideal for professionals looking for a private and reliable transcription solution.

Features

  • Automatic conversion of audio to text.
  • Subtitling for videos.
  • Exporting transcripts in WebVTT or SRT formats.
  • Support for transcription pedals.
  • Offline operation.
  • High security and privacy.

Pricing

Transcribe Pricing Page
  • Self-enrollment: $20/year.
  • Automatic transcription: $20/year + $6/hour of audio.

Transcribe is distinguished by its combination of manual and automatic transcription features, offering great flexibility of use.

For more information, visit the site of Transcribe.

4. Descript.

Descript Homepage

Descript is an all-in-one platform for audio/video transcription, screen recording, and editing, enriched with AI-powered copywriting tools. It simplifies transcription by converting audio into editable text, and offers features such as Overdub, removing fills, and adding subtitles. Descript facilitates team collaboration thanks to its online sharing and editing tools.

Features

  • Automatic and fast transcription.
  • Professional manual transcription services.
  • Collaborative online editing features.
  • Strengthened data security.
  • Support for multiple file formats.
  • Multitrack transcription and creation of audiograms.

Pricing

  • Free plan: $0/month, limited to 3 hours of transcription.
  • Creator Plan: $12/editor/month, with 10 hours of transcription/month.
  • Pro plan: $24/editor/month, including Overdub and 30 hours of transcription/month.
  • Business Plan: Customized rates, with advanced functions and account manager.
Descript Pricing Page

Descript is ideal for projects that require accurate and collaborative transcription, with cutting-edge tools for a smooth user experience.

For more details, check out their site Descript.

5. Express Scribe.

Express Scribe Homepage

Express Scribe is a fast and free audio transcription software that is compatible with Windows and Mac. It integrates A text editor for editing transcribed text and works with Microsoft Word and USB transcription pedals. It supports various audio and video file formats and offers features such as variable playback speed, file management, and encrypted file support.

Features

  • Variable read speeds.
  • Automatic file management.
  • Multi-channel support.
  • Encrypted file compatibility.
  • Integration with voice recorders.

Pricing

  • Free: Basic version available for free.
  • Pro: Starting at $39.95 for extended features.
Express Scribe Pricing Page

Express Scribe is a solid choice for fast and reliable transcriptions, suitable for professional or casual users.

More information is available on their site Express Scribe.

6. Enroll.

Inqscribe Homepage


InqScribe is a simple and intuitive transcription tool that is ideal for beginners and professionals. This cross-platform software works with most common audio and video formats, providing an accessible and convenient user experience.

Features

  • User friendly interface, making it easy to read and transcribe audio/video files.
  • Compatible with QuickTime and Windows Media Player
  • Reading files from external storage sources.
  • Keyboard-based controls without the need for a mouse.
  • Compatible with USB pedals for easier transcription.
  • Treble lock function for optimal audio quality.
  • Easily share and export transcripts.
  • Support for multiple languages and export formats.
  • Fully compatible with Unicode.

Pricing

  • Free download with limited features.
  • $99 individual license for full access to features.
  • Discounts available for bulk purchases (5 licenses or more).
  • Special rates for academic institutions, non-profit organizations, and students.
Inqscribe Pricing Page

InqScribe offers a versatile transcription solution, combining ease of use and powerful features. Its user-friendly approach makes it suitable for both beginners and transcription professionals.

More information is available on their site InqScribe

7. Otter.

Otter Homepage

Otter is an online transcription platform for iOS and Android, offering real-time audio transcription with Ambient Voice Intelligence technology. It allows the recording, editing, and sharing of transcripts, as well as the identification of speakers.

Features

  • Real-time audio recording and transcription.
  • Searchable and AI-enhanced transcripts.
  • Suitable for businesses and individuals
  • Dictation functions for academic use.
  • Easy collaboration, compatible with tools like Zoom.

Pricing

  • Basic plan (free) : 600 minutes of transcription per month, basic functionalities.
  • Pro Plan ($8.33/month) : 6000 minutes, personalized vocabulary, advanced import/export options.
  • Business Plan ($20/user/month) : 6000 minutes per user, advanced features, centralized billing.
Otter Pricing Page

Otter stands out for its advanced speech recognition technology and its ease of integration with other remote work tools.

More information is available on their site Otter

What is transcription software?

Speech to text software (or audio to text transcribers) refers to tools that allow users to convert audio tracks into digital text. There are a large number of automatic transcription tools on the market, with varying levels of accuracy.

Some transcription services include human transcribers in the process in order to increase the accuracy of the transcribed text. However, choosing the best Speech to Text software isn't just about accuracy, as I'll explain in the next section.

How do I choose the best Speech-to-Text conversion software?

As I mentioned before, choosing the best transcription software depends on a variety of factors. In the next section, I will briefly discuss each of these.

1. Precision

This is the first and most important aspect to consider when choosing transcription software. Usually, most AI-based automatic transcription tools can achieve accuracy levels of up to 90%, while human transcribers have accuracy rate of nearly 99%.

When choosing transcription software, I recommend using the free trial version to test the accuracy of the tool. Are the transcripts he produces free of grammatical errors? Are there gaps in punctuation? Words that are not the right ones? These are some of the aspects that you should take into consideration.

2. Specifications

After precision, the functionalities available play the most decisive role. Features such as subtitling, editing available in the browser, and the insertion of a custom timestamp are some of the most important.

If you're a business looking for a transcription tool that allows you to create marketing videos with subtitles, make sure the tool of your choice has collaboration features. These features can help streamline workflows and increase efficiency.

3. Execution times

Turnaround time refers to the time it takes for Speech to Text software to return completed transcripts. Speech to text software is fast, with turnaround times of a few minutes. However, you may have to sacrifice accuracy.

If you need close to 100% accuracy, opt for transcription services assisted by real humans (HITL). These services often have turnaround times of a week or more. You will therefore have to find a compromise between precision and delivery time.

4. Pricing

Budget is always a factor to consider when choosing a service, and speech-to-text tools are no exception. As you have already seen, most services come with multi-level pricing, differentiated according to the features you need.

While larger businesses can opt for customized plans, smaller players and individual content creators can opt for scalable payments. Most speech to text software comes with free or trial versions that you can use to test their accuracy.

5. Background noise cleaning

Not every audio or video file that you need to transcribe has clear audio. There may be background noise, extraneous noise, or other disturbances such as filling noises or accents. Your transcription software should be able to clean up all of this and provide clear transcripts.

Some software offers multi-lingual support and works with all available file formats. The exact choice should be determined by your requirements and the type of audio you are working with.

6. Privacy

If you use online Speech to Text software to transcribe sensitive audio, such as meetings/discussions, be sure to always check the service's privacy policy. For sensitive data, you can also ask for a non-disclosure agreement.

FAQs

What is the purpose of a speech-to-text transcriber?

Speech to text conversion is speech recognition software that makes it possible to recognize and translate spoken language into text using computer linguistics. It is also known as speech recognition or computer-aided speech recognition.

What is a speech-to-text transcriber?

A speech-to-text transcriber is a type of technology that reads digital text out loud. It is now also available in some stories on Wattpad ! Using text-to-speech technology, they made these stories available in audio so that more people could enjoy their favorite story however they saw fit. This service is available on a trial basis for a limited time and is subject to change.

Can speech be converted to text?

Speech-to-text makes it easy to integrate speech recognition technologies into developer applications. Speech-to-text, also known as speech recognition, allows real-time transcription of audio streams into text.

Summary.

The advancement of AI and machine learning has boosted the speech-to-text software industry. Experts expect the sector to grow at a CAGR of 6.1% between 2020 and 2027.

If you are looking for the best transcription software, here are the top choices available to you:

  • Transcribe : The best for professional transcriptionists
  • Trint : Best for Mac users
  • Descript : The best for collaborative audio/video editing
  • Express Scribe : The best solution for fast transcription jobs
  • Enroll : The best for ease of use
  • Otter : The best for real-time transcription
  • Sonix : The best for podcasters

Whatever your transcription needs are, I'm sure you'll find a good option in the list above.

Further reading: AI isn't just about transcripts.

Many businesses use AI chatbots to facilitate customer support. This allows customers to get the answers they are looking for in a timely manner.

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