Is there a free app that will transcribe audio?

Audio transcription is the process of converting spoken audio into written text. There are many reasons why someone may want to transcribe audio recordings into text:

To create written records and transcripts of meetings, interviews, speeches, lectures, podcasts, etc.
To enable searching, quoting, sharing, and analysing spoken content

To make audio content more accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing
For researchers who want to study verbal speech patterns and content
For journalists and bloggers who want quotes and excerpts from audio interviews

For students and others who want to extract key information from online lectures and lessons

The written transcripts make it easier to search, edit, store, and share the content from audio files. Transcription opens up possibilities for repurposing audio into new formats. Overall, transcription automates the process of unlocking the value in spoken audio content.

Benefits of Transcription Apps

Using a transcription app can save significant time compared to transcribing audio recordings manually. Transcribing audio is a tedious and time-consuming process, especially for long recordings. With a quality transcription app, you can have your audio files transcribed automatically through speech recognition technology. This frees you from having to painstakingly listen and type every word yourself.

According to The key advantages of audio transcription, “Transcription is a great time saver as it allows you to get high-quality written documents without having to spend hours listening to audio and typing it all out yourself.” Rather than getting bogged down doing manual transcription, you can use that time for other important tasks.

Transcription apps also help you avoid potential transcription errors from fatigue or mishearing words. The automated transcription process is consistent and doesn’t get tired like a human listener. This results in greater accuracy, especially for long recordings. Overall, transcription apps like Otter.ai and Google Live Transcribe can save many hours compared to transcribing your audio manually.

Popular Free Transcription Apps

There are several great free transcription apps available to help you easily transcribe audio. Top options include:

Otter Transcription App (https://otter.ai/) – Otter is one of the most popular free transcription apps. It can transcribe meetings, interviews, lectures, and other audio in real-time. Otter offers 600 minutes of free transcription per month.

Google Live Transcribe App (https://www.android.com/accessibility/live-transcribe/) – Live Transcribe is a free transcription app by Google available for Android. It transcribes speech to text in real-time and supports over 70 languages.

Other top free options include InqScribe (https://www.inqscribe.com/), oTranscribe (https://otranscribe.com/), and Audacity (https://www.audacityteam.org/). Most provide limited free transcription minutes per month before requiring a paid subscription for full use.

Otter Transcription App

Otter Transcription is one of the most popular free transcription apps available. It can record and transcribe conversations in real-time or upload pre-recorded audio or video files for transcription. Some key features of Otter include:

Real-time transcription – Otter can transcribe conversations as you speak and display the text on screen.
Import audio or video – You can also upload pre-recorded files up to 40 minutes for Otter to transcribe.

Collaboration – Multiple people can use Otter together to transcribe meetings or interviews.
Editing and exporting – Once transcribed, you can edit the text, export it, and share it.

Pros of Otter include high accuracy, even with multiple speakers, and easy collaboration. The editing features allow you to correct any transcription errors easily. Otter also integrates with services like Zoom, Google Meet, and Dropbox (Source).

Cons are that the free version limits uploads to 40 minutes. The app can sometimes miss specialized vocabulary. Reviews also note some minor bugs, but overall the app receives high praise (Source).

Google Live Transcribe App

Google Live Transcribe is a free transcription app developed by Google for Android devices. It provides real-time transcription of speech into text, allowing users who are deaf or hard of hearing to follow conversations and audio more easily. Some key features of Google Live Transcribe include:

Real-time transcription – Translates speech into text with only a couple seconds of delay

Supports over 70 languages – Works across a wide variety of languages and accents
Customizable text size and color – Makes the transcript easy to read by adjusting text display
Notification vibrations – Alerts user when speech is detected even if app is in the background

Offline mode – Transcribes speech without an internet connection
Privacy controls – Does not store transcripts by default and allows transcript deletion

In reviews, users praise Google Live Transcribe for its quick and accurate speech recognition, as well as the ability to work offline (Source). The transcript lags slightly behind the actual speech, but overall provides a helpful aid for those with hearing impairments. One downside is that it is currently only available on Android devices.

Comparison of Top Free Apps

When looking at the top free transcription apps, there are a few key features to compare:

Accuracy – Some apps like Otter use advanced AI to deliver up to 99% accuracy in ideal conditions. Others like Google Live Transcribe may have more errors.

Speed – Apps that offer real-time transcription like Otter and Live Transcribe are the fastest. Apps that require uploading audio can take much longer to transcribe.

Supported languages – Apps like Otter support English plus other major languages like Spanish and Mandarin. Others may have less language support.

Audio sources – Apps like Otter work with audio recordings, phone calls, Zoom meetings, and live speech. Others may be more limited in input sources.

Formatting – Otter provides advanced formatting with speaker separation and auto-punctuation. Basic apps just transcribe the raw text.

Editing features – Some apps allow editing the transcript, deleting sections, adding notes. Others provide transcription only.

Additional features – Top apps like Otter provide organization features like search, bookmarks, sharing options, etc. Basic apps have fewer extras.

When choosing the best free transcription app, it’s worth comparing the features to find one that fits your specific transcription needs.

Limitations of Free Apps

While free transcription apps provide a convenient and accessible option, they come with some key limitations to be aware of. The main drawbacks of free transcription apps compared to paid services are:

Lower accuracy – Free apps rely heavily on automatic speech recognition, which struggles with accents, mumbling, and background noise. Paid human transcription can be significantly more accurate. One study found the error rate for professional human transcription was only 5%, vs. 30% for automatic services [1].

Limited features – Free apps lack advanced features like speaker identification, time-stamping, and team collaboration offered by paid solutions. They also cannot handle specialized audio like interviews or focus groups.

File size limits – Many free apps restrict uploads to 1 hour or less per month. Paid services allow larger file uploads with unlimited transcription minutes. For example, Otter’s free plan limits you to 300 minutes per month [2].

Delayed turnaround – Free automated services can take hours to process files, while paid human transcription is typically returned within a business day.

No human review – Free apps entirely rely on algorithms, while paid services combine automation with human checks for quality control.

As such, free transcription apps work well for short, simple audio recordings, but may lack the speed, accuracy and features needed for professional use.

Paid Transcription Services

While free apps utilizing AI transcription can provide a decent transcription, for more accurate results it’s recommended to use a paid human transcription service. The human element allows for higher accuracy, fewer mistakes, and the ability to understand context and meaning behind the audio content.

According to research, human transcription is generally around 98-99% accurate, while AI transcription accuracy can vary but often falls in the 80-95% range (Source). For professional, high quality transcriptions, paid human services are the best option.

Some top paid transcription services to consider include:

Rev – Offers fast turnaround with 99% accuracy starting at $1.25/minute
TranscribeMe – Claims over 99% accuracy with rates from $0.79/minute

GoTranscript – More budget friendly at $0.80/minute but slightly lower accuracy

Most services allow you to order a la carte transcriptions or subscribe for bulk discounts. Overall, paid services provide the highest accuracy and are recommended for professional, interview, or academic transcription needs.

Recommendation

For most users looking for a free transcription app, Otter is likely the best option. Here’s why Otter stands out from other free transcription apps:

Otter provides free transcriptions up to 40 minutes per month, which is likely sufficient for many basic users.
The transcription accuracy is quite good, often 95% or higher.
You can easily edit and share the Otter transcripts.

Otter works across iOS, Android, and the web.
It has handy features like importing/syncing recordings, keyboard shortcuts, and cloud backups.

While Google Live Transcribe also performs well, it lacks a few advantages of Otter like cloud backups and full transcript editing. For most casual transcription needs, Otter delivers excellent quality for a free app.

Of course, for frequent or professional transcribing, paid services like TranscribeMe and Rev may provide more features, accuracy, and faster turnaround. But Otter hits the sweet spot of good enough transcription abilities without any costs.

Conclusion

In summary, there are several free transcription apps available that can provide helpful transcription services at no cost. Apps like Otter and Google Live Transcribe allow you to easily transcribe audio recordings and live speech into text. While free apps have limitations in accuracy and advanced features compared to paid services, they can be extremely useful for basic transcription needs.

When choosing a free transcription app, consider your use case and accuracy requirements. Otter provides robust capabilities like importing/exporting transcripts, but Google Live Transcribe may be easier to use for live speech. Also keep in mind that transcription accuracy can vary based on audio quality, speaker accents, background noise, etc. While free apps have gotten quite good, there are still limitations compared to human transcription.

In conclusion, free transcription apps are definitely worth exploring if you need to transcribe audio files or conversations. They provide an easy and accessible option for basic transcription needs, just be aware of their limitations compared to paid services. With the right expectations, these free apps can save you time and effort.