15 Best Transcription Software & Services for Audio & Video to Text (2023 Rankings)

Whether it’s for educational purposes, journalism, interviews, or podcasts for your YouTube channel, transcription software can make your life a whole lot easier by quickly converting your audio and video files into text!

As a longtime instructional designer and eLearning professional, I can tell you that transcription software in education and eLearning offers a range of applications that enhance the learning experience. It can be used to transcribe lectures and educational videos, to create searchable text databases of lectures and resources, and to generate subtitles for video content, further enhancing accessibility and comprehension.

Of course, there’s no shortage of transcription software and services available today. Each option has its own advantages and drawbacks, so you need to do your research to find the best choice for your needs. That’s why I’ve reviewed and ranked the best transcription software platforms and services available based on a variety of key factors, including accuracy, turnaround times, cost, capabilities, and feedback from real customers (click here to learn about our entire Editorial Process & Methodology for these reviews).

What are the Best Transcription Software Programs?

Here are my picks for the top audio and video transcription programs available today:

• Trint
• Otter
• EaseText
• EaseUS
• Notta
• Rev.com
• Sonix
• Audext
• Transcribe by Wreally
• Express Scribe
• Descript
• Inqscribe
• Maestra
• oTranscribe
• Happyscribe

1. Editor’s Choice: Trint

Trint is an AI-based audio and video transcription software that uses sophisticated technologies to understand human speech and then convert it into text in more than 30 languages

Trint’s mobile app for iOS and Android also allows you to record audio anywhere and transcribe it live, sharing every word with colleagues in real time. The mobile app also seamlessly syncs with the web app so you can review transcripts and collaborate on the go.

Trint can efficiently transcribe audio and video files, interviews, archives, and recorded phone calls. While AI-based transcription is not perfectly accurate, Trint has a very high accuracy rate of up to 99%.

Moreover, Trint also offers the ability to edit and search through the transcripts, and turn key moments into new content with its Story Builder feature.

Top Features & Benefits

• Compatible with Windows, MacOS, and iOS
• Supports more than 30 languages
• Live transcription from mobile or desktop in up to 3 seconds
• Collaborate seamlessly with teams across all plans
• High accuracy – up to 99%
• Built-in Text Editor, Story Builder, and Caption Editor
• No software download required
• Supports most audio and video file formats (.mp3, .mp4, .m4a, .aac, .wma, .avi, .wav, .mov)
• Transcripts can be exported in several formats (.docx, .srt, .vtt, .txt, .stl, .edl, .html, .xml, .csv)
• Custom dictionary – add jargon, people names, brand names, and non-standard spellings
• Comments and Shared Drives for efficient collaboration
• Highlight and Mark text for emphasis
• ISO 27001 certified to ensure your transcripts and sources are never accessed without your permission

Cost

Trint pricing includes options to be billed annually (20% discount) and monthly.

• Starter: small scale transcriptions (up to 7 transcriptions/ month) $48 per month
• Advanced: Unlimited transcriptions, $60 per month
• Enterprise: Ultimate transcription solution for organizations, custom pricing

Click here to check out Trint.

2. Best for Transcribing Meetings: Otter.ai

Otter is a renowned automatic transcription service that uses artificial intelligence technology to transcribe audio to text in real-time.

In addition to a desktop app, it also has its application available to use on iOS and Android which means now you can efficiently transcribe audio with your smart devices and export them.

With Otter, you have the option to either record and transcribe audio in real-time or integrate it with several virtual communication apps such as Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Cisco Webex, and Zoom to import recordings. It is a highly efficient tool both in terms of time and cost.

After your audio has been transcribed in real-time, you can search the document for specific keywords, adjust the playback speed and skip silences to get the gist of a tedious recording.

Powered by Ambient Voice Intelligence, Otter gets smarter with every recording. It lets you train the software to recognize voices and learn context-based language.

They even offer a Basic plan with free transcription software for up to 600 minutes of transcribing per month.

Click here to check out Otter.ai.

Top Features & Benefits

• Real-time transcription from Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Cisco Webex, and Zoom
• Accessible on-the-go, iOS, and Android apps
• Speaker Recognition
• Flexible pricing options
• Efficient Collaboration features
• Ability to feed names and terminology
• Various playback speeds
• Multiple export formats (mp3, txt, pdf, docx, srt)
• Secure (TLS encryption)

Cost

Otter.ai pricing is as follows:

• Individuals
  • Basic: Free, up to 300 minutes per month, and other limited features
  • Pro: $10 per month billed annually or $16.99 monthly, more extensive providing its customers with up to 1200 minutes per month
• Organizations
  • Business: $20 per month billed annually or $40 monthly, allows you to add a greater number of names of team members and other terms
  • Enterprise: suited for large organizations, contact the Sales department for costs

Click here to check out Otter.ai free today.

3. Best Offline Transcription Tool: EaseText

EaseText offers automatic transcription that makes it fast and easy to accurately convert audio and video into text.

This AI-based tool offers real-time transcription and supports a range of audio formats, including MP3 and WAV.

Not only is EaseText incredibly fast, getting you your transcriptions in just seconds, but it’s also very accurate, so you can trust that you’re getting the best final product possible.

Top Features & Benefits

• Real-time transcription of your audio files
• Quickly and easily convert audio into text files and save the transcript file as TXT, DOC, HTML, PDF, etc.
• Supports multiple languages (English, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, and more)
• Offline usage lets you keep your data protected and secure
• Excellent accuracy

Cost

EaseText pricing is very affordable with a few plans to choose from:

• Personal ($2.95/month)–Annual plan for use on 1 PC, no transcription time limit, 24/7 customer support, and free updates for life
• Family ($4.95/month)–Annual plan for use on 3 PCs, no transcription time limit, 24/7 customer support, and free updates for life
• Business ($9.95/month)–Annual plan for use on 10 PCs, no transcription time limit, 24/7 customer support, and free updates for life

Click here to try EaseText free!

4. EaseUS

EaseUS Video Editor is a game-changing software that combines powerful video editing capabilities with efficient transcription functionality. This all-in-one tool revolutionizes the process of transcribing videos or audio recordings into text, making it an essential companion for professionals and enthusiasts alike.

With EaseUS Video Editor, creating captivating videos becomes effortless. Its comprehensive AI-powered video editing features allow users to seamlessly merge, cut, trim, and enhance video clips.

What sets EaseUS Video Editor apart from other programs of its kind is its unparalleled transcription feature. Leveraging advanced speech recognition algorithms, this software accurately transcribes spoken content from videos or audio recordings into highly accurate and readable text. Save valuable time and effort by letting the software handle the tedious task of transcribing lengthy content with remarkable precision.

Top Features & Benefits

• Accurate video-to-text transcription
• Full suite of video editing features
• No video length limit
• Supports all video and audio formats

Cost

EaseUS offers a free trial version of its software with limited features, but the full paid version with all features is regularly only $29.95.

Click here to try EaseUS for free!

5. Best Cost-Effective Online Transcription Software: Notta

Notta is an AI-powered voice-to-text transcription software with a remarkable accuracy of 98.86%. It can efficiently transcribe audio or video files, interviews, podcasts, online meetings, and on-the-go phone call recordings. Turn your audio into a written transcript instantly, streamlining the process for easy editing and reviewing.

Furthermore, Notta offers team alignment capabilities, enabling you to schedule and transcribe Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams meetings with speaker identification and timestamps.

Notta’s mobile app, compatible with iOS, Android, and iPad, empowers you to record and dictate your voice anytime, anywhere. The Notta Chrome Extension facilitates effortless voice recording of on-screen content. Transcriptions seamlessly sync with the Web App, providing you the convenience to review them on the move.

Moreover, Notta goes beyond conventional transcription by effectively summarizing meetings, call recordings, and videos, using its advanced AI summarizer. Shorten your extensive video content into a concise text summary using Notta. Skip the hassle of sifting through hours to locate crucial information.

Top Features & Benefits

• Supports 104 transcription languages
• Supports most audio and video file formats (WAV, MP3, M4A, CAF, AIFF, AVI, RMVB, FLV, MP4, MOV, WMV and WMA)
• Real-time audio recording and transcription for note-taking
• Connect with your Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar to auto-transcribe your events (Notta Bot)
• Real-time transcribe your Zoom/ Google Meet/ Microsoft Teams/ Webex meetings
• Chrome Extension for recording any audio playing on the current tab
• Real-time screen, voice, and webcam recording, followed by instant transcription
• Notta AI Summarizer shortens videos and audio into key points for a quick grasp of content
• Translation capability into 42 languages
• Sync transcription across MacOS, Windows, iPad, iPhone, Android tablets
• Cloud-based application, no download required
• One-click seamless transcription sharing by link
• Export Transcripts to Notion, Salesforce, and various formats: including Text, Word, PDF, Excel, and Subtitle file
• [ISO 27001] [SOC 2] [CCPA] [GDPR] [SSL] [APPI] security compliance to guarantee that your transcripts and sources remain inaccessible without your explicit permission
• Permission management for transcription

Cost

Notta pricing begins with a Free option and provides choices to be billed annually (up to 40% off) and monthly.

• Pro: up to 1,800 minutes per month, $8.25 per month billed annually or $13.99 monthly
• Business: 2 seats (up to 2,400 minutes per month), $44 per month billed annually or $59 monthly, upgradeable to a maximum of 20 seats
• Enterprise: Unlimited usage and starting from 21 seats for organizations, custom pricing

Click here to check out Notta.

6. Easy to Use: Rev.com

Rev provides multiple audio to text conversion services to fit your needs, including both human and automated AI-generated transcriptions.

Whether you want your file to be handled by professional transcribers with 99% accuracy, English or foreign subtitles and captions, or live captions for Zoom meetings Rev has you covered!

Rev provides automatic audio transcription and live captions for your Zoom meetings, virtual conferences, video presentations, and webinars with both English and Foreign Subtitles (15+ languages).

Professional transcriptionists at Rev can transcribe audio and video files and provide 99% accuracy and are available 24/7.

By adding captions and subtitles to your videos, you enhance the viewer’s experience. They not only convert the audio to text but also add note-worthy non-vocal elements.

Furthermore, using foreign subtitles for your videos increases your potential to be reached out by a global audience.

Live captions for Zoom enable the deaf community and the hard hearing to be involved and are a great way to act as a socially responsible organization.

The Rev app on iOS and Android comes with a voice recording feature as well so you have one application for all your transcription needs.

Click here to visit Rev.com and to try it yourself.

Top Features & Benefits

• Both manual and automatic transcription services
• Foreign subtitles for 88+ languages
• Live captions for Zoom
• English captions and subtitles
• Upfront and simple pricing
• Audio and text is highly secured
• Quick delivery – manual transcription within 12 hours for audios less than 30 mins, automatic transcription in 5 mins
• 24/7 available customer support from professional transcriptionists and experts
• All captions compliant with FCC and ADA

Cost

• Manual Transcription – $1.50 per minute
• Automated Transcription – 25 cents per minute
• English Captions and Subtitles – $1.50 per minute
• Foreign Subtitles – $5-$12 per minute
• Automatic Live Captions for Zoom – $20 per host
• See our full Rev pricing guide for more info

Click here to learn more about Rev.com.

7. Best for Accurate Automated Transcription: Sonix

Trusted by companies like WarnerBros, Adobe, and Uber and used by over 40 million customers worldwide, Sonix is an ultimate solution to your transcription needs.

It comes with all the features which would be desired by anyone looking to transcribe audio and video files: one of them is automated translation both in text and subtitles.

Moreover, it has a user-friendly interface which makes it convenient even for those who do not call themselves tech-savvy to transcribe audio or video file recordings.

What’s even better is that you can watch the satisfying process of the file being transcribed in real-time!

The built-in editor allows you to tweak transcribed and subtitle copy to gain perfection.

Click here to try Sonix today.

Top Features & Benefits

• Incredibly fast transcription, whether an audio or video file, ready within 5 minutes
• Provides automated translation for 30+ languages, helping in expanding reach to a global audience
• Automated and customizable subtitles for greater accessibility
• Convenient publishing and collaborating features with flexible permissions
• Timestamp provided with each word for easier referencing
• Allows you to comment and make notes in your transcript
• Export transcript in various file formats (Microsoft Word, TXT, or PDFs)
• Download subtitles in commonly used formats (SRT and VTT)

Cost

Sonix pricing is as follows:

• Standard (pay as much as you use): $10 per hour (ideal for short tasks)
• Premium: $5 per hour, plus $22 per user/ month. If billed annually, you can save up to 25%

Sonix offers a free trial with 30 minutes of free transcription.

8. Best for Flexible Pricing Plans: Audext

Whether you’re looking for a one-off transcription service or multiple ones, Audext has efficient pricing plans tailored to your needs.

Through its Professional and Automatic audio transcription services, it provides potential customers a varied choice, with one being 99% accurate and the other 80%.

Furthermore, it comes with an inbuilt text editor where you can perfect your transcription using the time stamps for each second.

Click here to try Audext today.

Top Features & Benefits

• Quick transcription service – an hour of audio files transcribed in just 10 minutes
• Timestamping for later reference
• Speaker identification
• Two transcription methods: Automatic Transcription and Professional Transaction
• In-built text editor: find and replace words
• Compatible with various audio file formats MP3, M4A, WAV to name a few
• Quick transcription service: takes 7 minutes on average to convert an hour-long audio file into text
• User-friendly interface
• Various payment methods

Cost

Audext pricing is as follows:

• Professional: to get your audio transcribed by professional transcribers with 99% accuracy, Audext charges $1.20 per minute and an additional $0.50 for additional parameters such as verbatim and noisy audio. Timestamps, speaker, and accent identification features are provided free of cost.

• Automatic
  • Classic one-time purchase: $12 an hour
  • Subscription-based $30 per month – 2 hours worth of transcription, $5 for every additional hour. As the number of hours increases, the fee per hour decreases.
  • Enterprise for businesses – custom pricing option
  • Discounts are provided for 10 and 20 hours long audios.

You can get 30 minutes of Audext transcription service free to check it out with no risk.

9. Best for Secure Transcriptions: Transcribe by Wreally

Transcribe by Wreally is a transcription service that offers multiple methods for converting audio and videos to text, including automatic transcription.

The service prioritizes customers’ security and privacy through its stringent policies. This allows its customers to transcribe audio and video file recordings with highly confidential data in over 60+ languages.

Transcribe provides flexibility in the way it transcribes by allowing customers to choose from three methods. The first one is the Magical Automatic Transcription which typically transcribes in less than an hour.

The other two methods: Voice Type with Dictation and Self Transcription involves human intervention.

The former allows users to dictate their audio or video into text in real-time. This can be really useful when the audio is not clear. The last thing you would want to do is transcribe your file manually.

To make it much less of a hassle, Transcribe lets you use a foot pedal and define acronyms which it later expands using the Text Expander technology for efficient typing.

Click here to learn more.

Top Features & Benefits

• Transcriptions tools work with foot pedal to control audio playback allowing you to free your hands
• Supports 60+ languages
• 3 Transcription modes: Magical Automatic Transcription, Voice Type with Dictation, and Self Transcription
• Auto Loop: Enables your audio to pause and resume on its own while you edit your transcript
• Text Expander: Preset acronyms to let Scribe automatically expand them as you type
• Works Offline
• Automatic Subtitle creation
• Transcript files can be exported in Doc and TXT format
• High profile data protection policies

Cost

Transcribe by Wreally pricing is as follows:

• Self Transcription (Voice Type with Dictation and Self Transcription) :$20 a year
• Automatic Transcription: $20 a year + $6 per hour

Click here to learn more about Transcribe.

10. Best for Fast Transcription: Express Scribe (NCH Software)

Who knew automatic audio transcription could also be done for free? If you work with common audio file formats such as WAV, MP3, WMA, and DCT, you can use the free transcription software version which comes with just enough features to get the job done.

Express Scribe allows users to convert their audio to text effortlessly through various convenient features. It can transcribe audio files from both analog and digital voice recorders.

Moreover, to make the whole process even more efficient, you can also set up file automation to send completed transcripts to your client without needing to do any extra work.

It also offers plugins such as the FastFox Text Expander and Express Invoice Invoicing to speed up the process.

Click here to check out Express Scribe.

Top Features & Benefits

• Available in both Free and Pro versions
• Can be integrated with other word processing software with utmost ease, including Microsoft Word, Corel Wordperfect, Lotus Word Pro, etc.
• Variable Speed Playback
• Variety of formats compatible in both free and pro version
• Hot-keys enabling a mouse-free experience and faster turnaround time
• Set up automation to allow transcripts to be effortlessly sent to your clients
• Can load files through the internet (FTP), email, and local computer network
• Compatible with both analog and digital voice recorders
• Low system requirements
• Supports USB Transcribing Pedals

Cost

Express Scribe pricing is as follows:

• Free Version
• Paid
  • Express Scribe Basic $49.99/year
  • Express Scribe Professional $59.95/year

Click here to try Express Scribe.

11. Best For Team Players: Descript

Descript is an audio transcription program and a whole lot more.

It includes a full-fledged podcast editor, a screen recorder, and a video editor along with transcription (automatic and human done by professional transcriptionists). It incorporates powerful collaboration features which make sharing data with other teammates a breeze. As soon as you complete a project, you can share it via a web link.

Additionally, it comes with a super useful Speaker Identification feature which allows you to add speaker labels in a jiffy. You can rest assured that your data is always secure as Descript employs strict data protection policies.

For more convenience, it allows you to sync your projects in the cloud making them accessible anytime, anywhere by any of the collaborators. An option to stitch an already transcribed audio is also available.

Top Features & Benefits

• White Glove service – 100% accurate audio transcriptions by professional humans
• Multiple solutions through one platform (transcription, podcast editor, screen recorder, and a video editor)
• Export transcripts in various formats (.doc, .rtf, .srt, .vtt)
• Overdubbing (create text to speech model of your voice)
• Remove filler words with a single click
• Save your files in different cloud storage platforms (Google, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Box) through Zapier
• High confidentiality of data

Cost

• Free – up to 1 hour of transcription per month
• Creator $12/editor/month (billed annually)  – up to 10 hours of transcription per month
• Pro $24 /editor/month (billed annually)  – up to 30 hours of transcription per month
• Enterprise – custom pricing

Click here to check out the Descript service.

12.  Best for User-Friendly Interface: Inqscribe

Inqscribe is a digital media transcription software that facilitates manual self-transcription of audio and video.

Its simple interface shows the video and the text editor both in one window which makes it easy for users to make notes and/or transcribe.

You can also insert timecodes as frequently as you wish using simple instructions.

Despite Inqscribe’s easy-to-use interface, it has video tutorials, screenshots, and a knowledge base which makes it extremely easy for beginners to meet their video and audio transcription needs.

Top Features & Benefits

• Compatible with commonly used audio and video formats
• Mouse-free control
• Compatible with foot pedal
• Supports various export formats (plain text, XML, HTML, Final Cut Pro XML etc)
• Unicode Supported
• Low configuration requirements

Cost

• Free – limited features
• Paid- $99 per individual license, discounts available for students and on multiple licenses

Click here to check out this transcription software.

13. Best for Voice Over: Maestra

Maestra is a downloadable text-to-speech software with a built-in sophisticated text editor.

Along with quick automatic audio transcription, it also lets its users generate subtitles and captions in over 50 languages and instantly voice over videos in 20+ foreign languages using computer-generated voice.

Maestra allows its potential customers to test out the automatic transcription software for free for 15 minutes before actually purchasing it. It also offers a cloud storage facility named MaestraCloud.

To enhance the collaborative experience, you can create team-based channels and set permissions to edit and view transcripts for your entire team.

Maestra accounts can be shared and used on multiple devices.

Top Features & Benefits

• Transcription and subtitles and captions generation in 50+ languages
• Automatic voiceover in over 20 languages
• Inbuilt interactive text and subtitle editor
• Export subtitles in  WebVTT (.vtt), Cheetah (.cap), Avid DS (.txt), PDF, TXT, SubRip (.srt),
• Utilizes high data encryption technologies

Cost

• $10/hour (pay as you go)
• $5/hour (Premium subscription, $29/month)

You can learn more about Maestra at this link.

14. Best for Free Transcription: oTranscribe

oTranscribe is an open-source web app that facilitates manual self-transcription.

With oTranscibe transcription tools, you can have full control of the application and perform functions such as pause, rewind, and fast forward with just the keyboard. It has the feature of interactive timestamps which makes it easier to navigate through your transcript.

What’s great about oTranscribe transcription tools is that even though it is a web-based app it can be used offline.

However, features such as YouTube support and Google Drive export will not work as they require a dedicated internet connection. To make it easy for beginners to transcribe mouse-free, the website has a couple of keyboard shortcuts.

Also, users can add their own shortcuts for an even more efficient transcription experience. The audio and video format compatibility depends entirely on the browser that you use to access oTranscribe.

To ensure the security of your audio, videos, and transcripts, all your data is stored locally using your computer’s storage instead of on a remote server or cloud. oTranscribe’s web app backs up your work progress every 5 minutes and recommends users export their work at the end of each day to prevent loss of data when transcribing audio.

Top Features & Benefits

• One window – both video and text editor
• Mouse-free navigation
• Interactive time stamps
• Automatically backups current transcript at set intervals
• Secure as data is only stored locally on your computer
• Export to Markdown, plain text, and Google Docs
• Can only import .OTR oTranscribe file format
• Can only export transcript in plain text (.txt) and Markdown (.md)
• Customer support available through Twitter and email

Cost

oTranscribe is a free transcription program.

Click here to check it out.

15. Best For Large Files: Happyscribe

Have large and lengthy audio or video files to transcribe? Look no further!

Happyscribe provides subtitle and transcription services for files of all sizes at competitive rates. It allows users interested in its services to try out a free trial before getting their feet wet.

It has both automatic and professional human transcription and subtitling services. After receiving your transcript you can use the user-friendly interactive text editor to correct and replace words as you please.

Like other top-of-the-line transcription services, Happyscribe’s technology also identifies speakers and has a timestamp feature. There are extensive subtitle format options that enable you to personalize them to suit your brand.

Pricing plans depend on whether you want an automatic service that is 85% accurate or a 99% accurate human-made service. With Happyscribe, you can be assured that you will get a high-quality transcript with proper punctuation.

Top Features & Benefits

• No uploading file size restriction
• Supports wide range of import and export formats
• Supports up to 62 languages including Japanese, Italian and Mandarin
• Interactive text editor
• One-click sharing
• Integrations with Zapier, YouTube and more
• All data is kept secure and confidential
• Easy collaboration
• Speaker Identification
• Timestamps

Cost

Paid plans range between $10-$49 a month depending on the package you choose and its duration.

Click here to learn more.

What is Transcription Software?

Transcription software assists in the conversion of human speech into readable text. With the development of speech recognition technology, the primary objective is to automatically convert any voice recording or video into text.

The best transcription software can turn everything from video lectures to podcasts to presentations into readable text.

All you need to do is upload the file onto the cloud for seamless, real-time transcription. Once completed, you can edit the transcribed version because there is always a probability of minor errors.

Are There Any Limitations to Using Transcription Programs?

Accent barriers

If some recordings consist of people speaking too fast or in a specific accent, it can be difficult for the transcription software to accurately churn out exact sentences. The result would be unclear, distorted information. Such recordings would have to be transcribed manually.

Lack of proper grammar and vocabulary

All machines require human intervention to some extent. Once the software completes its job, it is advisable to go through the text and correct any grammatical errors such as capitalization, commas, use of proper nouns, etc. In many instances, soft wares are not able to catch specialized terms or even company names so you have to input them manually.

Final Thoughts

With so many different transcription programs out there, you have plenty of great options to try out.

Remember, a lot of this will come down to your specific needs. One of the most common mistakes to avoid when choosing a transcription software program is failing to consider the specific needs of your transcription tasks. It’s crucial to assess your requirements accurately and choose automatic transcription tools that align with those needs.

For example, some transcription software is designed for general use and may not handle specialized industry-specific terminology or accents well. If you’re transcribing medical or legal content, you’ll want software that supports the relevant terminology and meets industry standards to provide you with accurate transcription services.

Additionally, if you require real-time transcription for live events or meetings, make sure the software you choose offers that capability.

Choosing a solution without considering your specific demands can lead to frustration, inefficiency, and potentially inaccurate transcriptions. So, take the time to evaluate your requirements and select software that caters to them effectively.

Try out some of my top picks, like Trint, to find the best transcription program for your specific needs.