Reading text is generally faster than listening to audio. While transcription apps can be helpful, downloading one just for that purpose often takes up unnecessary space. Luckily, there are several online tools available that allow for instant transcriptions without any downloads.
One of my top choices is Revoldiv. It’s user-friendly, completely free, and transcribes video and audio files in just a few seconds. You don’t need to create an account to use it, but signing up allows you to store your files and save your edits in the cloud, providing easier access later.
Revoldiv utilizes OpenAI’s Whisper along with other models for precise and rapid transcriptions. It can distinguish between multiple speakers and even pick up sounds like cheering, speech, and applause. Users can modify the transcripts to eliminate mistakes and filler words, with the ability to edit both the audio or video and text simultaneously. Transcriptions can be exported in various formats, including plain text or subtitles, and there’s a feature for easy project sharing through links.
This service can be used with Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers, as well as Mozilla Firefox. For live transcriptions, there’s also a Chrome extension. However, it’s worth noting that Revoldiv doesn’t allow for batch uploads and imposes a two-hour limit on individual file uploads.
Another well-known transcription service is Otter.ai, which promotes itself as an AI assistant for meetings. It has the unique capability to attend meetings with you and take notes in real-time, while also generating transcripts and closed captions for recorded videos.
Otter.ai offers live transcriptions, identifies speakers, and generates AI summaries. You can transcribe audio or video files without any cost on a limited basis, or you can opt for various paid plans for more extensive use.
The platform operates on a freemium model, where the free plan allows you to import and transcribe up to three audio or video files. The Pro plan, which costs approximately $8.33 per month, raises the allowance to ten files, while the Business plan includes unlimited transcription for uploaded files.
Otter.ai might not present the best value given its limitations; transcription limits can be quickly reached. Nonetheless, it serves as an excellent choice for individuals and teams that need collaborative tools and integration within workflows.
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Upload to YouTube
If you’re willing to put in a bit more effort, YouTube’s automatic transcript generation feature can also be useful for transcribing your audio and video files.
To transcribe audio files on YouTube, you’ll first need to convert them into videos before uploading. You can upload as many as 15 videos at a time, but there is a limit on how many you can upload within a 24-hour period. Once your videos are uploaded, you can create transcripts using the Show transcript button.
You don’t need to publish a video before creating transcripts for it.
Although you can batch-upload files, my experience suggests that YouTube’s transcripts are not as reliable as those produced by Revoldiv. They often lack punctuation and the only way to retrieve the generated transcripts is through copy-and-pasting. Nevertheless, YouTube transcripts can be a time-saver.
Rev is a widely-used transcription and captioning service that offers both human and AI-generated transcriptions. You have the option to select either automated transcriptions or have a human transcriber handle it for you. Rev also provides features like captions, subtitles, and translations.
Through the VoiceHub platform, Rev delivers AI-generated transcriptions with a freemium pricing structure. Their free plan enables uploads of audio and video files up to 30 minutes long, and a monthly transcription limit of 300 minutes.
The Basic plan costs about $10 per month when billed annually, allowing for 90 minutes of conversation per upload and 1,200 minutes of transcription monthly. Human transcriptions are priced at $1.50 per minute, offering higher accuracy but taking longer to complete.
Rev also features automated meeting notes and provides live transcription across platforms like Zoom.
For those seeking a more budget-friendly option, TurboScribe provides affordable audio transcription services, leveraging OpenAI’s Whisper and supporting around 98 languages.
The free plan permits three transcripts each day, lasting up to 30 minutes each. Free users may experience longer waiting times compared to paid subscribers. Turbo Unlimited, the paid plan, costs the same as Rev at $10 per month, but provides better value by allowing uploads of up to 10 hours and unlimited transcriptions.
TurboScribe is especially advantageous for anyone with a large volume of audio or video files to transcribe.
If you prefer to eliminate the middleman and go directly to the source, OpenAI’s Whisper tool is available free of charge and sets the benchmark for precise speech-to-text conversion. Many transcription tools are built upon the Whisper framework, featuring easy-to-use interfaces and helpful functions like speaker recognition, simultaneous editing of audio/video, and automatic chapter creation.
An interesting fact: OpenAI created Whisper to facilitate the extraction of data from YouTube videos and podcasts, aiding in the training of its large language models.
You can run the Whisper model on your own computer, though you’ll achieve the best performance with a machine that has a dedicated GPU, Python 3.7 (or newer), and ffmpeg installed. There are also online versions available that operate without needing local installations or applications.
Google Colab is a convenient way to access Whisper online. This hosted Jupyter Notebook service lets you write and execute code directly in your web browser. To use Whisper via Google Colab, you can make a copy of this notebook and follow the steps provided.
The final result is a text file containing the transcript, which can be found in the Files section. You also have the option to change the output format to “srt,” “json,” “vtt,” or “all” for multiple formats.
While this method may not be as straightforward as many transcription tools, it offers great customization options and is often more precise.
In summary, there are various cloud-based solutions for transcribing your audio or video files. My top recommendation is Revoldiv, closely followed by Whisper. However, depending on your specific needs, any of the options presented here could be suitable for you.