3 Ways to Transcribe Audio to Text Free

Audio-to-text transcription offers immense value in research, education, and business. However, it can be time-consuming when done manually and cost-intensive when assigned to a human transcriptionist. But how do you transcribe your audio to text? Can I get it done for free?

This article will take you through the answers to all your questions while taking you through all the possible ways of transcribing audio to text. So, let’s get started!

What is Audio Transcription

As stated above, audio transcription is the process of converting audio or videos into text. You can use audio transcription to record interviews, meetings, podcast episodes, court hearings, or any other content with spoken text. 

Audio transcription or speech-to-text transcription is used widely across various domains. With that, let’s check out all the possible ways to transcribe audio to text.

3 Ways to Transcribe Audio to Text

There are three ways to transcribe audio-to-text, depending on time constraints, budget, and accuracy requirements. Herein is how each one will work for you:

1. Transcribe Manually

Self-transcribing is one cost-efficient way to transcribe any audio content. You can simply listen to an audio recording and type it word by word. The key to achieving better results is to carefully listen to a few seconds of the audio, type it, and repeat.

While manual transcription will save you money, it will be time-consuming. So, if you want to transcribe your audio for free without investing a lot of time, go for AI transcription software.

More on that later in the article. For now, let’s check out the most commonly used method of audio-to-text transcription.

2. Choose a Human Transcription Service

Human transcription services rely on human transcriptionists for audio-to-text transcription. With these services, you can count on professional-grade accuracy and avoid common transcription mistakes to a huge extent.

However, such human transcription services take time to process transcription requests, ranging from a few days to weeks. Moreover, they charge almost double their standard charges if you want speedy delivery.

For a long time, human transcription services have been widely used for transcription accuracy despite these limitations. That’s because human transcription services were the only source of accurate transcription until recent AI advancements.

3. AI Transcription Software

Among all the recent AI developments, AI transcription tools have nailed transcription accuracy. These tools convert voice notes or audio content into text-based information without manually typing text from the audio.

Such Software uses advanced algorithms for audio-to-text transcription. The best part? It is super quick and has emerged as a viable option for content creators, medical professionals, and corporate personnel to achieve highly accurate and budget-friendly transcription.

With that, let’s check out the best software to transcribe audio to text free:

1. Wavel AI

Wavel AI offers a dedicated transcription and speech-to-text tool capable of intense speech recognition for highly accurate transcription. Due to its speech identification capabilities, you can effortlessly transcribe complex multispeaker audio or conversation into easy-to-understand text.

Its post-transcription editing capabilities allow you to refine any errors further, adjust timestamps, and download the final transcript in no time. With Wavel AI’s audio to text transcription tool, you can transcribe any audio in over 70 languages.

The best part? You can try Wavel AI’s Transcription tool for free or even pay for a subscription, which is way less expensive than other transcription tools.

2. Trint

Trint is another AI transcription tool for audio and video files. It can transcribe recordings, lectures, meetings, videos, and more with up to 99% accuracy. The tool can transcribe audio in 40+ languages and allows you to collaborate with your team.

However, unlike Wavel AI, the tool doesn’t offer a free plan, and the paid subscription plans may seem pricey to some users.

3. Descript

Descript is a video and podcast editing tool that allows you to add and edit text in videos easily. Its transcription capabilities enable you to transcribe text in 20 languages accurately. It also allows cloud sync and will help you to import your text directly in the form of Google Docs, Rich text files, and other formats.

However, like Trint, Descript does not offer a free plan, so you must pay for its subscription even if you want to transcribe a smaller file or test the tool.

Can You Transcribe Audio to Text for Free

To transcribe audio to text for free, you can do it manually or use a free audio transcription tool. However, if you need quick transcription, go for an AI transcription tool that does it for free. Some tools you can consider are Wavel AI’s audio transcriber, otranscribe, and Google Docs voice typing.

While the Google Docs voice typing feature is not a dedicated option for converting audio to text, it is still preferable for real-time transcription. To begin, just enable the voice typing feature and set up your microphone.

Once your microphone is connected, open a Google Docs and go to Tools > Voice Typing > Click the newly appeared microphone icon on the screen to start transcribing your voice to text. To learn more, follow our guide on how to use Google Docs voice typing for real-time transcription.

Transcribe Audio to Text Online With Wavel AI

Now, we know all the possible ways of transcribing audio to text. Going for an AI tool like Wavel AI seems the most convenient among all the transcription options. Such software provides a balance between speed, accuracy, and affordability.

With Wavel AI’s transcription tool, you can ensure accurate transcripts, even for multi-speaker audio or challenging accents. It allows you to transcribe audio in over 70 languages, making it a versatile tool for global audiences. Moreover, you can use its free plan to test its capabilities and transcribe small audio files for free with Wavel Studio.

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