Speech to text is simply another way of saying transcription. This is the process of turning an audio file (such as an interview recording) into a text document. The best speech to text software will make all these jobs easy and convenient. Ideally, it should also produce a text file that needs little editing on your part.
What to consider when choosing the best speech to text software?
- Your Purpose
- Accuracy of Speech to Text Software
- Ease of Use
- Cost of the Software
How to Determine Your Criteria for Transcriber?
The first important thing to consider is what you need from the service. For example, if you’re turning an interview recording into a text file, something like timestamps is vital. Not all speech to text online services offer timestamps. For this reason, you should determine your needs and choose the most suitable platform according to your expectation from speech to text software. So make a note of how you will use the audio you are transcribing and what features you need for this use.
Why is the accuracy of Speech to Text important?
Accuracy is one of the most important things when choosing the best speech to text software because ower accuracy means you have to do more work editing the file once it’s been converted. There are many factors that affect accuracy, including volume and audio quality.
Another big factor is the service’s intelligence. The best speech to text platforms will offer up to 99% accuracy. Look for one that says it can deliver 80% accuracy or above, as this is a sign that it’s realistic about its service.
What determines the Ease of Use of Speech to Text Converter?
Uploading the File
First, converting your speech file to text should be as simple as uploading it to a web page. The best speech to text converter will let you do this using different file formats. Look for ones that offer mp3, mp4, and wav, but also WebM and FLAC.
Speed of Platform
Secondly, the conversion should only take a few minutes. Of course, this depends on the file’s size, but you shouldn’t wait days for it to produce a text file.
Editing Stage
Then there’s the editing stage. No speech to text software is 100% accurate, and you’ll need to proofread the text file. Ideally, the service should have an online text editor, allowing you to make the necessary edits before downloading the file.
Format Options of Downloads
Finally, there’s downloading the file. Other than the transcription service should offer different formats such as Word, TXT, and SRT.
How much should speech to text cost?
First of all, avoid free services because they’re usually not very accurate. However, there’s no need to spend loads of money on a transcription service. Look for one that offers a free trial, so you can test how good it is. There isn’t a set price on what’s too expensive, as this depends on your budget.
Bear in mind that big files will be more expensive because there’s more to transcribe. Most services will list their price per minute, so use that to work out how much it’ll cost you.
FAQ
Converting interviews to text
Creating subtitles for videos with transcription
Legal or medical transcripts to boost their productivity
Turning a lecture recording into notes
