INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
If you’re in an important meeting or lecture, it can be pretty hard to capture every single word the speaker says by using a pen
That’s where dictaphones and voice recording apps come in handy
Unfortunately, when you need to transfer this information to paper, things aren’t quite so simple
Transcribing recordings by hand is not only a lengthy and mundane task, but it can also do more damage than good
It’s easy to mishear words and end up writing down inaccurate things
Clearly, that wouldn’t be good if you’re working on an important business task or project.However, speech recognition software can solve
Underpinned by computational linguistics, it identifies spoken language and turns it into text
These systems differ in capabilities, with some only able to recognize a selection of words and phrases
But the most advanced dictation software can understand natural speech
While speech recognition isn’t a new phenomenon, it has undergone a great deal of transformation over the years
Previously, this technology was only accessible on computers, but recent advancements in the field mean there are now dictation applications
for smartphones and tablets
Many of these are cloud-based and can be linked to a computer, giving you the ability to access transcribed files wherever and whenever
We've rounded up the best of this software.1
EvernoteA popular note-taking appEasy-to-use Other note-taking features Free download option Not hugely powerful When it comes to
productivity software, Evernote has dominated the scene for years
Not only is it a great app to take and organize conventional notes, but it also offers a nifty voice note feature
Using the speech-to-text functionality on your device, it allows you to dictate notes straight from the app
Although you’re able to create notes with your voice on the app, there isn’t the option to convert audio recordings into text and
you aren’t able to search for specific words or phrases inside a recording
Either way, you can use the feature on both Android and iOS devices, and Evernote is still a powerful note-taking app in general.In terms of
other features, you can create searchable notes, checklists and to-do lists, and the app supports a variety of formats
These include text, sketches, photos, audio, video, PDFS and web clippings
What’s more, you can use the camera of your mobile device to scan paper documents, business cards, handwritten notes and drawings
Plus, because the software is cloud-based, you can access your notes and lists from wherever you happen to be and any device
Evernote is free to download, but there are premium plans available
For instance, the business subscription costs £10.99 a month per team member
Just Press RecordA cloud-based transcription toolEasy-to-use Underpinned by the cloud Multilingual No Android app If you want a
dedicated dictation app, it’s worth checking out Just Press Record
It’s a mobile audio recorder that comes with features such as one tap recording, transcription and iCloud syncing across devices
The great thing is that it’s aimed at pretty much anyone and is extremely easy to use. When it comes to recording notes, all you have to
do is press one button, and you get unlimited recording time
You can also choose to record from your device’s built-in mic, AirPods or external headphones
However, the great thing about this app is that it also offers a powerful transcription service. Through it, you can quickly and easily
turn speech into searchable text
Once you’ve transcribed a file, you can then edit it from within the app
There’s support for more than 30 languages as well, making it the perfect app if you’re working abroad or with an international team
Another nice feature is punctuation command recognition, ensuring that your transcriptions are free from typos
Like Evernote, this app is underpinned by cloud technology, meaning you can access notes from any device
You’re able to share audio and text files to other iOS apps too, and when it comes to organizing them , you can view recordings in a
The app is available on iOS devices for $4.99 (around £3.69)
SpeechnotesPowered by Google technologyBuilt-in Google voice recognition tech Recognizes punctuation marks Easy to use No Apple
app Designed at people looking for a place where they can capture ideas and be creative, Speechnotes is yet another easy-to-use dictation
What’s nice is that you don’t need to create an account or anything like that
You simply need to open up the app and press on the microphone icon
The app is powered by Google voice recognition engines and can identify almost every word or phrase
When you’re recording a note, you can easily dictate punctuation marks through voice commands or the built-in punctuation keyboard
You can also type and dictate notes simultaneously. To make things even easier, you can quickly add names, signatures, greetings and other
frequently-used text by using a set of custom keys on the built-in keyboard
There’s automatic and capitalization as well, and every change made to a note is saved to the cloud
When it comes to customizing notes, you can access a plethora of fonts and sizes
The app is free to download from the Google Play Store, but you can make in-app purchases to access premium features
TranscribeArtificial intelligence-powered dictation softwareAI tech Recognizes videos and voice memos Easy to use No Android
option Marketed as a personal assistant for turning videos and voice memos into text files, Transcribe is a popular dictation app that’s
It lets you make high-quality and readable transcriptions by hitting a button
The app can transcribe any video or voice memo automatically, while supporting over 80 languages and dialects from across the world
While you can easily create notes with Transcribe, you can also import files from services such as Dropbox.Once you’ve transcribed a file,
you can export the raw text to a word processing app to edit
The app is free to download, but you’ll have to make an in-app purchase if you want to make the most of these features in the long-term
There is a trial available, but it’s basically just 15 minutes of free transcription time
It’s only available on iOS, though
Nuance Dragon ViewA business-grade solution for speech to textPowerful features Designed for pros 160 wpm dictation Expensive Should you
be looking for a business-grade dictation tool that can work on computers, your best bet is Nuance Dragon View
Aimed at professional users, the software provides you with the tools to dictate and edit documents, create spreadsheets, send emails and
browse the web using your voice
According to Nuance, the solution is capable of performing tasks three times faster than typing and creates notes with 99 percent
As well as creating documents using your voice, you can also import custom word lists and user profiles
There’s also an additional mobile app that lets you transcribe audio files and send them back to your computer
The app aims to generate natural text-to-speech and audio playback, while looking out for and correcting any grammatical mistakes in
Overall, the interface is easy to use, and you can dictate up to 160 words per minute
If you get stuck at all, you can access a series of tutorials
However, the software is far from cheap, retailing at £139.99 (around $189).Q9GtAYi7sqz2Mr6DcSBbFh.jpeg#
