Using AI Audio Transcription Apps for Interviews

A case sample using my latest assignment for a yachting magazine

In order to report my two recent print and photographic assignments for a yachting magazine, Passagemaker, I interviewed sources with my iPhone’s Voice memos app and then imported the audio files into Otter. ai a transcription app. No reporters pad for me! ( Well sort’a, I do hold a reporter’s pad in hand to take notes for things other than interviews) I wish these apps had been around when I logged in countless hours of video footage while working as a video-journalist.

The story I wrote, called “Living By the Dock On the Bay “ is about San Francisco Bay denizens such as myself who live on their boats. You can read it here:

( My recent article in which I used Otter.ai for transcriptions of interviews)

I used Otter.ai’s free trial for my interviews. Otter.ai offers “300 monthly transcription minutes; 30 minutes per conversation; Import and transcribe 3 audio or video files lifetime per user”. The transcriptions were fairly accurate and sped up my workflow. Otter tells us that by using their app, “Join Zoom, MS Teams, and Google Meet to automatically write and share notes”.

After my trial expired I was offered various payment plans. But you want to know a secret? Users can extend the trial period by creating a new email to sign in. But that’s cheating, isn’t it?

I’m writing this post in my favorite coffee shop, Kaleidoscope, located in Pt. Richmond, California, where I began chatting with my scintillating sofa-mate Mustafa. (We both agreed that the sofa needs a good steam cleaning). One thing lead to another and Mustafa suggested an app he preferred over Otter.ai, called Turboscribe.ai . You can pay to subscribe to Turboscribe.ai but it also allows users three free transcriptions a day.

Cool. Of course I then went to ChatGPT. Yes, I do write my own posts. But this time I can’t best ChatGPT. Here’s what I found:

The Cheapest Transcription Apps: Getting the Words (Mostly) Right

Ah, the marvels of modern technology! We now have AI-powered transcription apps that can turn your spoken words into text faster than you can say "Oops, that's not what I meant!" For those of us who dabble in content creation—or, let’s be honest, for those of us who are just too lazy to type out our own thoughts—these apps seem like a gift from the digital gods. But, like all gifts, they come with strings attached. In this case, the strings are the occasional (or frequent) hilarious errors that remind us that AI still has a ways to go before it can truly understand us.

The Usual Suspects: Cheap and (Somewhat) Cheerful

First, let's talk about the apps themselves. We’re all on a budget, so the criteria here are simple: they must be cheap (or better yet, free) and they must work (or at least pretend to). The top contenders in this category are Otter.ai, Temi, Rev, and Google Docs’ built-in voice typing. Each has its own quirks and charms—if by “charms” you mean ways to make you laugh, cry, or both.

Otter.ai: The Busy Beaver

Otter.ai is like that overachieving student who gets most things right but sometimes tries too hard. It’s great for meetings, lectures, and interviews. The basic plan is free, but you’ll need to pay for more advanced features like longer transcription times or higher accuracy. Otter has a knack for capturing every “um” and “uh,” but when it comes to proper nouns or industry jargon, it occasionally throws up its paws in surrender. Expect to see your company’s name transformed into a creative interpretation that only a machine could devise.

Temi: The Speed Demon

Temi boasts a quick turnaround time and a cost of just 25 cents per minute. It’s like the fast food of transcription services—cheap, fast, and often leaves you questioning your life choices afterward. Temi is notorious for getting basic sentences right, but once you throw in a complex sentence structure, all bets are off. It’s as if Temi decided that you didn’t really mean to say, “The financial report is due by Tuesday,” and instead transcribes it as, “The fish on the porch is blue and tasty.” Close enough, right?

Rev: The Pricey Pro

Rev is the premium option, with human editors stepping in to polish what the AI misses. At $1.50 per minute, it’s a bit pricier, but you’re paying for accuracy—or so they claim. Rev’s AI transcription often gets most of the content right, but it occasionally trips over words, especially in noisy environments. If you’ve ever tried to dictate in a crowded coffee shop, you know the joy of seeing “My cat is very affectionate” become “My cash is very effective.” Well, that’s one way to think of your feline companion!

Google Docs Voice Typing: The Free Spirit

Ah, Google, the reliable friend who never charges you for advice. Google Docs’ voice typing feature is free and integrated into Google’s ecosystem, making it a go-to for many. But here’s the catch: it’s not exactly known for its accuracy. It’s like that friend who listens to you but only hears what they want to hear. You’ll say, “I need to finish this article by Friday,” and Google might decide you said, “I need to fish in the Arctic by Friday.” Ambitious, sure, but not quite what you meant.

The Real Fun: Transcription Fails

Of course, the real entertainment comes from the errors. These apps have a talent for turning mundane sentences into comedic gold. For example, one might turn “I was editing the podcast episode” into “I was petting the pasta episode.” (We’ve all had days where pasta needed some extra attention.) Or, “Please send me the memo” could become “Please send me the memo pad,” because, obviously, you’re in desperate need of office supplies.

The best part? These mistakes are so common that you start to wonder if the AI is messing with you on purpose. It’s as if the machine knows you’ll catch the error but wants to see if you’re paying attention. Sometimes, I think my transcription app has a better sense of humor than I do.

Conclusion: Use with Caution (and a Sense of Humor)

In the end, these cheap transcription apps are a fantastic tool—if you’re willing to laugh at their mistakes. They save time, effort, and a lot of typing, but they also remind us that AI isn’t quite ready to replace human editors just yet. So, when you’re using these apps, remember to double-check your transcriptions, keep your sense of humor handy, and always, always proofread before hitting publish. After all, you wouldn’t want to accidentally tell your readers about your latest adventure “fishing in the Arctic,” now would you?

-ChatGPT

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