While speech synthesis was only about desktop computers, the development of mobile devices and the explosion of easily accessible apps now allow for transcription on a smartphone or tablet. This has made speech synthesis applications increasingly useful for users in different environments, from business education to business. This is due to the fact that technology has reached the stage where transcription errors are relatively rare, with some services showing a 99,9% pass rate with a clear sound. Even so, this mainly applies to normal situations and circumstances and excludes the use of technical terminology such as is required in the legal or medical professions. Despite this, digital transcription can still meet needs like basic note-taking, which can always be easily done using a phone app, thus simplifying the dictation process. However, different speech synthesis programs have different levels of capability and complexity, some use advanced machine learning to permanently fix user-reported errors so they don't happen again. Others are downloadable software worth only the latest update. So here are the best speech and text recognition programs, which should be more than capable for most situations and circumstances.
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(Image credit: Google)
1. Google keyboard
Easily accessible text free Easy to use Additional features No shortcut command If you already have an Android mobile device, then it is not installed yet, download Google Keyboard from Google Play Store and you will get an instant speech synthesis app. Although it is primarily designed as a keyboard for physical input, it also has a directly available voice input option. And since all the power of Google's hardware is behind it, it is a powerful and responsive tool. If that's not enough, there are additional features. In addition to physical information such as scanning, you can also activate images in your text with the help of voice commands. Furthermore, it can also work with Google Translate and is advertised to support more than 60 languages. Although Google Keyboard is not a dedicated transcription tool, as there is no built-in shortcut command or text editing, it does everything you need from a basic transcription tool. And since this is a keyboard, it means that it should be able to work with any software you might run on your Android smartphone, so you can edit, save, and export text with it. Best of all, it's free and there are no ads stopping you from using it.
Image Credit: Open Planet Software (Image Credit: Just Press Record)
2. Simply press Record
A cloud transcription tool. Easy to use Cloud supported Multilingual No Android apps If you want a dedicated dictation app, check out Just Press Record. It is a mobile audio recorder with features like instant recording, transcription, and iCloud sync between devices. The good thing is that it is for everyone and extremely easy to use. When saving notes, just press a button for unlimited recording time. However, the best thing about this app is that it also offers a powerful transcription service. Thanks to it, you can quickly and easily convert your speech into searchable text. Once you've transcribed a file, you can edit it from the app. More than 30 languages are also supported, making it the ideal app if you work abroad or with an international team. Another nice feature is the recognition of punctuation commands, which ensures that your transcripts are free of typos. This app is based on cloud technology, which means you can access the notes from any device (online). You can also share audio and text files with other iOS apps, and when you want to organize them, you can view the records as a whole file. The app is available on iOS devices for €4.99.
Image Credit: Speechnotes (Image Credit: Speechnotes)
3. Speech notes
Powered by Google technology Integrated Google speech recognition technology Recognize punctuation Easy to use No iOS apps Speechnotes is another easy to use dictation app. A handy touch here is that you don't need to create an account or anything like that; just open the app and hit the microphone icon, and you're disabled. The application is optimized by Google's voice recognition technology. When you record a note, you can easily dictate punctuation with voice commands or the built-in punctuation keyboard. To make things even easier, you can quickly add names, signatures, greetings, and other frequently used text by using a custom key on the built-in keyboard. Automatic capitalization is also present and every change made to a note is saved in the cloud. When it comes to customizing notes, you can access a huge number of fonts and text sizes. The app is free to download from the Google Play Store, but you can make in-app purchases to access premium features (there's a browser version for Chrome, too).
(Image credit: Transcribe)
4. Transcribe
Dictation software based on artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence technology Recognize videos and voice memos Easy to use No Android option Transcribed as a personal assistant to convert video and voice memos to text files, Transcribe is a popular AI-powered dictation app. It allows you to make high-quality transcriptions at the touch of a button. The app can automatically transcribe a video or voice note, while supporting more than 80 languages around the world. Although you can easily create notes with Transcribe, you can also import files from services like Dropbox. Once you've transcribed a file, you can export the plain text to a word processor for editing. The app is free to download, but you will need to make an in-app purchase to take full advantage of these features in the long run. A trial version is available, but it's only 15 minutes of free transcription. However, Transcribe is only available on iOS.
(Image credit: Nuance Dragon)
5.Nuance Dragon Professional
A professional solution Powerful features Designed for professionals Dictation at 160 words per minute. expensive If you're looking for a professional-quality dictation app, Dragon Professional is your best bet. Aimed at business users, the software provides you with the tools you need to dictate and edit documents, create spreadsheets, and browse the web with the help of your voice. According to Nuance, the solution is capable of delivering dictations at a typing speed equivalent to 160 words per minute, with an accuracy rate of 99%, which is unexpected before any training (whereby the app adapts to your voices). and words you use fluently). In addition to creating documents with your voice, you can also import custom word lists. There is also an additional mobile app that allows you to transcribe audio files and send them back to your computer. Overall, the interface is easy to use, and if you're stuck, you can access a number of helpful tutorials. However, the software is far from cheap, retailing for €300.