Rev › Blog › Resources › Transcribe › Transcribe Audio to Text ›
The demand for long-form content (in video, audio, and text format) continues to grow — between the popularity of video essays, podcasts, and the rise of AI writing tools like ChatGPT, it becomes difficult to keep up with the demand of users.
Whether you’re an independent content creator looking to make your content accessible to a wider audience, or working at a major media company with the goal of appearing higher in search results, converting voice recordings to text can be a useful tool to leverage for your efforts.
How to Convert a Voice Recording to Text Online
The first step before you actually begin to convert voice to text is to acquire a recording of the audio. This can be done by using any voice recorder app or a desktop voice recorder.
Once you have the audio file you’re looking to work with, converting voice to text is as simple as using a trusted transcription service like Rev, which offers Human and AI-generated transcripts that are more accurate and created faster than other similar platforms.
Step 1. Upload Your Voice Recording
Whether your audio file is a link to a video online, or a file stored locally on your computer, Rev can help. Simply paste the URL of the file or upload it to our safe and secure network and let our Revvers or generative AI model do the rest.
Once your audio file is uploaded, the next step to convert your video or voice recording to text is to choose which of Rev’s services best fits your needs and budget:
- AI Transcription: our advanced AI model detects speech and language with 90%+ accuracy, giving you the benefits of less editing with even faster turnaround times than ever before.
- Human Transcription: able to produce transcripts with 99% accuracy, you can rely on our network of real human Revvers all over the world to transcribe your voice recording to text.
Step 2: Choose Custom Transcription Options
- Rush My Order – Get your transcript back up to five times faster with a small additional fee.
- Timestamping – Sync your audio with timestamps on every paragraph. This allows you to jump to specific parts of the audio transcript.
- Verbatim – Catch every word. Um’s, ah’s, and mm-hm’s included.
- Instant First Draft – Not as accurate, but plenty fast. Get an AI-generated transcript delivered in minutes.
Step 3: Download Your Text File
We wouldn’t be the easiest way to convert voice recording to text if we didn’t handle all of the transcribing, editing, and offered a wide variety of file formats. Sit back and relax – you’ll be notified via email when your file is ready and you can download it instantly.
If more tweaks need to be made, you can also use the free Rev Transcript Editor tool.
AI or Human Transcription Services
Rev offers two primary options to convert a voice recording to text: AI and Human Transcription.
With human transcription services, it will take slightly more time, but you have the benefit of thoughtful transcriptions that need very little, if any, editing. Unlike AI speech recognition, humans can use discretion to remove unnecessary “ums” or understand how to format points in the conversation where speakers are talking over each other, for example.
The right choice for you and your team will depend on how much time you have and your allotted budget for converting voice recordings to text.
What Does it Cost to Convert a Voice Recording to Text?
The costs associated with converting a voice recording to text vary depending on several factors, including:
- The number of recordings you need to convert
- The quality of the audio or video used for transcription
- The desired precision of the output
All in all, it is vital to consider your options when choosing a service provider to convert a voice recording to text. At Rev, we strive to be the most cost-effective choice to transcribe audio files, all while maintaining a superior quality transcription.
Customers who choose automated transcriptions from Rev can expect to pay about 25 cents per minute with an accuracy of 80-90%. So, you get your voice recordings in an editable document right away, but you may have to spend some time editing it.
Those who choose human transcription services usually pay $1.25 per minute with 99% accuracy. You can choose to add a rush on your projects and other additions that will raise your price, but that’s the standard cost.
Get Started
Now that you have an idea of the different options available to you, it’s time to order your first voice recording to text transcription. It is incredibly simple. We’ll show you!
Choose a Service: AI or Human Transcription
First, choose how you want your transcriptions made. Consider your timeline, your budget, and the amount of work your team has on their plate right now. Then decide on AI or human transcriptions.
If you’re looking for a guide that will help you decide between human and AI transcription, check out our guide.
How to Upload Voice Recordings
Next, you’ll upload your voice recordings. You can upload recordings directly from your computer, laptop or smartphone. Your transcription will be named after the file name, so remember to choose something that makes sense to you.
If you host your voice recordings on an external site, no problem. Just send us that URL and we’ll do the rest!
Review the Results
You’ll be notified as soon as your transcription is done. You can review your word document through your Rev account and download it to edit it yourself. And don’t worry if you accidentally lose the file. We’ll save all your transcriptions to your profile to access whenever you want!
Rev API for Businesses and Corporations
Are you converting audio to text for a business or corporation? Try transcribing audio files to text by requesting API access and integrating Rev’s functionality into apps or work environments you already have. Go to Rev API and sign up to get started.