15 Best AI Transcription Tools in 2024 [Free & Paid]

In today's fast-paced digital world, transcription plays a crucial role in various industries, from journalism and academic research to business meetings and content creation. 

With the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, transcription tasks have become more efficient, accurate, and cost-effective. 

In this blog post, we'll explore the best 15 AI-powered transcription tools that are revolutionizing the way we transcribe audio and video content.

1. Fireflies AI

Fireflies.ai is a powerful tool designed to streamline your team's meeting processes by automating transcription, summarization, search, and analysis of voice conversations. Trusted by over 200,000 organizations, Fireflies.ai helps you save time, collaborate effectively, and derive valuable insights from your meetings.

Key Features of FireFlies AI are:

Automatic Recording and Transcription:

• Seamlessly transcribe meetings from various video-conferencing apps, dialers, and audio files.
• Invite Fireflies.ai Notetaker to your meetings or let it auto-join calls on your calendar.
• Integration with popular platforms like Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, and more.

AI-Powered Search:

• Quickly review hour-long meetings in just a few minutes.
• Instantly access action items, tasks, questions, and other key metrics with a single click.
• Filter and listen to specific topics discussed in meetings.

Collaboration Tools:

• Add comments, pins, and reactions to specific parts of conversations.
• Create soundbites to easily share memorable moments from meetings.
• Share meeting notes with collaboration apps like Slack, Notion, and Asana.

Conversation Intelligence:

• Track speaker talk time, sentiment, monologues, and other key metrics to coach teammates.
• Identify objections, competitors, and other topic trackers for performance improvement.
• Measure performance in sales, recruiting, and internal processes.

Workflow Automation:

• Let Fireflies fill out your CRM with AI-assisted call notes, activities, and recordings.
• Create tasks in project management tools like Asana, Trello, and Monday.com using voice commands.
• Share meeting recaps instantly to collaboration platforms.

Real-time Knowledge Base:

• Consolidate all voice conversations into a self-updating knowledge base.
• Organize meeting recaps by department, team, or project for easy access.
• Set custom privacy controls to ensure data visibility to appropriate team members.

Pricing & Plans:

• Free Plan: Ideal for individuals, offering unlimited transcription with limited AI summaries and 800 mins of storage/seat.
• Pro Plan ($10/Months): Suitable for individuals and small teams, providing unlimited transcription, AI summaries, and 8,000 mins of storage/seat, along with advanced features.
• Business Plan ($19/Months): Designed for fast-growing businesses, offering unlimited transcription, AI summaries, and storage, along with additional features like video screen capture and conversation intelligence.
• Enterprise ($39/Months): Tailored for large-scale enterprises, providing customizable solutions, dedicated support, and advanced security features.

2. Sonix

Sonix offers automated transcription services that are fast, accurate, and affordable. With cutting-edge AI technology, Sonix delivers searchable and editable transcripts from audio and video files within minutes, making transcription feel like magic.

Key Features of Sonix are:

• Speed: Receive automated transcripts in minutes, not hours, allowing you to save time and increase efficiency.
• Automated Transcription: Quickly convert audio and video files to text.
• Translation: Translate transcripts into different languages.
• Subtitling: Split transcripts into subtitles for videos.
• AI-Generated Summaries: Generate summaries of transcripts automatically.
• Sharing and Publishing: Easily share and publish transcripts with others.
• Integration: Seamlessly integrate Sonix with other software for enhanced functionality.

Pricing & Plans:

• Standard (Pay-as-you-go): $10 per hour, perfect for project-based work.
• Premium (Subscription): $5 per hour plus $22 per user/month, ideal for frequent transcription needs with advanced collaboration tools.
• Enterprise (Subscription): Custom pricing for high-volume transcription with advanced user controls and content analysis.

3. Youtube Transcript AI Summary

The YouTube Transcript AI Summary Chrome extension offers seamless integration with YouTube, automatically generating summarized transcripts for video content. This tool is designed to save time and enhance productivity by providing concise summaries of lengthy YouTube videos.

Key Features of YouTube Transcript AI Summary are:

• Seamless Integration: The extension seamlessly integrates with YouTube, allowing users to access summarized transcripts directly from video pages.
• Summarization of Video Content: Using advanced AI algorithms, the extension generates concise summaries of video content. This feature is ideal for users who want to quickly grasp the key points of a video without watching the entire duration.
• Time-Saving: By providing summarized transcripts, the extension helps users save time by eliminating the need to watch lengthy videos in their entirety. Users can quickly scan the summary to determine if the video contains relevant information.

Pricing:

The YouTube Transcript AI Summary Chrome extension is free to use, making it accessible to all users without any cost barriers.

4. Otter AI

Meeting GenAI transforms the meeting experience by providing automated meeting notes, summaries, action items, and a chat feature powered by Otter AI. With its seamless integration, advanced features, and flexible pricing plans, Meeting GenAI is the ultimate solution for enhancing collaboration and productivity in meetings.

Key Features of Otter AI are:

AI Meeting Assistant:

• Get automated meeting notes and summaries with action items using OtterPilot.
• OtterPilot auto-joins Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams meetings to automatically take notes, enabling everyone to participate freely.
• Follow along live on the web or on the iOS or Android app.

Otter AI Chat:

• Chat with Otter to get answers and generate content like emails and status updates across all your meetings.
• Otter AI Chat enhances collaboration and productivity by providing instant answers and assistance.

AI Channels:

• Combine live conversations with async updates.
• Chat with Otter and teammates to get answers and drive projects forward seamlessly.

Automated Meeting Notes:

• Condense a 1-hour meeting into a 30-second summary, keeping everyone informed and on track.
• Skip the tedious task of composing action item emails as Otter automatically captures and assigns action items with complete context from the discussion.

Use Case As Seen In:

• Sales Teams: OtterPilot for Sales extracts Sales Insights, writes follow-up emails, and pushes call notes to Salesforce and Hubspot.
• Business: Empower everyone to engage and be more productive in meetings with real-time automated notes, summaries, and action items.
• Marketing Teams: Otter automatically assigns action items from cross-functional team meetings, helping everyone stay aligned.
• Recruiting Teams: Otter transcribes and summarizes interviews, reducing the time and effort required to evaluate candidates.
• Media: Otter helps tell stories that matter through automated, real-time transcription.
• Education: Provides faculty and students with real-time captions and notes for in-person and virtual lectures, classes, or meetings.

Plans & Pricing:

Basic: Free

• AI meeting assistant records, transcribes, captures slides, and generates summaries in real-time.
• Otter AI Chat.
• Joins Zoom, MS Teams, and Google Meet.
• 300 monthly transcription minutes.

Pro: $9.17 USD per user/month 

• Everything in Basic plus additional features for better collaboration for small teams.
• 1200 monthly transcription minutes.

Business: $20 USD per user/month

• Everything in Pro plus admin features, organization-wide deployment, and more.
• 6000 monthly transcription minutes.

Enterprise: Schedule a Demo

• Advanced security, control, and support for organizations.
• Everything in Business plus advanced security and compliance controls.

5. MeetGeek

MeetGeek transforms the way you approach meetings by automating meeting summaries, capturing insights, and providing valuable analytics to enhance productivity and collaboration. With MeetGeek, you can focus on meaningful conversations without the hassle of note-taking and manual sharing of meeting minutes.

Key Features of MeetGeek are:

AI Meeting Minutes:

• Automatically transform lengthy meeting recordings into a brief summary of key topics.
• Get a conversation summary, one-paragraph outline of meeting highlights, meeting transcript with timestamps, and auto-tags for action items.

Capture & Share Meeting Insights:

• Easily create highlights from longer meetings and make meeting insights accessible and shareable with your team.
• Capture important information such as sales quotes, customer feedback, tasks, and agreements with just one click.

Find Any Information From Past Meetings:

• Store all meeting notes in a single, searchable, secure location.
• Enrich your library by adding uploaded audio files and generating auto-transcripts.
• Conduct easy keyword searches to recall any detail from past meeting transcripts.

Share Meeting Takeaways Across Your Company:

• Keep colleagues in sync by automatically sharing meeting recordings, summaries, or highlights with relevant departments.
• Share meeting notes with favorite apps like Notion, Trello, and Slack to create a collaborative workspace.

Measure and Uncover Meetings' Weak Points:

• Identify strengths and improvement opportunities for yourself and your team's meetings.
• Measure meeting engagement, efficiency, or burnout, and use top-class tips to improve over time.

Pricing:

• Basic: Free
• Pro: $15 per user per month (Try 14 days for free)
• Business: $29 per user per month
• Enterprise: $59 per user per month (Contact Us)

6. RiverSide

Riverside's AI-powered transcription service offers fast, accurate, and multilingual transcriptions, making it an essential tool for content creators, businesses, and individuals looking to streamline their workflows and enhance productivity. With flexible pricing plans and a comprehensive set of features, Riverside is suitable for a wide range of users, from freelancers to large enterprises.

Key Features of RiverSide are:

99% Accuracy:

• Riverside's AI transcriber ensures almost absolute accuracy, providing word-for-word transcriptions to the last detail. If any mistakes occur, users can easily click to correct them.

Multilingual Support:

• With automatic transcriptions available in over 100 languages and dialects, Riverside accommodates diverse linguistic needs and regional variations.

Fast & Free:

• Transcriptions begin immediately after recording or uploading, eliminating the need for lengthy waiting times. This service is included in all pro and business plans at no additional cost.

Pricing & Plans:

Free:

• Cost: $0 per month (Billed $180 annually)
• Includes: 2 hours of multi-track recordings, full suite of editing tools, up to 720p video quality, Riverside watermark on content, 44.1 kHz audio quality, unlimited single-track recording and editing, magic clips, and unlimited video calls.

Standard:

• Cost: $15 per month (Billed $180 annually)
• Includes: 5 hours of multi-track recordings, full suite of editing tools, up to 4K video quality, no watermark, 48kHz audio quality, screen sharing, and live streaming to social media.

Pro:

• Cost: $24 per month (Billed $288 annually)
• Includes: 15 hours of multi-track recordings, unlimited edits, magic audio, AI transcriptions in 100+ languages, AI-generated show notes, teleprompter for hosts, live chat support, and accept live call-ins.

Business:

• Cost: Contact sales for pricing and more info.

7. Free Subtitles AI

Free Subtitles AI offers a convenient and cost-effective solution for generating subtitles for videos through its easy-to-use platform and support for multiple languages. With its free usage option and additional features available for paid users, it caters to a wide range of users' needs, from individual content creators to businesses looking to expand their audience reach through multilingual content.

Key Features of Free Subtitles AI are:

Easy-to-Use Interface:

• Free Subtitles AI offers a user-friendly interface, making it simple for users to upload their audio or video files and generate subtitles effortlessly.

Support for Various Video Formats:

• The platform supports a wide range of video formats, allowing users to transcribe and translate content from various sources without compatibility issues.

Multilingual Subtitles:

• Free Subtitles AI provides multilingual subtitle generation, enabling users to translate their content into different languages to reach a broader audience.

Pricing:

Free to use.

Usage Limits for Free Users:

• Maximum file size: 300 MB
• Maximum duration: 1 hour
• Transcription model: Whisper Model Medium (High Accuracy)
• Translation model: Open Source M2M_100 Model (Good Accuracy)
• Transcription cancelled when browser tab closed

Paid Use:

Paid users can enjoy additional benefits, including:

• Maximum file size: 10 GB
• Maximum duration: 10 hours
• Advanced transcription model: Whisper Model Large V2 (Best Accuracy)
• Translation options: DeepL, Yandex (Best Accuracy)
• Transcription can run without an open browser tab

8. Whisper UI

WhisperUI is a web application that provides speech-to-text conversion services using OpenAI Whisper technology. Users can easily upload audio files and convert them into text or SRT files for subtitles.

Key Features of Whisper UI are:

Speech to Text Conversion:

• Users can upload audio files in various formats, including MP3, MP4, WAV, and more, and convert them into text using OpenAI Whisper technology.

Text to Speech Conversion:

• The platform allows users to convert text into speech, although specific details about this feature are not provided in the description.

Self-Hosted Option:

• WhisperUI offers a self-hosted option, allowing users to host the application on their own servers for privacy and security.

Pricing:

• Free To Use.

9. Scribie

Scribie is a transcription service that converts spoken audio and video files into text with high accuracy. They offer human-verified transcripts at competitive industry prices, starting at $0.80 per minute, with a guaranteed accuracy of 99% or higher.

Key Features of Scribie are:

Human-Verified Transcripts:

• Scribie employs over 50,000 certified transcribers globally who ensure accurate and reliable transcription of audio and video files.

Confidentiality:

• Access to files is restricted strictly on a need-to-know basis, and all transcribers operate under non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to maintain confidentiality.

Accuracy Guarantee:

• Scribie guarantees a transcription accuracy of 99% or higher, with free re-reviews provided if needed.

Online Editor:

• The browser-based editor allows users to quickly verify transcripts and make any necessary changes before downloading.

Add-Ons:

• Additional services include SRT/VTT subtitle files, strict verbatim transcripts, audio time coding, speaker tracking, and more.

Pricing & Plans:

• Basic: $0.80/min with 24-hour turnaround and 99%+ accuracy for files with clear audio.
• Advanced: For enterprise orders and custom pricing, users can contact Scribie directly.

10. Speak AI

Speak AI offers automated transcription software with advanced features for extracting insights from audio and video files. Trusted by over 1150,000 users and organizations, Speak AI provides accurate AI transcription, keyword and topic insights, and easy sharing of findings.

Key Features of Speak AI are:

AI Transcription:

• Record directly in the app, upload files, or use built-in shareable recorders to transcribe audio and video files quickly.

Fast Turnaround:

• Get transcripts back in as little as 10 minutes, with accuracy rates of up to 95%. Clean up transcripts easily with the built-in editor.

Advanced NLP and AI:

• Gain insights into media files with keyword and topic trends, sentiment analysis, and navigation by keywords. Train the AI with custom vocabulary libraries.

Shareable Media Library:

• Store all transcripts, media, and insights in a central hub for easy access and sharing. Utilize advanced search, tagging, and visualizations.

Integrations:

• Seamless integration with Zoom and Vimeo, along with Zapier templates and Speak APIs for custom automations.

Pricing:

Speak AI offers flexible pricing options tailored to meet the diverse needs of its users. The pricing plans include:

Pay-As-You-Go ($0/Months) :

• This plan is ideal for users who prefer a flexible payment model with no commitments required. It offers pay-as-you-go transcription services, basic functionality, and unlimited storage.

Starter  ($23/Months):

• The Starter plan provides a powerful package for language analysis, offering 10 hours per month, 500K Magic Prompts Char, one premium add-on, and unlimited storage.

Custom:

• For users with specific requirements or larger-scale projects, Speak AI offers custom pricing options. Users can mix and match features to create a plan that perfectly fits their unique needs.

11. TranscribeMe

TranscribeMe provides high-quality transcription services for audio and video content, utilizing a combination of advanced technology and human expertise. Trusted by top brands and thousands of happy customers, TranscribeMe offers accurate transcriptions at competitive rates.

Key Features of TranscribeMe are:

• Human-Edited Transcription: Achieve an average accuracy of 99% or higher with fast and secure transcription services provided by a team of experts.
• AI-Powered Transcription: Benefit from fast, affordable, and accurate transcription powered by AI technology, with rates starting at $0.07 per minute.
• Translation Services: Obtain precise and custom translations in multiple languages, starting at $0.11 per word.
• Security and Compliance: Enjoy top-rated security with proprietary task distribution and workforce management platforms. Workflows comply with HIPAA and GDPR protocols.
• Industry Solutions:Tailored transcription solutions for various industries including AI & Machine Learning, Legal, Medical, Education, Market Research, and Enterprise.

Pricing: 

• Human-Edited Transcription: Starting at $0.79/min, TranscribeMe offers transcripts with an average accuracy of 99%+, delivered fast and securely by experts.
• AI-Powered Transcription: Fast, affordable, and accurate transcription powered by AI, starting at $0.07/min.
• Translation: Precise, accurate, and custom translation in most major languages, starting at $0.11/word.

12. Nova AI

Nova  AI offers an automatic video transcription service that transcodes video audio speech to text with just a few clicks. Their platform allows users to effortlessly generate video transcriptions in multiple languages and dialects, with the option to translate transcriptions and subtitles into 75 different languages.

Key Features of Nova AI are:

• Automatic Transcription: Use the 'Auto Subtitle' function to automatically transcribe the audio of your video within minutes.
• Supported Languages: Transcribe video content in 37 different languages and dialects, with the ability to translate transcriptions into 75 languages.
• Upload Videos Easily: Upload your videos to Nova A.I.'s Creative Studio and initiate the transcription process with ease.
• Export Options: Download your transcriptions in preferred formats such as VTT, SRT, or TXT for easy accessibility and sharing.
• Affordable and Reliable: Nova A.I. offers an affordable solution with a 97% accuracy rate, making it a cost-effective alternative to human transcription services.

Plans and Pricing:

• Free Plan ($0/Months): Ideal for quick projects and short content, includes limited transcription and translation minutes, character limits, and export length.
• Basic Plan  ($8/Months): Perfect for individuals needing simple video editing capabilities, with increased transcription and translation minutes, character limits, and storage.
• Pro Plan  ($14/Months): Suited for professionals and teams working with video and audio content daily, offering even more transcription and translation minutes, character limits, and storage.
• Business Plan  ($44/Months): Tailored for companies managing large volumes of video and audio content, providing extensive transcription and translation minutes, character limits, and storage.

13. Cockatoo

Cockatoo is the fastest and most accurate speech-to-text app available, utilizing cutting-edge machine learning technology to transcribe audio and video files into text with exceptional speed and accuracy.  

Key Features of Cockatoo are:

• Superhuman Accuracy: Achieve up to 99.8% accuracy, surpassing human performance and ensuring precise transcription results.
• Blazing Speed: Transcribe 1 hour of audio in just 2-3 minutes, making Cockatoo 30 times faster than manual transcription methods and quicker than its competitors.
• Transcribe in Multiple Languages: Support for transcription in over 90 languages and dialects, catering to diverse global needs.
• Universal File Compatibility: Easily transcribe audio or video files in any format, with Cockatoo serving as your go-to file-to-text converter.

Plans & Pricing:

• Free Plan: Includes 2 free uploads, 30-minute max transcript length, support for 90+ languages, powerful text editor, and secure storage.
• Pro Plan (29 USD/Month): Offers 10,000 minutes of transcription per month, unlimited file length and uploads, and export options for PDF, DOCX, TXT, or subtitles.
• Business Plan (29 USD/Month): Provides unlimited transcription minutes, team collaboration features, and the ability to add team members for seamless workflow integration.

14. HappyScribe

HappyScribe stands out as a leading platform in transcription and subtitle services, utilizing advanced A.I. technology alongside professional language expertise. Garnering recognition with awards such as the G2 2023 Leader Award and Momentum Leader Award, and boasting a high satisfaction rate of 4.8/5 from over 850 reviews, it's the go-to choice for over 100,000 users and teams of varying sizes.

Features of HappyScribe are:

• No Limits on Uploads: Upload files of any size and length, as HappyScribe's software supports them all.
• Machine Translation: Automatically translate your transcripts and subtitles into the most common languages for broader accessibility.
• Import from Other Platforms: Easily import content from other platforms and synchronize HappyScribe with your existing workflow.
• Workspaces for Collaboration: Create dedicated spaces for collaboration, allowing you to share files with your team seamlessly.
• APIs & Integrations: Integrate HappyScribe with your favorite applications such as Zapier, YouTube, and more for enhanced functionality.

Pricing Plans:

Free:

• Ideal for individuals with basic transcription, subtitling, or translation needs.
• Includes AI transcription, subtitles, and translation with some free trial minutes.

Basic ($10/Months):

• Suitable for individuals with basic language needs.
• Includes 120 minutes per month and export options in TXT, SRT, and Word formats.

Pro ($17/Months):

• Designed for professionals with more recurring language requirements.
• Offers 300 minutes per month, export in +10 formats, and priority chat support.

Business ($29/Months):

• Tailored for professionals and teams with large recurring language needs.
• Includes 600 minutes per month, collaboration features for 3 users, and a 5% discount on human-made services.

15. DeScript

Descript revolutionizes the transcription landscape with its unmatched accuracy, rapid processing speeds, and comprehensive set of editing and collaboration tools. With Descript, users across the spectrum from freelancers to large teams can find a plan that fits their transcription, editing, and collaboration needs perfectly, all while ensuring their data is handled with the utmost care and security.

Features of Descript are:

• Automatic Transcription: Delivering industry-leading accuracy with near-instant results at an affordable cost.
• Automatic Speaker Labels: Utilizing AI-powered Speaker Detective to swiftly assign speaker labels, enhancing clarity and readability.
• Multilingual Support: Accommodating a diverse global audience with transcription services in 22 languages, including but not limited to Spanish, German, French, and many more.
• Privacy and Security: Committing to the highest standards of data protection, ensuring user information remains confidential and secure.
• Cloud Sync: Offering seamless cloud synchronization for easy access and collaboration across different locations, complete with a full version history.
• Import and Sync: Providing the option to import accurate transcriptions and synchronize them perfectly with your media, free of charge.
• Export Options: Enabling users to export their work in various formats to suit their project needs.

Pricing Plans:

Descript's pricing structure is designed to cater to a wide range of needs, from individual creators to large enterprises, with all plans including a rich set of features:

• Basic (Free): Start with the essentials at no cost. Ideal for trying out Descript's basic features.
• Creator: $12/month (billed annually at $144) or $15/month - For individuals and creators needing more comprehensive tools and features.
• Pro: $24/month (billed annually at $288) or $30/month - Offers advanced features for professional users seeking enhanced productivity and collaboration tools.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing for teams of 10 or more, tailored to meet the specific needs of larger organizations requiring enterprise-level solutions and support.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the AI-powered transcription tools have revolutionized the way we transcribe audio and video content, offering efficiency, accuracy, and affordability. 

Whether you're a journalist, researcher, content creator, or business professional, these top 15 AI transcription tools provide the solutions you need to streamline your transcription tasks and elevate your workflow. 

Choose the tool that best fits your needs and unlock the power of AI for transcription today!