Interview Transcription Software

8 Best Interview Transcription Software for Journalists & Researchers

Conducting a great interview requires attention to detail, strong listening skills, and proper preparation. However, it can be challenging to stay on top of note-taking during the interview, especially when you plan on quoting your interviewee and need accurate, exact quotes. 

Fortunately, great interview transcription software can solve many of these challenges by providing an accurate transcript of everything said during the interview, allowing you to quote your source accurately and reference everything discussed.  

In this article, I’ll take you through our top 8 choices of interview transcription software, noting the main features and pricing options.

What Makes Great Interview Transcription Software?

While writing this guide, I compared many features and functions of interview transcription software and narrowed down the options to help you figure out which one suits your current needs. 

Here are the top five features we considered when choosing transcription software for this guide: 

  • Accuracy: An interview transcription won’t be terribly helpful if it’s inaccurate, especially if you’re planning on quoting your interviewee for an article or research paper. As a result, we prioritized transcription software with high accuracy rates, almost always 90% or better. High accuracy is also crucial because it saves you time later when you’re editing your transcription. 

  • Compatibility: As a busy researcher or journalist, you’re often on the go, so compatibility is a significant component in finding the ideal software for your project. We studied different transcription tools to see whether they have options such as mobile apps, Chrome extensions, or the ability to record and transcribe online. 

  • Pricing: Investing in yourself is always worthwhile. However, there is no need to overspend for either overpriced or pricier software for features it offers that you don’t need. When choosing transcription software for this list, we checked if the pricing was competitive with other transcription software providers and what pricing models were available. For example, if you only occasionally transcribe interviews, you may prefer a pay-as-you-go service rather than a subscription model. 

  • Languages: Lastly, we looked at how many languages the software supports. Many programs will only offer English transcriptions. However, some applications support transcribing in over 100 languages and provide the ability to translate transcripts into different languages with just one click.

  • Editing features: No matter what transcription software you choose, you’re likely to need to make occasional edits to the punctuation, spelling, and formatting of the interview transcript. Transcription software should include basic editors. We also prioritized software with additional features like creating reports, memos, and highlights from the transcription. 

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Transcribe Interview to Text

Notta can simply convert your spoken interviews and conversations into text with 98.86% accuracy. This allows you to review and regain understanding from your interview.

Top 8 Interview Transcription Software for Journalists & Researchers

1. Notta

Best for recording, and transcribing interviews, meetings, and online videos.

Notta

Notta is a user-friendly speech-to-text app offering a Chrome extension and mobile app that syncs your transcriptions across devices. Notta boasts over 98.6% accuracy, giving it one of the best accuracy rates available with transcription software.

You can use Notta to record and transcribe live conversations during the interview or upload a recording of the interview for transcription. If you conduct interviews over video calls, Notta has a real-time transcription option for this setup. Notta Bot can be synced with your Google Calendar or Outlook, and automatically join Zoom online meetings. 

Notta has some of the best editing capabilities, including adding images and notes, merging text blocks, changing the playback speed, and transcribing in 58 languages.

If you are a fan of Notion, you’ll love that Notta integrates directly with Notion, allowing you to save interview transcripts quickly to the platform. Notta also provides you with a host of export options, including MP3, SRT, PDF, XLSX, DOCX, and TXT.

Key Features:

  • Syncs interview transcripts across multiple devices.

  • Convenient mobile app and Chrome extension.

  • Add images and comments to the interview transcript.

  • Highlights text as it plays for seamless playback.

  • Automated summaries powered by AI.

  • Collaborative team workspace.

Compatibility: In-browser, iOS, Android, Chrome Extension.

Pricing: Free plan: $0; Pro: $8.25 per month billed annually; Business: $44 per 2 users per month billed annually.

Supported transcription languages: English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Russian, and Chinese, which are a total of 58 supported languages.

Transcribe Every Word and Detail Accurately

Notta accurately records every word and detail spoken during interviews in real time. You can also upload audio or video in any format and get a text transcript back in seconds. Revisit your transcript to double-check or clarify information, 30x faster than human transcription.

2. Microsoft Word

Best for people who have subscribed to Microsoft 365 without requiring high accuracy.

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word, developed by Microsoft, is a widely adopted word-processing software available for Windows, Mac, and mobile devices. Beyond its fundamental word processing capabilities, Microsoft Word provides a plethora of tools for formatting, editing, and collaborating on documents.

One notable feature of Microsoft Word is its integrated speech-to-text functionality, empowering users to dictate text directly into their documents. By simply clicking the "Dictate" button located in the "Home" tab of the ribbon, users can effortlessly convert their spoken words into written text. Furthermore, Microsoft Word seamlessly integrates with other speech-to-text services, such as Azure Cognitive Services and Windows Speech Recognition, enhancing accuracy and allowing for customization according to individual preferences.

Key Features: 

  • Speech-to-text functionality.

  • Formatting and editing tools.

  • Sync audio files to OneDrive.

Compatibility: In-browser (only works on the new Microsoft Edge and Chrome).

Pricing: Free for Microsoft 365 subscribers.

Supported transcription languages: Arabic, English, and French, which work with 80+ locales.

3. Google Docs

Best for individuals already using Google Docs as their primary word processor.

Google Docs

Google Docs Voice Typing is a built-in service that comes pre-installed within Google Docs. The purpose of Google Docs Voice Typing is dictation for notes. However, journalists and reporters can easily use this tool to transcribe live interviews as well. 

In regards to editing tools, Google Docs Voice Typing allows you to edit your transcript within Google Docs using its standard tools. However, it won’t highlight the text or offer audio playback, which is a common feature with many other interview transcription software for journalists and researchers. We like the voice commands option, which allows you to dictate editing and formatting, such as ‘Select paragraph’ or ‘Go to the end of the line.’

The biggest downside to using Google Docs Voice Typing is that you cannot use it after an interview is done. You must activate the software during your interview to create the dictation live. This Google Docs feature is also only available in Chrome browsers, limiting who and how you can use it. 

Key Features: 

  • A large number of supported languages are available.

  • Interview transcription software is free.

  • User-friendly interface.

Compatibility: In-browser.

Pricing: Free.

Supported transcription languages: 119 languages and accents, including Portuguese, English, Polish, Spanish, Thai, Chinese, Arabic, and Italian.

4. Otter.ai

Best for people who need team collaboration.

Otter.ai

Otter is a reputable transcription service used by huge companies like Zoom, Rakuten, Dropbox, and UCLA. Their AI technology continually works to improve interview transcriptions by learning your conversational style and vocabulary, making the transcription more accurate the more you use this software. 

If you conduct interviews over video calls, you’ll like their feature Otter Assistant which allows you to record in-person, hybrid, mobile, and virtual meets. The Otter Assistant can also be synced to a Microsoft or Google Calendar to join your interview, saving you time automatically. It even has a feature that will automatically create a summary of the interview transcript so that you can share highlights of the interview with others. 

Otter is an excellent choice for team-based businesses because it helps you capture insights from meetings and interviews. You can use Otter’s editing tools to quickly annotate, edit, and share your notes and transcripts with your colleagues too. 

Key Features:

  • Interview transcription software is free (basic plan).

  • Team collaboration features.

  • Multiple export options.

  • Speaker identification.

Compatibility: In-browser, iOS, Android, Chrome Extension.

Pricing: Basic plan: Free; Pro plan: $16.99 per month; Business plan: $40 per user per month; Enterprise plans available.

Supported transcription languages: English and regional accents.

5. Happy Scribe

Best for creating transcripts and subtitles from audio and video files.

Happy Scribe

Happy Scribe is a transcription and subtitle service with many collaborative features that make sharing interview transcripts with your colleagues easier. You can choose to share your transcripts in a view-only or edit mode to protect the integrity of your interview or allow it to be edited by the interviewee. To use Happy Scribe, record your interview independently, then upload the file to Happy Scribe for transcription. 

Happy Scribe offers automatic and human-made transcription, which fluctuates between a guaranteed 85% and 99%, respectively. For the integrity of your interview, you may choose to opt for the human-made transcription to ensure your interviewee is fairly represented. However, please note that this is the more expensive price point. 

Overall, Happy Scribe is a reputable company trusted by over 100,000 users worldwide. Its team-friendly functions, such as the ability to make spaces for file sharing with your team and many available integrations are some of its key highlights. 

Key Features: 

  • Protects and privates transcripts.

  • Automated and Human-made subtitles, translation, and captioning.

  • Integrates with Zapier, YouTube, and more.

Compatibility: In-browser.

Pricing: $0.20 for automatic transcription, $2.00 per minute for human-made transcriptions, custom pricing available, students receive 25% off automatic options.

Supported transcription languages: 68 languages, including English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Polish, German, and Dutch

6. 3Play Media

Best for researchers in technology, healthcare, and law.

3Play Media

3Play Media is known as a captioning solution. However, their transcriptions are highly secure, HIPAA-compliant, and accessibility-compliant, making them an excellent choice for researchers in medical, law, or other sensitive industries. They are trusted by over 10,000 customers, including Peloton, The Home Depot, and Oracle. 

You can also preload special instructions for each file-sharing technician jargon you may use throughout the interview to ensure your transcription has an even higher accuracy rate. One thing to remember is that 3PlayMedia is not an automatic transcription service.

Depending on the turnaround option you pay for, you will need to wait anywhere between two hours, eight hours, one business day, two business days, or four business days for your transcription to complete. If you create video content, you may also like 3PlayMedia’s close captioning service, which can make your videos more accessible and improve SEO. 

Key Features: 

  • 99% accuracy for all transcripts.

  • Accessibility and HIPAA-compliant.

  • Integrates with many applications, including Zoom, YouTube, Vimeo, and more.

Compatibility: In-browser.

Pricing: Express plan is $2.95 per minute for English transcription, Pro and Enterprise plans are customized to your needs.

Supported transcription languages: English, Spanish, 20+ languages in total

7. Temi

Best for people who want a fast turnaround for transcription.

Temi

Temi is a speech-to-text transcription service that works in five minutes to create an interview transcript. This quick turnaround time makes it an excellent choice for researchers and journalists with tight deadlines. 

Temi’s software is trusted by over 100,000 customers, including The San Diego Union-Tribune, The University of Texas, PBS, and ESPN, demonstrating its positive reputation. 

After you upload your interview audio or video file, you can edit your transcript with built-in timestamps and speaker identification. Then, you can download, save, and export the transcript in various formats. 

Temi does offer a free trial for a transcript under 45 minutes, with access to all features. 

Key Features: 

  • 90% to 95% accuracy rate.

  • Transcript marked with custom timestamps.

  • Data encrypted secure platform.

  • Multiple export options, including MS Word, PDF, SRT, VTT, and more.

Compatibility: In-browser, iOS, Android.

Pricing: Free trial, pre-purchase basis payments of $0.25 per minute.

Supported transcription languages: English

8. Trint

Best for people who want to turn research into video content.

Trint

If you use video content to present your research findings, Trint is an ideal choice. Trint uses AI transcription to turn audio and video files into text. Many of its features are geared towards content creators, but they would also be helpful for any professional interested in creating content from their research or collaborating with others. This software is also trusted by prestigious brands like The Washington Post and Nike. 

All the transcripts stored in Trint are searchable, editable, and kept in a collaborative doc form that makes it easy to share with a team. Trint’s edit tools allow you to highlight key quotes from the transcript and craft a solid narrative to share with others.

We like that Trint offers an iOS app because it makes capturing live interviews or phone calls more manageable, saving you time when setting up your interview. You can also pause the subscription plan at any time if you don’t need to transcribe interviews that month. However, you will be charged a $5 fee for each paused month in return for Trint storing your files securely. 

Key Features: 

  • ISO-certified security.

  • Editor integrates with content creation tools like Adobe Premiere.

  • Edit and generate closed captions.

  • Built-in search functions.

Compatibility: In-browser, iOS, Android.

Pricing: Free trial available, Starter plan $60/month for 1 - 3 users, Advanced plan $75/month for 1 - 15 users, Enterprise plan is custom pricing, Annual plans available for reduced rates.

Supported transcription languages: Trint supports over 30 languages, including English, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Danish, Chinese Mandarin, Spanish, and more.

Top Interview Transcription Software: At a Glance

Now that we have covered the top interview transcription software to help you convert audio and video to text in detail, we compare and contrast them to help you decide the best one. 

Product Compatibility Price Range Best For Supported Transcription Languages
Notta In-browser, iOS, Android, Chrome Extension Free plan: $0; Pro: $8.25 per month billed annually; Business: $44 per 2 users per month billed annually. Recording, and transcribing interviews, meetings, and online videos. 58
Microsoft Word In-browser (only works on the new Microsoft Edge and Chrome). Free for Microsoft 365 subscribers. People who have subscribed to Microsoft 365 without requiring high accuracy. 80+
Google Docs In-browser. Free. Individuals already using Google Docs as their primary word processor. 119
Otter.ai In-browser, iOS, Android, Chrome Extension. Basic plan: Free; Pro plan: $16.99 per month; Business plan: $40 per user per month; Enterprise plans available. People who need team collaboration. English.
Happy Scribe In-browser. $0.20 for automatic transcription, $2.00 per minute for human-made transcriptions, custom pricing available, students receive 25% off automatic options. Creating transcripts and subtitles from audio and video files. 68
3Play Media In-browser. Express plan is $2.95 per minute for English transcription, Pro and Enterprise plans are customized to your needs. Researchers in technology, healthcare, and law. 20+
Temi In-browser, iOS, Android. Free trial, pre-purchase basis payments of $0.25 per minute. People who want a fast turnaround for transcription. English
Trint In-browser, iOS, Android. Free trial available, Starter plan $60/month for 1 - 3 users, Advanced plan $75/month for 1 - 15 users, Enterprise plan is custom pricing, Annual plans available for reduced rates. People who want to turn research into video content. 30+

FAQs

How can I transcribe an interview quickly?

To transcribe an interview quickly, you can utilize Notta's transcription service. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to transcribe an interview using Notta for free:

  1. Visit the Notta website at https://www.notta.ai/en.

  2. Create a Notta account by clicking on the "Start for Free" button or logging in if you already have an account.

  3. Once logged in, you'll be directed to the Notta Web dashboard.

  4. On the right side of the dashboard, click on "Import Files" to initiate the transcription process.

  5. Choose the desired audio language for transcription.

  6. Drag and drop your interview audio file into the designated area or select the file from your computer.

  7. Notta will start the speech-to-text conversion process immediately.

  8. After the transcription is complete, you can export the transcript in various formats such as TXT, DOCX, SRT, or PDF by clicking on "Export."

  9. You can effortlessly share the transcription with others by providing them with a simple link.

What transcription methods can be used to transcribe an interview?

You can use a few transcription methods to transcribe an interview, including manual transcription and automated transcription. Manual transcription is time-consuming and will be challenging as you’ll need to write or type everything said during the interview verbatim, or you’ll need to take additional time after the interview to transcribe the interview while you listen to a recording. 

However, the automated transcription that transcribes the interview recording can save you a lot of time and frustration. Transcription software takes a live conversation or audio file and converts it into a transcript for you. Many of these transcription software programs are highly accurate and will only need minimal editing afterward to review the transcription. 

What are the different types of transcription?

The different types of transcription include edited transcription, verbatim transcription, phonetic transcription, and intelligent verbatim transcription.

  1. An edited transcription is the most accurate and complete transcription because it has been edited and formatted, so it’s free of grammatical mistakes, incomplete sentences, and slang.

  2. A verbatim transcription is the least polished because it’s an exact copy of the spoken language from the audio or video files. This type of transcription will include throat clearing and verbal pauses, such as “uh.” It will also indicate laughter or sarcasm.

  3. An intelligent verbatim transcription is the same as a verbatim transcription, but it excludes repetitions and filler words. However, some data, like the emotion behind what was being said, is lost during intelligent verbatim transcription.

  4. A phonetic transcription demonstrates how words are actually said in the English language. Instead of using the 26 letters in the English alphabet, it will also include the 44 unique sounds known as phonemes. This type of transcription can help indicate how words are pronounced, especially if you’re studying or dealing with multiple dialects. 

How long does it take to transcribe a one-hour interview?

On average, it takes four hours to transcribe a one-hour interview if you’re making the transcription manually and not a skilled professional. However, using an interview transcription software like Notta can save you hours of time transcribing the interview by generating a transcription for you. 

What is the most common method for transcribing an interview?

Convert Audio to Text

The best online audio to text converter helps you to transcribe audio files to text with 98.86% accuracy.

Conclusion

Using interview transcription software saves you a lot of time. It creates a more accurate interview record than many of us would be able to produce manually transcribing the interview. After all, you don’t want to risk misquoting someone or inaccurately representing information in your research paper or article. 

Before choosing an interview transcription software, take time to assess what features are most important to you. If you’re on the go a lot, a mobile app may be a must-have for you. Consider if you need transcription software that offers live transcription too. Do you often work on tight deadlines and need interview material now, or can you wait a few hours before you receive your interview transcription? 

Notta is an excellent choice for creating interview transcriptions because it offers a mobile app, Chrome extension, and browser functionality. You also have a comprehensive suite of editing, export, and collaboration tools at your disposal, allowing you to have the best of both worlds. 

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