Express Scribe vs. GarageBand

It has a free trial, which is very nice if someone just needs temporary access to use, and it's not an expensive program overall. It may not be the most robust program available, but it gets the job done at a good price point. It might not be the best if you need something that allows transcriptionists to collaborate (i.e., working on the same file at the same time).

Incentivized

GarageBand is great for demo tracking for songwriting and and simple audio editing of spoken word or podcast applications. It is also great for making EQ adjustments on audio from other macOS or iOS programs for easy export back into those programs. GarageBand isn't well-suited for mastering, however, and it's a little difficult to get volume levels up in post-production if capture wasn't just right

Incentivized

• Cost efficient - This is a fairly low-cost transcription software that can be downloaded quickly via web
• Easy to use - New users can get the hang of this software pretty quickly
• Customizable - Foot pedal controls and other preferences can be set based on what feels intuitive to the user

Incentivized

• It is easy to edit in the way that you can highlight something and simply delete a part of what you are working on.
• I love that I can drag two or more tracks together to keep them in sync when editing.
• It's not difficult to add a click track when you need it.
• I think the whole process of highlighting, cutting out parts and the basic editing doesn't take huge amounts of time because it seems intuitive.

Incentivized

• Interface - The look and feel of the software is quite dated and could use a refresh
• Enhancing audio - When we need to manipulate an audio file to try to enhance it (amplifying, for example), we have to use another program to do so
• Hotkeys - Setting up hotkeys may not be as intuitive for new users as would be ideal

Incentivized

• Can't save the preferences for the tracks such as turning off reverb etc.
• Project files are large, a 30-minute podcast episode with only 4 tracks is typically around 1 GB
• Auto feature to silence guest not talking
• Optimize for podcasters (I use the old version 6 as new versions hasn't had podcast options)

Incentivized

It's dang simple for anybody who knows even a little about recording software. It's not something just anyone can open and immediately be a professional at, but things are clearly marked, the help documentation is great, and it's easy to explore and discover functionality that can aid in your production workflow.

Incentivized

I have never tried it. It's just simple, and you should be able to navigate most of it via self-exploration and Apple Help.

Incentivized

Adobe Audition is another great audio editing/recording software, in fact it is much better compared to GarageBand and has much more effects. However, it has a pretty large price tag while GarageBand is completely free. Also, Adobe Audition has a very steep learning curve which makes it hard for our staff to get used to the software. Considering all this and after deep analysis we decided to opt for GarageBand, well at least for now. We may change in the future depending on our needs.

Incentivized

• Very few 'inaudibles' (spots where we're unable to decipher what was said)
• Transcribing allows analysts to read scripts rather than listen to audio files, which saves time and money
• Low cost of software

Incentivized

• Amazing value
• Very easy to get started
• For novices and professionals alike
• Loops library is simply awesome
• Export capabilities very effective to share tracks

Incentivized