Express Scribe vs. Otter.ai

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

Otter.ai is an excellent tool for any public speaker who would like to obtain a written transcript of a message they have given. It is helpful as well for providing a written transcript of a recorded conversation, especially if you need to provide a record of what was said to you in a sensitive discussion that you happened to legally record on your phone. The one scenario I would not recommend using Otter.ai for would be if one needed this audio recording quickly, as it does take some time to upload the recording (and then possibly format it).

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

• Provides excellent audio transcriptions.
• Helps spoken communicators assess their messages.
• Provides accurate spacing in the transcript where there are pauses in the recording.

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

• Customer service is terrible--zero customer interaction.
• Billing system is questionable--was billed for two other accounts just because they were connected to my company.
• Slow to take care of billing issues.

Incentivized

Otter.ai is in a recording category of its own. There are a few other apps on the app store that allow for recording transcription. But not to the level or other added features Otter.ai adds. I think the software is really good for business processes and procedures and can help a lot of people out.

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

• It has allowed us to transcribe videos more quickly, providing a time savings.
• We can transcribe a number of media pieces that we can then use the transcribed content across platforms as needed

Incentivized