Best Free Audio to Text Converters

I needed an app to convert an audio file into a text document when I was interviewing our guest Chris Pirillo last time. My objective was to avoid typing every word he spoke instead of wasting time on it. After carefully searching the Internet, I found several good apps that could automatically convert audio files (in MP3, WMA, or M4A formats) into text documents. Now they’re available for you to see.

If your are searching text to speech converter, then the best tool is texttospeechonline.org. Visit and try it yourself.

1.VOICEBASE

In the past, Voicebase was the most popular voice-to-text technology available. Since 2019, sound-to-text converters are no longer free. It is now offering audio transcription APIs and speech analytics for a fee. So here are the tools you should use instead of the Voicebase part.

Companies and individuals can use VoiceBase to convert voice to text online. VoiceBase is an online service that mainly caters to business and corporate clients. However, ordinary users, like me, can use it for free to convert a voice recording to a text file. Beginning in January 2016, all new users are given a free account with a $60 credit and the ability to store up to 50 hours of audio. Transcribing a 10-second speech costs about $0.01. VoiceBase’s machine audio transcripts are high in quality since it uses smart speech recognition.

Depending on the original soundtrack and the accent of the speaker, the final text quality will vary. US English pronunciation is seamlessly understood by VoiceBase. When the text is spoken clearly, it is almost like it was written by hand. You will have to review the transcript or hire someone for the next checkup if the interviewer mumbles or lisps. The good news is that you can order human transcripts directly through your VoiceBase account. A video can be converted to text as well!

Spanish (including the Latin American edition) is supported by this audio-to-text converter. Using VoiceBase, you can convert speech into text quickly and easily. It is easy to navigate the website and you go from step to step smoothly:

  1. Visit www.voicebase.com. Then click the green Upload a file button in the middle of the page.
  2. Sign up for a free VoiceBase account. Click on the Sign-Up button and enter your name and email address. To access VoiceBase, you need to confirm your account via email.
  3. You can upload your file by clicking the green Upload button.
  1. Audio and video files in supported formats can be added. Join audio or video segments if necessary. Name the file, add a description, choose a file-sharing option (Private/Public), and choose Machine Transcription.
  • Using Freemake’s Audio Converter, you can create VoiceBase compatible audio files.
  • You will be notified by email when your file has been processed. In the My Content tab, you’ll find the file later. To convert a 10-minute audio file in M4A format into a text file, for example, took me about 15 minutes.
  • After you have finished writing the text file, go to the My Content tab in your VoiceBase account and click on the name of the file.

2.Right under your audio file, check the Machine Transcript box.

3.Create a text document by copying and pasting the transcript.

The VoiceBase audio to text converter is fast and easy to use. You can have your speech into a document automatically or manually, it’s suitable for everyone.

2.DRAGON DICTATION

You can also try Dragon Dictation, a voice-to-text converter. This article was dedicated to it. VoiceBase is not the same as Dragon Dictation. Among its features is universal speech recognition for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and other platforms. Desktop versions are paid ($75-150 for home users, $300 for enterprises), but mobile apps are free in the US and Canada.

Dragon Dictation can understand what you say just like Apple’s Siri. The main goal of the app is to memorize your speech notes. Your mobile device can be used to create documents of any length, edit, format, and share them. It has fantastic features, such as the ability to convert audio files to text. The Dragon is capable of handling specialized industry vocabulary.

To do this, follow the steps:

  1. You can now open the software. Drag the Transcribe Audio check box to Transcribe Recording in DragonBar
  2. Then select the person whose voice is in the recording, either me or someone else.
  3. Put the name of the recording in the Input audio file field and the directory path where it is located, or click Browse to navigate to it.
  4. Put a filename for the transcribed output file in the Output text file field as well as the directory path.
  5. When this option is selected, the accuracy of the transcription could be compromised, which is why you should deselect Automatically add commas and periods.
  6. Once the transcription wizard has finished, you will be asked what to do next. Select the needed options and click Done.

A simple audio-to-text converter, Dragon Dictation is so much more than that. Only if you are sure you will use the dictation feature regularly should you invest in it. It’s a good idea to try a free program from the following list for occasional use.

3.SONIX.AI

Transcribing audio online is made possible with Sonix.AI. Free audio to text conversion is available for 30 minutes during the free trial. For occasional use, I think it’s enough. Developers provide full access to all features without requiring a credit card. Simply sign up with your Google account. You can do this with one click. It isn’t expensive to subscribe to the premium account (up to $11.25 per month).

Follow these steps to convert a speech file into a Word document:

  1. Drag and drop the audio (or video!) file into the browser window from your PC or choose it from your Dropbox or Google Drive account.
  2. Select the language that will be spoken while the file is being uploaded. Click the big blue button below.
  3.  Provide some information about the audio quality (about background noise, etc.). Please press Continue to transcribing.
  4. During the preparation of this text file, please wait a short time. Your text can then be reviewed and edited.
  5. Use your PC or Google Drive to download the Word document.

For rare transcriptions, Sonix.ai is brilliant. The text quality is decent and the features aren’t overpowering. Picky users will find this a must-have.

4.INQSCRIBE

This transcription software can be used for free (with limited features), or it can be purchased or tried for 14 days ($99).

The translation of video files, including full-length movies, is also possible. All versions do not have a time limit. Free ones, however, do not include the ability to save and download a text file. The text can still be copied to the clipboard.

All the above-mentioned tools work similarly. The audio to text conversion process begins with adding a multimedia file, choosing a language, and launching it. Transcripts created by InqScribe contain embedded timecodes, which enable instant access to any time within the media file

Additionally, InqScribe offers a flexible editing environment, QuickTime and Windows Media support, customizable keyboard shortcuts for controlling media playback and inserting repetitive text, and a range of import and export options.

Summary: For creating captions and subtitles, InqScribe is like a Swiss knife. When you need to accurately transcribe a long video with further media export capabilities, you should try the evaluation version