This is often the top reason journalists seek a transcription service: If we can spend more time reporting and writing, and less time transcribing interviews, that’s a win. We tested each of these in the transcription services to explore different formats, languages and background noise. We tested one professional recorded English interview, a Spanish interview recorded as an iPhone video, as well as a Zoom interview recorded with smartphones.

We partnered with KBIA to run an audio interview through each of these services: Parrot AI, Otter AI, Google Pinpoint, Rev and Sonix. While we could not test every AI transcription service out there, we chose five options that we found highly recommended and/or free alternatives with unique tools that could be helpful in day-to-day reporting. Otter still cannot transcribe non-English languages, and the paid levels are not always an affordable choice for smaller newsrooms or freelancers.

But with the departure of their unrestricted free version, journalists have realized that Otter has limitations that make it worth it to look around at other emerging options. The popular transcription platform has saved us loads of time by transforming recorded interviews into transcripts that are editable, searchable and shareable. For many, Otter.ai has been a loyal friend for years.

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