Have you ever used a transcription app? Many people might have a vague idea about transcription apps but have never actually used one.
By using a transcription app, it becomes easier to communicate smoothly with people who are hearing impaired.
This time, we will introduce six transcription apps that help achieve barrier-free communication. If you're unsure about which transcription app to use, please refer to this guide.
1. Challenges Faced by Hearing Impaired Individuals
Some hearing impaired individuals use hearing aids to engage in conversations, but not all sounds are necessarily audible to them. This can lead to misunderstandings, such as assuming they are ignoring you when you call out to them.
Since communication through voice or sound is challenging, it is necessary to express intentions in ways that are visually understandable, such as through text or gestures.
Specific methods of communication include sign language, written communication, lip reading, air writing, gestures, and finger spelling.
However, all of these require special training to master and use freely, and they may not convey information instantly, which can be inconvenient.
This is where transcription apps come in handy. Essentially, a transcription app is an application that uses AI voice recognition to automatically transcribe conversations.
While transcription apps are often used for meeting notes, using them in daily conversations can facilitate smooth communication with hearing impaired individuals.
2. Must-Have Voice Recognition Apps for the Workplace: 6 Recommended Picks
2-1. Unmatched Accuracy for Meeting Notes: "Group Transcribe"
"Group Transcribe" is a well-known free app under the Microsoft brand.
Group Transcribe can only be used in real-time and allows transcription of conversations with large groups. A major attraction is its ability to display who said what and when. Additionally, you can review the conversation afterward.
This eliminates the need to take notes or try to remember the conversation, allowing you to enjoy the conversation purely.
Furthermore, Group Transcribe supports approximately 80 languages, instantly translating conversations in languages you don't know. It's incredibly convenient to have it translate immediately when spoken to in a language other than Japanese.
All these amazing features of Group Transcribe are available for free. If you're even slightly interested, why not download it and give it a try?
Reference: Group Transcribe｜Microsoft
2-2. Integrate with Zoom: "UD Talk"
"UD Talk" is an app with "speech recognition + speech synthesis" features, making it easy to use for visually impaired individuals.
UD Talk gained attention after being used in the 2022 Fuji TV drama "Silent." Some of you might have seen it in the drama.
UD Talk supports conversations with large groups and multilingual translation. Besides speech recognition, it also allows communication through keyboard input and handwriting.
Moreover, the transcription settings can convert everything into hiragana or select the level of kanji conversion from elementary to junior high school, making it user-friendly for young children.
With this app, people of all ages can enjoy communication. It's highly recommended for those who work with young children.
Additionally, using a subtitle editor can further streamline transcription.
In terms of barrier-free communication, UD Talk is a reliable app.
Reference: UD Talk｜Shamrock Records Co., Ltd.
2-3. AI Writing Tool Strong in SEO: "Transcope"
"Transcope" is an app that allows easy transcription of recorded audio and YouTube videos using AI.
It was created to meet the demand for YouTube transcription, enabling easy AI transcription of recorded audio, YouTube videos, and more.
Transcope also features a competitive analysis function, allowing automatic generation of content that ranks higher on Google searches.
By combining SEO functions with GPT-4, it can automatically generate SEO-optimized text, setting it apart from regular transcription apps.
It supports various sources such as URLs, image files, and audio, providing features for efficient text creation.
With plans ranging from a free version to an enterprise version for companies, you can find a plan that suits you.
Reference: Transcope｜Sharemore Co., Ltd.
2-4. Easy for Anyone to Use! Known for Its Usability: "Speechy"
"Speechy" is a transcription app available on Apple devices like iPhones and iPads.
The appeal of Speechy lies in its ability to transcribe in real-time, as well as transcribe audio files recorded with other apps and share transcriptions with other apps.
Being able to share important meeting content or everyday conversations you want to keep as memories with others later is a very convenient feature.
Currently, translation in over 88 languages is also possible, which seems useful not only for conversations but also for language learning.
The app's operations are simple and user-friendly, and you can customize the size of the text on the screen and the script in hiragana or katakana.
The ability to adjust it freely to your liking is one of the app's attractions.
Reference: Speechy｜Shenghui Jin
2-5. Convenient Paid Version! "Notta"
"Notta" is a transcription app that can reduce the time spent creating meeting minutes by 97%.
Notta is not only useful for everyday conversations but also offers many features beneficial for work and study.
In addition to real-time transcription, it allows recording of web meetings and transcription of audio files. It supports 104 languages.
Moreover, it offers convenient features not found in other apps, such as tagging transcribed data, exporting in TXT, DOCX, SRT, PDF, EXCEL formats, and saving audio data only.
Additionally, it has a team workspace feature for collaborative management of information with multiple people, allowing for secure work with access restrictions.
Notta is basically free to use, but some features mentioned are available only to paid members.
There are also discounts for hearing impaired individuals, students, staff, and organizations, as well as a 3-day free trial for paid membership, making it user-friendly. Why not give it a try?
Reference: Notta: Automatic Transcription Service｜Notta Co., Ltd.
(※You can check the pricing plans from the menu bar on the site)
2-6. Transcribe Up to 180 Minutes of Recording Data! "LINE CLOVA Note"
"LINE CLOVA Note" is a transcription app developed by LINE WORKS Corporation, known for business LINE services like LINE WORKS.
Using LINE CLOVA's AI voice recognition technology, it achieves highly accurate transcription.
The standout feature of LINE CLOVA Note is its more comprehensive editing capabilities compared to other apps.
It includes features like "noise reduction" to make audio easier to listen to, adjustable playback speed, text editing of converted text, file downloads, and issuing share links for transcribed data.
It can upload and transcribe up to 180 minutes of audio, making it useful even for long meetings.
Share links come with link passwords, so the risk of information leakage is low, allowing for safe sharing.
Additionally, features like bookmarking transcribed notes, searching audio records by words in conversations, and automatic speaker identification make it easy to later confirm who said what and when.
This makes it very convenient for summarizing meeting content later. Why not use it for both daily conversations and work?
Reference: CLOVA Note｜LINE Corporation
3. Innovate Your Communication with Hearing Impaired Individuals!
In the past, communication with hearing impaired individuals mainly relied on sign language and written communication. Nowadays, there are online sign language classes, making it easier to learn sign language.
Meanwhile, transcription accuracy has improved, and the demand for voice recognition apps is increasing.
There are even cases where voice recognition apps have been implemented in companies and government offices.
Feedback from users includes comments like "It's easier to join meetings," "Understanding of discussions has improved, enhancing work quality," and "Communication has improved." These tools have proven effective in overcoming communication barriers.
Even if you can't communicate directly through voice, using the apps introduced here can expand your communication options. Find the app that suits you and try using it in conversations with hearing impaired individuals.
4. In Conclusion
This time, we introduced six voice recognition apps. All the apps introduced are free to use (some features are paid) and allow for real-time transcription. Please consider using them when conversing with hearing impaired individuals.
Ayumi also features other articles related to barrier-free topics. In addition to service and app introductions, there are interview articles, so please read them for reference.
