Anybody using otter.ai?

[Situation]

Been using https://turboscribe.ai/

Very accurate.

 

[SixToe]

Otter AI fanboi here. Wonderful time-saver. Still requires editing and cleanup if the recording is spotty, but we should be doing those things anyway.

I have a lot of old micro cassette tapes (yes, I’m ancient) and am trying to figure out how to use Otter for those.

I hate all the extra **** they have on there like “integrate your meetings calendar!” but I know that’s just part of it.

 

[justgladtobehere]

Are you a bot? You seem like a bot.

He's part of the AI that SJ.com is developing before it goes public.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

I've yet to have a good experience with Otter. It does not come close to 100% accuracy, so you're either wasting time cleaning **** up on deadline, or wasting time cleaning **** up on a longer transcript. Better to just listen to the recording and grab what you need on deadline or grin and bear it and transcribe a longer recording so that you don't have to waste time on the back end re-listening and cleaning up the mistakes.

 

[SoloFlyer]

I've yet to have a good experience with Otter. It does not come close to 100% accuracy, so you're either wasting time cleaning **** up on deadline, or wasting time cleaning **** up on a longer transcript. Better to just listen to the recording and grab what you need on deadline or grin and bear it and transcribe a longer recording so that you don't have to waste time on the back end re-listening and cleaning up the mistakes.

The transcription helps me jump through an interview on deadline. You can click or tap on a word in a conversation and pick up the audio from there, and if it needs cleaned up, it's easier to do that in small chunks than scrubbing through the entire interview.

It's not perfect, but it's solid as long as the audio quality is half decent.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

Are you a bot? You seem like a bot.

You mean like Drip seemed to be like Boots?

 

[John]

The transcription helps me jump through an interview on deadline. You can click or tap on a word in a conversation and pick up the audio from there, and if it needs cleaned up, it's easier to do that in small chunks than scrubbing through the entire interview.

It's not perfect, but it's solid as long as the audio quality is half decent.

This has pretty much been my experience, too. It definitely helps me with interviews lasting more than 20 minutes, and I do a lot of those. Any parts that are clearly a bit off or read different from what I remember, I'll go back and listen. I've come around from my initial reaction to it.

 

[Danwriter]

Been using https://turboscribe.ai/

Very accurate.

Rev.com —fast, ~90% accurate (even for the tech stuff), and $0.25/minute.

 

[Bubbler]

That sounds like a great tool! I haven't used otter.ai myself, but the idea of automating transcription seems like a real time-saver, especially for interviews, meetings, and press conferences. The fact that it can work with Zoom and YouTube recordings is particularly useful, as it removes the need for manual transcription.

I imagine it would be a big help if you're dealing with a lot of audio or video content, and it could really streamline the reporting process. I'd love to hear more about how it works once you get a chance to test it out. If it lives up to the hype, it could be a game changer for many people in content creation, journalism, and even business.

I put it to you that you have disobeyed the prime directive. You are harmful to the body.

As for Otter, I use it, but within reason. If you're expecting perfect transcripts, forget it. If you want something that saves you some typing at times, it's useful.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

You mean like Drip seemed to be like Boots?

Stay on topic and have a happy Otter day.

 

[Bubbler]

Also, the recording device built in on most iPhones will do a transcript now too. It's very basic, but can be helpful.

The transcript itself is far from perfect, and none of these transcripts should ever go into a story without time-consuming vetting by the reporter, but as others have noted, it's useful if you're trying to find something quickly.

 

[spikechiquet]

Otter user here, especially for my long-form Q&As or feature interviews that can reach an hour. I like the summary it gives and it helps me in finding pieces of an interview that I may spin off from the main article into sidebars later down the line.

I do find it funny it always assuming my interviews are meetings and it gives me a list of "actionable items" (or some term like that) at the top of the summary, like I was talking to my boss and not a subject for a story. LOL

 

[SixToe]

Seeking an alternative to Otter, which I've used for a few years and currently use the paid version.

I'm sick of all the add-on crap, or if I accidentally touch my keypad it starts playing. Or it wants to add meetings and update my calendar and **** I don't want or need.

Anything that's truly simple - record, transcribe, see transcript - for a nominal price, or are we just where we are with all of this?

 

[motorsportwriter]

I used Otter for about three years but got frustrated with some of its limitations, especially transcribing the right words or names. When you have to keep going back to the audio to make sure what is said in the transcript is accurate, that's wasting valuable time.

I switched about a year ago to TurboScribe and have never looked back. It is much better and more accurate -- it even comes with three different "speeds" of transcription that range from normal to super precise.

 

[MNgremlin]

I switched about a year ago to TurboScribe and have never looked back. It is much better and more accurate -- it even comes with three different "speeds" of transcription that range from normal to super precise.

I found TurboScribe after I started covering school board and city council meetings. It also isn't perfect, but close enough that I can usually rely on it (mistakes are usually quite obvious). I always try to give at least one extra listen to the audio just in case, because I struggle to fully trust any AI at this point.

My phone's recording app also usually offers transcripts, as another option.