AI transcription converts spoken words in videos and audio files into text. What used to require human transcribers now happens automatically in minutes.
Here’s what you need to know.
How It Works
Modern transcription uses speech recognition models trained on millions of hours of audio. You upload a file, the AI listens, and text comes out.
The best models handle:
- Multiple speakers
- Background noise
- Accents and dialects
- Technical terminology (with varying success)
Accuracy ranges from 85-95% depending on audio quality and content. Clear recording, single speaker, common vocabulary = better results.
When Transcription Matters
Searchability: Text is searchable. Video isn’t. Transcribe your content and suddenly you can find that one thing someone said in a 3-hour meeting.
Accessibility: Captions make content accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers. Many platforms require them.
Repurposing: Turn video content into blog posts, social media quotes, documentation. The transcript is your starting point.
Note-taking: Stop trying to capture everything in meetings. Let transcription handle it and focus on participating.
FileGrab’s Transcription Feature
FileGrab Pro includes automatic transcription for uploaded audio and video files.
How it works:
- Upload an audio or video file to your link
- Transcription runs automatically in the background
- View the transcript alongside the file
- Search across all transcripts on a link
What makes it different:
- Bulk transcription (process multiple files at once)
- Search across all files on a link
- Transcripts stay with files (no separate download)
- Included in Pro ($10/month, not per-minute billing)
Service Comparison
| Service | Pricing | Speed | Accuracy | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FileGrab | $10/mo (included) | Fast | Good | Bulk uploads |
| Otter.ai | $17-40/mo | Real-time | Good | Meetings |
| Rev | $1.50/min | Fast | Excellent | Professional |
| Descript | $12-24/mo | Fast | Good | Content creators |
| Whisper (local) | Free | Slow | Good | Privacy |
Bulk Transcription
Most services process one file at a time. Upload, wait, download, repeat.
FileGrab processes files in parallel. Upload 50 recordings, come back later, all transcripts ready. For researchers, podcasters, or anyone with backlogs, this saves hours.
Use cases:
- Research interviews (dozens of hours of footage)
- Podcast seasons (transcribe an entire back catalog)
- Meeting archives (make historical recordings searchable)
- Training videos (create searchable knowledge base)
Searching Transcripts
Text search across video content changes how you work with recordings.
Instead of scrubbing through hours of video looking for “that part where they mentioned the budget,” search for “budget” and jump directly to that moment.
FileGrab’s cross-file search lets you search across all transcripts on a link. Find which of your 50 interview recordings mentions a specific topic.
Accuracy Tips
Audio quality matters most:
- External microphone beats laptop mic
- Quiet rooms beat noisy ones
- Closer to speaker is better
Speaker clarity:
- Speaking clearly improves accuracy
- One speaker at a time reduces errors
- Announcing names helps identify speakers
Post-processing:
- Review and correct critical sections
- AI is 90%+ accurate, not perfect
- Names and technical terms need checking
When to Pay for Human Transcription
AI transcription is good enough for most uses. Pay for human transcription when:
- Legal or medical content (accuracy is critical)
- Poor audio quality (humans handle noise better)
- Heavy accents or dialects
- Multiple overlapping speakers
- Public-facing captions (polish matters)
Rev and similar services offer human transcription at $1.50/minute.
Privacy Considerations
Transcription means sending audio to servers for processing. For sensitive content:
FileGrab: Audio processed on secure infrastructure, deleted after transcription.
Local processing: Run Whisper locally for maximum privacy (slower, requires setup).
Human services: Humans listen to your audio. Fine for most content, not for truly confidential material.
Getting Started
- Assess your backlog: How much content needs transcription?
- Pick a service: Occasional use vs. bulk processing needs different tools.
- Start with recent content: Transcribe new recordings as they come in.
- Search, don’t watch: Use transcripts to navigate instead of scrubbing video.
For bulk transcription with file sharing built in, try FileGrab. Upload files, transcription happens automatically, search across everything.