As an Internet Marketer, I have developed audio recordings of business tips, and many training videos.  So I began to think about another way to re-purpose that content.  Such as turning them into transcripts and re-purposing them as an ebook, a seven-step series on “how to” do whatever I was discussing, or a free tips sheet for my opt-in box.

I had used a virtual assistant in the past to to listen to the audio and transcribe it for me. Which took several hours to complete and was very costly.  I needed something quick and easy (and free would be great too!).  After some research, I found VoiceBase.  This free web-based program allows you to upload files manually into VoiceBase or automatically through their API.  They support many different file types and accept files up to 750MB.  You can also record audio or video directly from your computer using your microphone and webcam and upload it to VoiceBase.

VoiceBase has a unique feature in that you can “search” your uploaded files by typing in your keywords.  Also, there is a public search feature where you can find public radio and podcasters who have content on VoiceBase.

The free version allows you to store your files for one year.  Any time during that one year period you can choose to permanently store your files for around $1 per hour of audio.  Also available for an additional cost is human transcribing, which takes approximately three days to complete.

I uploaded a couple of webinars that I had previously done.  They were 45 minutes to 1 hour in length.  Both files uploaded quickly and in less than two hours, the transcripts were complete.  I didn’t see an easy way to save a file, so I just copied and pasted it into a Word document.  The transcribed content is not usable and will have to be reviewed extensively in order for it to be re-purposed.  However, they did state that the clearer your audio is, the better the transcript will be.  So I’m not giving up on this program as a great resource.  Keeping in mind that I should speak clearly and slower, I believe the next audio that I upload will produce a much better transcript.

VoiceBase also has a free iPhone App so that you can record from your phone.  Overall, I like it and will continue to use it for now.  What program are you currently using for audio to text conversions?