How to Transcribe Audio to Text (Step-by-Step)

Students, journalists, marketers, podcasters, researchers, and remote teams around the world all want to know how to transcribe audio to text. If you need a reliable way to turn recordings (or live speech) into clean, searchable notes, this article is for you.

In this guide, you’ll learn step‑by‑step ways to transcribe audio using Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Mac and Windows dictation, iPhone, and AI transcription tools.

What is audio‑to‑text transcription

Transcribing audio to text means converting spoken words from a recording or live conversation into written text so that you can read it, search it, edit it, and share it.

This is especially useful for turning meetings into summaries that you can share with your team, transcribing and annotating lectures at university, creating articles from interviews so you can repurpose them for marketing materials, and doing the same with podcast episodes. It is a fast way to do all of these things without replaying audio over and over, so you can save a lot of valuable time.

Best ways to transcribe audio to text

Before audio transcription tools, you had to listen to audio and type it manually in tools like Word or Google Docs. But nowadays, you can transcribe audio to text automatically with all sorts of AI-powered tools and apps.

Let’s take a look at a few apps you can use to transcribe audio:

1. Transcribe audio to text with Summary AI

Summary AI is a simple platform full of transcription features for people like you. It’s easy to use and you get exactly what you need in seconds. Summary AI lets you upload or record audio and you get accurate word-for-word transcripts as the output with optional notes and summaries as a bonus. The app works across several devices including Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS, and more, and supports formats the most commonly used audio file formats like MP3, MP4, and M4A. Summary AI is a great tool you can use to transcribe meetings, interviews, and video audio from almost anywhere.

Summary AI goes beyond basic dictation though. It is built to turn long audio files into summaries you can search, create action items and agendas for follow-up meetings, and export text for an easy way to share documents.

If you want a tool focused on audio to text, you can start directly with Summary AI and begin transcribing in seconds.

How to transcribe audio to text with Summary AI

Here’s how transcribing audio to text works:

1. Upload or record audio
2. Upload a file to the transcription tool or start recording live (perfect for meetings)
3. Get your transcript and generate insights

That’s how easy it is to use Summary AI. It converts your speech to a word‑for‑word transcript in seconds

2. Microsoft Word (Transcribe)

The 365 version of Microsoft Word includes two tools that could be useful for you:

• Dictate: live speech‑to‑text
• Transcribe: upload and convert recordings).​

To transcribe audio to text in Word, you have to follow these steps:

1. Sign in with your Microsoft 365 account
2. Open Word in your browser
3. Go to Home › Dictate › Transcribe
4. Choose how you want to record:
   • directly
   • upload an audio file
5. Wait while Word processes the audio

Once Word finishes processing the audio, you will receive a transcript. The transcript will also have speaker labels and timestamps on the side. You can insert this text into your document and edit it as needed.

Word’s Transcribe feature requires Microsoft 365 and an internet connection.​ It supports many languages and the most common file types like MP3, WAV, M4A, MP4.

Users with a Microsoft 365 subscription can transcribe a maximum of 300 minutes of uploaded audio per month.

3. Google Docs (Voice typing)

Another simple and free option to transcribe audio to text is Google Docs Voice typing in Chrome.

Here’s how transcribing audio into text in Google Docs works:

1. Open a Google Doc in Chrome.
2. Click Tools › Voice typing to open the microphone box.
3. Select the language in the dropdown menu.
4. Click the microphone icon
5. Speak or play the audio near the computer’s mic
6. For punctuation and formatting, you need to include things like “comma,” “period,” and “new line.”

This method is free, but doesn’t work quite as well as the previous two. It works best for dictating things live or playing clear audio into your mic. However, it doesn’t automatically upload files or separate speakers like other transcription apps.

3. Dictation on Windows and Mac

Both Windows and Mac include system‑level dictation. This feature lets you convert speech to text.

Voice typing on Windows:

The method below works on Windows 11. If you are running a different version of Windows, you may not be able to find this feature.

1. Press Windows key + H when you are in any text box. This opens the voice typing toolbar.
2. Click the microphone
3. Start speaking: your words appear as text.
4. Say punctuation out loud. You can also turn on automatic punctuation in settings.

Apple dictation on Mac:

1. Go to the menu › System Settings › Keyboard › Dictation
2. Turn Dictation on
3. Choose your language
4. If available, turn on auto punctuation
5. In any app when in a text box, use your dictation shortcut
6. Speak clearly to dictate text with voice
7. Edit the text afterward

Dictation shortcut: Usually pushing the Fn key twice.

These options are okay for quick notes or short paragraphs. They’re less ideal for long recordings or meetings with many people speaking, especially when they are speaking at the same time.

4. iPhone voice dictation & Notes

When you are out and about and you want to make a quick written note, but can’t be bothered to type, you can do it with your iPhone’s Notes app and voice dictation.

To turn on and use Dictation on iPhone:

1. Go to Settings › General › Keyboard › Enable dictation
2. Open any app with text, for example Notes, Messages, Mail, etc.
3. Tap the microphone icon on the keyboard
4. Speak to dictate your note and watch it appear in text
5. Tap Done when you are finished

This is an easy fix for quick voice notes and short audio transcripts.

5. Other AI audio transcription apps

There are many AI tools on the market that offer audio transcription.

A few options include:

• Otter.ai
• Canva
• Evernote
• OpenAI Whisper

These tools are all AI-powered audio‑to‑text tools, but they don’t always turn your audio transcripts into insights and action items automatically. Which is what you need if you are using audio transcription to make your meetings more useful.

Turn audio into to text effortlessly

Stop losing time to manual notes or indecipherable transcripts. Summary AI records your meetings and turns them into word‑for‑word transcripts and clear, actionable summaries you can actually use.