Lecture Transcription for Students
Turn your lecture recordings into searchable, study-ready text. NovaScribe transcribes a 1-hour lecture in 5-10 minutes. Plans start at $2/month. Timestamps help you navigate, search helps you find concepts, and exports work with your favorite note-taking apps.
Supported formats:
NovaScribe is an AI lecture transcription tool that converts class recordings into searchable text with timestamps. A 1-hour lecture transcribes in 5-10 minutes. Plans start at $2/month (200 minutes). Export to TXT, DOCX, SRT, or VTT.
Pricing verified January 2026
Files encrypted in transit and at rest. Delete uploads anytime. We don't train on your audio.
Note: Check your institution's policy before recording lectures. Many universities require instructor consent for recording. NovaScribe transcribes files you upload—the recording decision is yours.
Best for: Uploaded lecture recordings (voice memos, Zoom exports, course videos).Not for: Live captioning during class.
How Much Does Lecture Transcription Cost?
Monthly plans include a minute allowance. One minute of audio uses one transcription minute. Unused minutes reset monthly—you're not charged per file.
$0.60/hr
Starter
$2/month
200 min = 3.3 hours
$0.30/hr
Basic
$5/month
1,000 min = 16.7 hours
$0.24/hr
Pro
$10/month
2,500 min = 41.7 hours
$0.20/hr
Studio
$20/month
6,000 min = 100 hours
Formula: Cost per hour = (plan price ÷ minutes) × 60. Example: $5 ÷ 1000 × 60 = $0.30/hr
Example: A student with 5 lectures/week (3 hours total) needs ~12 hours/month → Basic plan ($5/mo) covers it.
Sample Transcript
Works With Your Tools
Accessibility Benefits
Taking Notes vs AI Transcription
Manual Note-Taking
- ✗Miss content while writing
- ✗Incomplete, fragmented coverage
- ✗Can't search handwritten notes easily
- ✗No timestamps to reference
- ✗Reviewing recordings takes hours
Best for: Active learning and quick summaries
Using NovaScribe
- ✓Capture everything automatically
- ✓Complete word-for-word record
- ✓Fully searchable text transcripts
- ✓Clickable timestamps for review
- ✓Find any topic in seconds
Best for: Full lecture capture and exam prep
How Lecture Transcription Works
Upload Your Lecture Recording
Drag and drop your lecture recording—audio or video. We support MP3, WAV, M4A from voice recorders, and video formats like MP4 from Zoom or recorded classes.
AI Transcribes with Timestamps
Our AI converts speech to text, adding timestamps every 10-30 seconds. A 1-hour lecture is ready in about 5-10 minutes. You get searchable text you can navigate by time.
Search, Study & Export
Search your transcript for key terms and concepts. Click timestamps to jump to specific moments. Export to your note-taking app or create study guides.
Study Smarter with Transcripts
Stop scrubbing through hours of recordings. Use text to study more efficiently.
Search for Concepts
Find exactly where your professor explained a term. No more guessing which lecture covered it.
Jump to Timestamps
Click any timestamp to hear that exact moment. Review tricky sections without re-watching everything.
Copy to Notes
Export to Notion, Obsidian, or any note app. Build study guides from actual lecture content.
Exam Prep
Search for key topics before exams. Review definitions and explanations in text form.
Why Students Choose NovaScribe
Built for the way students actually study
Student-Friendly Pricing
Transcribe lectures for $0.20–$0.60/hour depending on your plan. The $5/month Basic plan covers about 16.7 hours—plenty for most students. Start with 30 free minutes.
Timestamps Every 10-30 Seconds
Timestamps appear throughout the transcript, typically every 10-30 seconds. Click any timestamp to jump directly to that moment in the recording.
Searchable Text
Find specific terms, definitions, or concepts instantly. No more scrubbing through hours of audio to find that one explanation your professor gave.
99 Languages Supported
International students: transcribe lectures in your language. Whether classes are in English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, or other languages, we've got you covered.
Accessibility Support
Transcripts make lectures accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Export captions for video lectures. Support learning differences with text alternatives.
Export to Note-Taking Apps
Export as plain text for Notion, Obsidian, or other note-taking tools. Add SRT/VTT captions to video recordings. Keep all your study materials organized.
Lecture Transcription FAQ
Funktioniert es bei Vorlesungen mit Tafelanschrieb?
NovaScribe transkribiert den gesprochenen Inhalt. Tafelanschriebe oder Folieninhalte werden nicht erfasst — nur was der Dozent sagt. Bei Video-Aufnahmen können Sie visuellen Inhalt separat notieren.
Wie genau sind Fachbegriffe?
Unsere KI ist auf akademisches Vokabular trainiert und erkennt gängige Fachbegriffe zuverlässig. Bei sehr spezialisierten oder neuen Begriffen können Sie Korrekturen im Editor vornehmen.
Kann ich Vorlesungen in Fremdsprachen transkribieren?
Ja, NovaScribe unterstützt 99 Sprachen. Englischsprachige Gastvorträge, französische Seminare oder andere fremdsprachige Inhalte werden genauso verarbeitet.
Darf ich Vorlesungen transkribieren lassen?
Das hängt von den Nutzungsbedingungen Ihrer Hochschule und den Rechten des Dozenten ab. In der Regel sind Transkriptionen für den persönlichen Lerngebrauch erlaubt. Bei Veröffentlichung oder Weitergabe sollten Sie Rücksprache halten.
Funktioniert es mit schlechter Raumakustik?
Die Transkriptionsqualität hängt von der Aufnahmequalität ab. Große Hörsäle mit Hall können problematisch sein. Für beste Ergebnisse empfehlen wir Aufnahmen mit externem Mikrofon oder Platzierung nah am Dozenten.
Kann ich Fragen aus der Diskussion transkribieren?
Ja, wenn die Fragen aufgenommen wurden. Bei Fragen aus dem Publikum hängt die Qualität davon ab, wie gut die fragenden Stimmen aufgenommen wurden.
NovaScribe vs Otter for Students
| Feature | NovaScribe | Otter.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $2–$20/month | $16.99+/month |
| Cost per hour | $0.20–$0.60 | Unlimited (with limits) |
| Languages | 99 | English-focused |
| Best for | Upload-based transcription | Live meetings |
Prices verified January 2026. Otter pricing from otter.ai. See full comparison →
For Best Results
Accuracy note: Transcription accuracy depends on audio quality, background noise, speaker clarity, and accents. Technical terminology (medical, legal, scientific) may need manual correction. Results may vary for recordings with overlapping speakers. Try 30 free minutes to test quality with your recordings.
Related Transcription Services
Best Lecture Transcription Tools for Students
Compare 10 tools tested on real lecture audio—accuracy, cost per hour, and timestamps
Audio Transcription
Transcribe any audio file with AI-powered accuracy
Video to Text
Extract text from video lectures and recordings
Interview Transcription
Transcribe interviews with speaker detection