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.

30 free minutes to start$0.20–$0.60/hour (plan-dependent)Timestamps every 10-30 sec

Supported formats:

MP3WAVM4AMP4MOV

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.

Languages:99
Formats:MP3, WAV, M4A, MP4, MOV
Exports:TXT, DOCX, SRT, VTT, JSON
Speed:5-10 min per hour
Max file:500 MB / 4 hours
Pricing:From $2/month

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

Export as:
TXTDOCXSRT
0:00Professor:Good morning, everyone. Today's lecture will cover the fundamentals.
0:12We'll begin with a brief overview of the historical context.
0:28Understanding these foundations is crucial for what comes next.
0:41Please take notes—this material will be on the exam.

Works With Your Tools

Notion
Obsidian
YouTube

Accessibility Benefits

Screen reader compatible exports
Supports different learning styles
Essential for deaf/hard-of-hearing students

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

¿Cómo transcribo una grabación de clase?

Sube tu grabación de clase (MP3, WAV, M4A o video) a NovaScribe. Nuestra IA transcribe automáticamente el contenido hablado, genera marcas de tiempo para navegación fácil, y entrega una transcripción de texto que puedes buscar, editar y exportar.

¿Cuánto cuesta transcribir una clase?

Una clase típica de 1 hora cuesta $0.20–$0.60 para transcribir con NovaScribe, dependiendo del plan que elijas. Nuestro plan de $5/mes incluye 1,000 minutos ($0.30/hora)—suficiente para unas 16 horas de clases. Los planes de nivel superior ofrecen mejores tarifas por minuto.

¿Puedo transcribir clases en diferentes idiomas?

Sí, NovaScribe soporta 99 idiomas para transcripción. Ya sean tus clases en inglés, español, francés, alemán, mandarín u otros idiomas, nuestra IA puede transcribirlas con precisión con detección automática de idioma.

¿Cuánto tiempo toma la transcripción de clases?

Una clase de 1 hora típicamente se transcribe en unos 5-10 minutos. Puedes cerrar tu navegador mientras procesa—mantendremos tu transcripción lista para cuando regreses.

¿Puedo usar las transcripciones de clases para estudiar?

Absolutamente. Busca en tu transcripción términos específicos, usa las marcas de tiempo para saltar a momentos clave en la grabación, y exporta a archivos de texto para apps de notas. Muchos estudiantes encuentran que las transcripciones ayudan con la revisión de exámenes y accesibilidad.

¿Funciona con clases en video?

Sí, NovaScribe soporta formatos de video como MP4, MOV y MKV. Extraemos automáticamente el audio y lo transcribimos. Perfecto para clases grabadas de Zoom, conferencias de YouTube, o contenido de cursos en video.

¿La transcripción de clases es precisa con términos técnicos?

Nuestra IA está entrenada en contenido diverso incluyendo clases académicas. Aunque la precisión depende de la calidad del audio y claridad del hablante, el vocabulario técnico y académico generalmente se maneja bien. Siempre puedes editar la transcripción para corregir cualquier error.

¿Puedo exportar mi transcripción de clase?

Sí, exporta tu transcripción en múltiples formatos: texto plano (TXT) para apps de notas, SRT/VTT para añadir subtítulos a video, o JSON para procesamiento personalizado. Las marcas de tiempo se preservan en todos los formatos.

NovaScribe vs Otter for Students

FeatureNovaScribeOtter.ai
Pricing$2–$20/month$16.99+/month
Cost per hour$0.20–$0.60Unlimited (with limits)
Languages99English-focused
Best forUpload-based transcriptionLive meetings

Prices verified January 2026. Otter pricing from otter.ai. See full comparison →

For Best Results

Record close to speaker
Minimize background noise
Use WAV or MP3 format
Clear speech (not too fast)
USA-based company
HTTPS encrypted
Delete files anytime
Secure Stripe payments

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.