Dictation with Voice Record Pro

Published October 22, 2020

I can't believe I didn't write about this app before. Several years ago I came across a free app called Voice Record Pro. I started using it in conjunction with NaturallySpeaking. It allowed me to record dictation for later transcription. I previously used Dragon’s free Remote Anywhere dictation app, but they discontinued it only to bring it back along with a subscription price.

Voice Record Pro is supported by ads but the ads are so nonintrusive that I forget they're there. What I like about this program is I can record dictation then either email, text, upload to Google Drive, transfer via Bluetooth, or transfer it by a host of other options that are far too advanced for this Grandma. Apparently, it’s an app frequently used by musicians.

I just use it for dictation purposes. Because I'm using NaturallySpeaking version 13, it can only transcribe files in the MP3 format. Fortunately, the app provides a selection of formats in which to save files. As such, mp3 isn’t a problem. Once I send it to my computer, I instruct NaturallySpeaking to transcribe it.

Voice Recorder - Finding New Features

Imagine my surprise when I found I could transcribe dictation from within the app. While I was sitting in the car, waiting to pick up my grandson from school, I dictated an article. Since I had about 10 minutes before he was released from kindergarten, I started playing around with the app. This playful exploration led me to discover that Voice Record Pro has the ability to transcribe recorded dictation. It’s amazing how quickly 10 minutes fly when you’re discovering new app features.

The dictation is not as accurate as NaturallySpeaking but it does transcribe the recording. Once transcribed there are several options. I chose to append the transcription to the recorded dictation and send it to myself via email. Voice Record Pro puts the transcribed text in the body of the email and sends the .mp3 file as an attachment. Having both the recording and transcribed text allows me to check the document for accuracy.

As I said, it's not as accurate as NaturallySpeaking but it works in a pinch. While this app is available in both Google Playstore and Apple Store, the apps are not identical on both platforms. There are fewer options in the Android version of the app. For example, transcribing recorded dictation along with many other options are not supported on the Android version.

Here’s what’s available on Android:

Versus the options available on iOS:

If you’re like me and use it for basic dictation, then it doesn’t make much of a difference which platform you use. However, if you’re a “Superuser,” and have the appropriate device(s), iOS is the way to go.

Last Modified: 20 June 2023

Comments

• Alex Gordon
  

  January 8, 2021, 3:56 pm

  I am always a bit surprised that dictating using a recorder – of any sort – isn’t everyone’s first choice. I found dictating “live” was a deeply frustrating experience (not to mention expensive as I tried mic after mic). I was on the point of giving up on dictation altogether but I thought I would give it one last try, but using a recorder instead. It made all the difference. I think recording/transcribing gets you into better dictation habits. It’s much easier to get the good flow that the software needs to make sense of things. In particular, it stops that irresistible (at least to me) urge to correct every error as it pops up on the screen. If you’re using Dragon it also means you can set the speed/accuracy slider to highest accuracy (speed isn’t really an issue because you can be doing other things while the it transcribes).