On this planet of voice recording apps and gadgets, it's largely the identical previous factor: Click on or faucet File, begin talking, cease talking, and click on Save. Some voice recording apps will do fundamental transcripts (the Pixel Recording app does a powerful job of that), help you share notes, alter the playback velocity, and provide different (pretty fundamental) options.
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However there's a brand new machine on the town that desires to exhibit how voice recordings may be a lot extra.
The machine in query is Plaud Word.
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The Plaud Note is a compact recording device that sits comfortably in shirt pockets or on the back of your phone.
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You've in all probability by no means heard of Plaud, however they've created one of the best voice recorder in the marketplace.
Plaud Word is a slim (nearly credit score card-size) machine that means that you can document voice messages with the clicking of a button. If you're accomplished recording, the file is robotically synced with the cellular app (Android, iOS), the place some fairly fancy magic occurs. The Plaud Word not solely transcripts the recording to textual content but in addition makes use of AI to summarize it.
My expertise
Once I first acquired the Plaud Word machine, I assumed, "Why would anybody want this once they have a superbly good voice recorder on their cellphone?" And since everybody carries a cellphone, everybody has a voice recorder.
The Word sat on my desk for a couple of week, begging me to expertise all its glory, however I refrained as a result of that preliminary opinion had me satisfied it was a tool unworthy of a overview.
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However then I capitulated and gave the Plaud Word a attempt.
It took about 5 minutes till I used to be completely offered on this tiny machine. I recorded notes and had them summarized with shareable/usable transcripts as shortly as a regular voice recording app might generate a fundamental transcription.
Transcribing and summarizing voice recordings is so simple as it will get with Plaud Word.
In different phrases, Plaud Word in a short time proved its usefulness.
To document a word, be sure that the slider is within the down place, press and maintain the one button on the machine, and maintain it till Plaud vibrates. You’ll be able to then begin recording. When you've completed recording your word, press and maintain the button once more till it vibrates. Plaud Word will then robotically sync the brand new recording to the app. Choose the newly synced word after which faucet Summarize. You'll then be prompted to pick out a template for the abstract and Plaud Word will then work its magic.
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I recorded a number of notes, had them transcribed, and located the transcription on the app to be as correct as that of the Android Recording app — which is to say that it's impressively correct. I even created thoughts maps of the varied recordings and noticed how helpful this machine/app combo may very well be for a lot of several types of customers.
Plaud Word is as straightforward to make use of as any voice recording machine or app and the function set actually does separate it from the competitors.
Plaud Word has one other cool trick up its sleeve, but it surely's one it’s essential to use rigorously. That function is the power to document calls. Flip the toggle from the down place to the up place, slip the machine into its MagSafe case, slap the case onto your cellphone (with a MagSafe case), and Plaud will document your name.
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Word that recording calls will not be authorized in each state, so ensure you know in the event you're allowed to document a name earlier than you get began. I can not emphasize that sufficient. If you wish to use this function, first discover out if it's authorized in your state.
Within the week I used Plaud Word, I discovered myself eager to document extra voice notes in order that they may very well be transcribed and summarized. As an creator, I discovered it useful as a result of I can document a word a couple of attainable e-book, have Plaud Word transcribe and summarize my description, after which reserve it in a Google Doc for later utilization. And since the Plaud Word is so small, I can carry it with me anyplace I’m going.
ZDNET's shopping for recommendation
Right here's the factor — and also you knew it was coming! — whereas the Plaud Word machine is priced at a good $159 on plaud.ai, the AI portion of Plaud (for transcriptions, summaries, thoughts maps, and many others.) requires a paid AI membership. Choices may be seen on the Plaud AI Membership web page. The plans vary from a 600-minute transcription quota for $10 to the limitless plan, which is $240/12 months. There are three different plans:
- Plaud AI Annual Professional Plan (1,200 minutes) – $79
- Plaud AI Trasncription Quota (6,000 minutes) – $89
- Plaud AI Transcription Quota (3,000 minutes) – $49
With out an AI plan, Plaud will proceed to document and sync notes to your app, however there's no AI performance, which implies no transcriptions or summaries. Even so, you possibly can buy a 600-minute transcription quota, use it up, after which purchase one other one when essential.
Plaud Word is properly well worth the asking value, irrespective of which method you go. If you happen to're a busy, on-the-go individual and want a greater method of recording voice notes, Plaud is a superb possibility.
The specs
- AI Transcription & Summarization capabilities developed on GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet
- One-press recording for conferences and calls
- 112 transcription languages supported
- A number of skilled templates tailor-made for enormous situations
- 30-hour steady recording on a single cost, 60 days standby
- 64GB inside storage