How to turn a recorded lecture into text and study notes

To turn a lecture into text, open the recording in HiText (audio from your phone, an MP3 or the video of an online class) or record the next one directly in the app. In a few minutes you have the full transcript, a summary of the key concepts and, if you want, a quiz and flashcards to review. Long lectures are fine and your first 30 minutes are free.

Transcribe my first lecture

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Psychology 101 · Week 6

Oct 14 · 1:12:40

SummaryTranscriptQuiz

Summary of the lecture on memory:

Concepts: Working vs long-term memory
Study cited: Miller, “seven plus or minus two”
For the exam: Explain the serial position effect.

1:12:40

Lecture transcribed

Lecture to text in three steps

1
Record or find the file
Record in HiText with your phone near the lecturer, or use a recording you already have: an audio file, the class video from Teams or Zoom, or a YouTube link.
2
Let it transcribe
HiText detects the language on its own and in a few minutes gives you the full text, even for a lecture longer than an hour.
3
Study from the text
Read the summary, fix a technical term by hand if needed and generate a quiz and flashcards to review. Keep each course in its own folder.

From recording to notes without hours of listening

Typing up an hour of lecture by hand can take an afternoon of pausing and rewinding. With HiText the job becomes reviewing: the text arrives complete and you only touch up acronyms or names. If the lecture is in another language, you can read it translated (translate audio to text).

Quiz and flashcards to review

From the transcript, HiText can build a quiz with questions about the lecture and flashcards with the key concepts. It's a quick way to check you understood it before moving on to the next topic.

Tips for recording in class

Sit near the front or leave your phone close to the lectern
Do a 10-second test at the start and check the lecturer is clear
For online classes, download the platform's recording instead of recording your speakers
Split very long lectures by topic so you find things faster

Ask before you record

Many universities ask students to get the lecturer's permission before recording. Ask at the start of the course and use the transcripts to study, not to publish or sell them.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to transcribe lectures with HiText?

You start with 30 free minutes of transcription, no card needed. To keep transcribing you can subscribe to Pro inside the app; you see the price before paying and can cancel any time from your App Store or Google Play subscription settings.

Can it handle a two-hour lecture?

Yes. The limit is the file size, up to 2 GB in the app, so two hours of audio fit easily. Long recordings just take a few more minutes.

Is the transcript perfect?

With clear audio it's very accurate, but background noise, acronyms or names can trip up a word here and there. It's worth reading it through once, especially formulas and technical terms.

Does it work with recorded online classes?

Yes. Download the class video from the platform (Teams, Zoom, Moodle…) and open it in HiText, or use the link if it's on YouTube. On a computer you can also upload it in your browser at app.trytiro.app.

What happens to my recordings?

Your audio is used only to transcribe it and is deleted from our servers when it's done (at most within 7 days if something fails). The transcript and summary are kept on your device and on our servers until you delete them in the app. Details in our privacy policy.

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