This Handy Ai Voice Recorder Has Changed The Way I Work (and It's Easy To Use)

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

  • Plaud Note is disposable now connected Amazon.com for $159
  • This instrumentality and app combo lifts your note-taking to a caller level of ratio and effectiveness
  • The Plaud Note instrumentality does require a paid subscription for nan AI features.

In nan world of sound signaling apps and devices, it's mostly nan aforesaid aged thing: Click aliases pat Record, commencement speaking, extremity speaking, and click Save. Some sound signaling apps will do basal transcripts (the Pixel Recording app does an awesome occupation of that), let you to stock notes, change nan playback speed, and connection different (fairly basic) features.

Also: This pocket-friendly AI sound recorder has changed nan measurement I activity and travel

But there's a caller instrumentality successful municipality that wants to show really sound recordings tin beryllium truthful overmuch more.

The instrumentality successful mobility is Plaud Note.

The Plaud Note instrumentality pinch its carrying case.

You've astir apt ne'er heard of Plaud, but they've created nan champion sound recorder connected nan market.

Plaud Note is simply a slim (almost in installments card-size) instrumentality that allows you to grounds sound messages pinch nan click of a button. When you're done recording, nan record is automatically synced pinch nan mobile app (Android, iOS), wherever immoderate beautiful fancy magic happens. The Plaud Note not only transcribes nan signaling to matter but besides uses AI to summarize it.

My experience

When I first received nan Plaud Note device, I thought, "Why would anyone request this erstwhile they person a perfectly bully sound recorder connected their phone?" And since everyone carries a phone, everyone has a sound recorder.

The Note sat connected my table for astir a week, begging maine to acquisition each its glory, but I refrained because that first sentiment had maine convinced it was a instrumentality unworthy of a review.

Also: Meta's caller AI app delivers a chatbot pinch a societal media twist

But past I capitulated and gave nan Plaud Note a try.

It took astir 5 minutes until I was perfectly sold connected this mini device. I recorded notes and had them summarized pinch shareable/usable transcripts arsenic quickly arsenic a modular sound signaling app could make a basal transcription.

The Plaud Note App connected Android.

Transcribing and summarizing sound recordings is arsenic elemental arsenic it gets pinch Plaud Note.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

In different words, Plaud Note very quickly proved its usefulness.

To grounds a note, make judge nan slider is successful nan down position, property and clasp nan only fastener connected nan device, and clasp it until Plaud vibrates. You tin past commencement recording. Once you've vanished signaling your note, property and clasp nan fastener again until it vibrates. Plaud Note will past automatically sync nan caller signaling to nan app. Select nan recently synced statement and past pat Summarize. You'll past beryllium prompted to prime a template for nan summary, and Plaud Note will activity its magic.

Also: Gemini conscionable sewage ChatGPT's champion productivity feature, positive Audio Overviews

I recorded respective notes, had them transcribed, and recovered nan transcription connected nan app to beryllium arsenic meticulous arsenic that of nan Android Recording app, which is to opportunity that it's impressively accurate. I moreover created mind maps of nan various recordings and saw really useful this device/app combo could beryllium for galore different types of users. 

Plaud Note is arsenic easy to usage arsenic immoderate sound signaling instrumentality aliases app, and this characteristic really sets it isolated from nan competition. 

Plaud Note has different cool instrumentality up its sleeve, but it's 1 you must usage carefully. That characteristic is nan expertise to grounds calls. Flip nan toggle from nan down position to nan up position, gaffe nan instrumentality into its MagSafe case, slap nan lawsuit onto your telephone (with a MagSafe case), and Plaud will grounds your call.

Also: The champion integer notebooks you tin buy

Note that signaling calls is not ineligible successful each state, truthful make judge you cognize if you're allowed to grounds a telephone earlier you get started. I cannot stress that enough. If you want to usage this feature, first find retired if it's ineligible successful your state.

In nan week I utilized Plaud Note, I recovered myself wanting to grounds much sound notes truthful they could beryllium transcribed and summarized. As an author, I recovered it adjuvant because I tin grounds a statement astir a imaginable book, person Plaud Note transcribe and summarize my description, and past prevention it successful a Google Document for later usage. And because nan Plaud Note is truthful small, I tin transportation it pinch maine anyplace I go.

ZDNET's buying advice

Here's nan point -- and you knew it was coming! -- while nan Plaud Note instrumentality is priced astatine a respectable $159 connected plaud.ai, nan AI information of Plaud (for transcriptions, summaries, mind maps, etc.) requires a paid AI membership. Options tin beryllium viewed connected nan Plaud AI Membership page. The plans scope from a 600-minute transcription quota for $10 to nan unlimited plan, which is $240/year. There are 3 different plans:

  • Plaud AI Annual Pro Plan (1,200 minutes) - $79
  • Plaud AI Trasncription Quota (6,000 minutes) - $89
  • Plaud AI Transcription Quota (3,000 minutes) - $49

Without an AI plan, Plaud will proceed to grounds and sync notes to your app, but there's nary AI functionality, which intends nary transcriptions aliases summaries. Even so, you could acquisition a 600-minute transcription quota, usage it up, and past bargain different 1 erstwhile necessary.

Plaud Note is good worthy nan asking price, nary matter which measurement you go. If you're a busy, on-the-go personification and request a amended measurement of signaling sound notes, Plaud is simply a awesome option.

The specs

  • AI Transcription & Summarization capabilities developed connected GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet
  • One-press signaling for meetings and calls
  • 112 transcription languages supported
  • Multiple master templates tailored for monolithic scenarios
  • 30-hour continuous signaling connected a azygous charge, 60 days connected standby
  • 64GB soul storage
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