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audio2text.email Glossary

Answering machine

What is an Answering Machine?

An answering machine, also known as an answerphone, is a device used to answer telephone calls and record messages when you’re not available to pick up the phone. Before voicemail and smartphones, answering machines were the primary way people could leave messages if the person they were calling wasn't home.

How Answering Machines Worked

Greeting Message: When someone called, the answering machine would play a pre-recorded greeting. This could be a generic message or a personalized one recorded by the user.

Recording Messages: After the greeting, the machine would beep, signaling the caller to leave a message. Early machines used magnetic tapes to record these messages.

Remote Access: Some machines allowed users to call their own number and, by entering a code, listen to their messages remotely. This was especially useful when people were away from home.

Fun Facts

Beeping Sound: The "beep" after the greeting message was a crucial part of the experience, signaling the caller to start talking.

Remote Control: Some machines had a remote control feature, where you could listen to your messages from another location by entering a code on your phone.

Related Terms

Voicemail

Transcript

VoIP

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

What is audio2text.email transcription process?
Each audio file is tested, transcoded, and then transcribed using the Whisper model from the OpenAI API.
How long does it take to get a transcript?
The processing time for your transcript will depend on the length of the audio file. Typically, shorter voice messages can be transcribed quickly using OpenAI speech-to-text API.
What are the maximum file size for transcription?
Note that our transcription service has a file size limit of 10 MB.
What is the maximum duration you can transcribe?

We currently have a file size limit of 10 MB. Given that most voice messages are encoded with a constant bitrate and a single channel (mono, no stereo), we can calculate the maximum duration of a file using the following equation:

Duration ( seconds ) = File Size ( bits ) Bitrate ( bits/second )

Applying this equation to our 10 MB limit and a bitrate of 64 kbps (commonly used by the iPhone recorder app), we arrive at a maximum duration of approximately 21 minutes and 51 seconds. To easily calculate durations for different file sizes and bitrates, you can use our audio duration calculator.

Do I need to transform the audio before sending it to my audio2textemail.com email address?
No, this is not necessary. audio2text.email will automatically transcode your audio file upon receipt into the format expected by the OpenAI API.
Can ChatGPT transcribe audio to text?
Yes, ChatGPT can transcribe audio to text, but there are more specialized AI models specifically designed for this task, such as Whisper. Whisper is a state-of-the-art transcription tool that offers higher accuracy and efficiency in converting audio to text. If you're looking for the best results in audio transcription, Whisper is the ideal choice.
Why transcription over email?
Our email-based automatic transcription service is designed to break down barriers and provide universal access to voice message transcription. By leveraging email as our input and delivery method, we're making it easy to automate and integrate with existing platforms. Since email is an established communication method, it's likely to persist, offering longevity.
What do the terms audio2text, voice2text, and speech2text mean?
The terms audio2text, voice2text, and speech2text all refer to the same concept: converting spoken language or audio content into written text. These terms are essentially interchangeable. The "2" in these terms is a common convention in tech and online services, serving as a shorthand for "to" or "into". So "audio2text" can be read as "audio to text" or "audio into text". This convention is often used to create concise, easy-to-remember domain names. In our case, audio2text.email, voice2text.email, and speech2text.email all lead to the same transcription service, just using slightly different terminology to describe the process of converting audio into text over email.