AI-powered tools like OpenAI’s Whisper have transformed many applications to include transcription as a core feature for personal note-taking, resulting in a rapid expansion of this niche. Numerous apps, such as AudioPen, Cleft Notes, and TalkNotes, have emerged on app stores, but most offer limited functionalities: primarily, they allow recording and transcription, along with some basic summarization. There's still ample opportunity for innovation in this space.
The latest entrant, Voicenotes, aims to differentiate itself by integrating an AI assistant that can answer queries about your recorded notes. This app also offers features like summarization and various formatting options.
In a heartfelt video, the developers, Jijo Sunny and his wife Aleesha, shared their motivation for creating Voicenotes. After experiencing a miscarriage, they turned their focus to building a voice-note tool, alongside Jijo’s brother, Joseph Sunny, co-founder of Buy Me a Coffee. To retain important information during medical consultations, they took numerous voice notes, which highlighted the need for an effective transcription tool to eliminate the need for replaying recordings repeatedly.
Jijo and Aleesha launched the first version of Voicenotes in March for selected testers and made the web app public by April.
The App Itself
Voicenotes' web app allows users to begin recording immediately—no login required. Users can record voice notes up to one minute long without a subscription. After recording, you can tag, edit, and regenerate titles using AI. The app also enables formatting of notes into various types, such as blog posts, tweets, to-do lists, or emails, while generating summaries and highlighting key points.
A standout feature is "Ask My AI," which allows you to verbally search through your notes. For instance, if you need to recall the brand of dishwashing liquid you added to your grocery list two months ago, the AI assistant can help.
The company has also released iOS and Android apps, giving it an edge, as Cleft Notes is limited to Mac and iOS users (currently in beta). Though AudioPen is available as a web app, it lacks background recording capabilities on iOS—if the screen locks or you switch apps, recording stops.
Voicenotes employs AI prompts to encourage users to respond and add notes easily.
Competition and Roadmap
Voicenotes brings a suite of useful features but is entering a rapidly saturating market. Competing apps like Cleft Notes offer superior features, such as on-device transcription—which enhances privacy—better Apple integration, and longer recording times of up to 10 minutes in their free version. Meanwhile, AudioPen provides extensive formatting options that may appeal to some users.
Additionally, Voicenotes faces competition from built-in apps like Google Recorder on Pixel devices and Samsung’s Transcribe Assist, which, while currently limited to select models, could expand as technology improves.
A significant threat for these apps is Apple potentially integrating transcription capabilities into its Voice Memos app, which could render third-party solutions redundant on iOS devices. However, Voicenotes can provide cross-platform compatibility, enhanced formatting options, and unique features to maintain its relevance.
Users can test Voicenotes for free, or subscribe for $10 a month to unlock advanced models like GPT-4 Turbo and Claude Opus, removing note length restrictions. For a limited time, a "believer" plan is available for $50, granting lifetime access (as long as the app continues to receive support). The company has reportedly already generated $100,000 in subscription revenue.
According to Jijo, Voicenotes stands out due to its "simple but elegant design," utilization of top AI models, and the innovative "Ask My AI" feature. He also announced plans for smartwatch compatibility, aiming to enhance its function as a real-time assistant. Additionally, they are working on transforming voice notes into actionable to-do lists with reminder capabilities.
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