Plaud Note review: transcribing is no longer a problem with this card

Plaud Note makes it much easier to transcribe, but how well does it work? You can read it in this review of Plaud Note!

Plaud Note

Important matters are regularly discussed at meetings, interviews and gatherings. In that case, it is useful to make transcripts so that you can read back later exactly what was said. Unfortunately, this often takes a lot of time, especially if you have to transcribe the conversations manually. Plaud offers a solution for this, because the company has released a compact card under the name Plaud Note. You get the ticket for 135.92 euros.

With this device, transcripts should no longer be a problem. Plaud Note automatically creates transcripts of your conversation using artificial intelligence. All you have to do is switch the card on and off again. That sounds extremely useful, but how well does the compact device work in reality? And is it worth the money? You can read that in our review of Plaud Note!

Installation

The Plaud Note comes with a charging cable and accompanying case. The box also includes a manual with all the steps to install the card. To do this, we installed the free Plaud application, then the card connects within a few steps. Plaud automatically activates the Starter Plan after connecting, but the option to upgrade to a paid subscription will appear shortly afterwards.

You need a paid subscription for certain functions of Plaud, which we will discuss later in this review. In the application you will also find all the parts you need in one clear overview. You can also see the battery life of the card, which is useful if you have a meeting soon. We have little to say about the app and installation, everything works properly. We easily navigate through the application and all features are easy to find in our opinion.

Design

The design of the Plaud Note is immediately noticeable. The card is incredibly compact and has the size of a debit card. This is of course not without reason, because it makes it easy to take the device with you. In fact, you won’t even notice that the Plaud Note is in your bag. The card also comes with a card holder with support for MagSafe. This way you can easily click the card on the back of your iPhone.

We are very pleased with the compact and slim design of the Plaud Note. It is a big advantage that the card comes with a card holder and you do not have to purchase this separately. Unfortunately, this card holder does have a disadvantage, because it is extremely difficult to remove the Plaud Note. The advantage of course is that you do not easily lose the card, but in our opinion the Wallet could have better had a sliding system.

Unfortunately, the thin design of the Plaud Note also has a downside, because the card is too slim for a USB-C opening. Instead, Plaud has opted for its own connector, for which a special cable is included. Although fortunately we do not have to purchase a separate cable, we would have preferred to see support for USB-C or wireless charging. Now we have to keep an extra cable, while with the arrival of USB-C that is no longer the intention.

Transcribe

The most important thing about the Plaud Note is of course the transcribing. With one long press of the button the card starts recording, and you stop recording in the same way. This feels natural, especially because the card vibrates briefly to indicate that recording has stopped or started. This button is cleverly placed, so you do not have to remove the card from the card holder to press the button. You can then have the audio transcribed in the application. You don’t have to worry about privacy, because the data remains encrypted by encryption. This is very useful during important meetings and discussions.

We notice that transcribing works extremely well with the Plaud Note. The card has no trouble with different speakers or accents and registers the Dutch language almost without any problems. Every now and then we catch the Plaud Note making an error, but that does not make the text unintelligible. It is expected that the software will become even better in the future by improving artificial intelligence and language models. Making the list and even a mind map works very well and quickly. The Plaud Note does what it is supposed to do, because the transcripts are delivered almost perfectly.

Another advantage is that you can choose from different templates in the application when transcribing. This way, the text is immediately formatted correctly. We are very pleased with this, because it is a useful tool for organizing the transcripts correctly. We are also enthusiastic about the layout of the application, where you can organize all transcripts into folders. This makes them easy and clear to find.

Limits

Plaud also knows that the application is very good, because the company has unfortunately placed a large number of the functions behind a paywall. You can try out three templates in total and record up to three hundred minutes every month at no cost. Other free features include importing audio, merging recordings, and tagging speakers. Do you want AI help, professional templates and more minutes to record? Then you have to pay extra, which is clearly Plaud’s revenue model.

Logically, this is the biggest disadvantage of the Plaud Note for us. Especially if you meet almost every day, three hundred minutes are not enough. You are then dependent on the Pro subscription (9.30 euros per month) or Unlimited subscription (20.90 euros per month). These are considerable amounts, so in some cases it is more beneficial to transcribe your recordings in a different way. It is a shame that you still have to pay this amount every month, especially considering the original price of the Plaud Note.

Plaud Note review: conclusion

Plaud Note currently offers the best way to easily transcribe conversations. The card has a stylish and compact design, making it easy to take the card with you everywhere. The application works intuitively and recording audio is a breeze. The transcripts are of high quality and contain only occasional errors. Unfortunately, that also comes with the biggest limitation, because you only get three hundred minutes of audio for free per month.

For users who have a lot of meetings, interviews or need to transcribe other conversations, this is probably on the low side. In that case, you have to pay a considerable monthly amount for a subscription. Do you want to make it as easy as possible for yourself? In that case, Plaud Note is well worth the monthly fee and may be the best transcript creation service available. Do you stay under three hundred minutes of listening time? We recommend the Plaud Node without a doubt, because it saves you a lot of time that you would actually need to transcribe.

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