A 20-minute conversation with a subject matter expert is easily 3,000+ words.
Without a transcription tool, that means going back and forth over the recording five or six times just to capture quotes accurately. An hour of your time, minimum, for a 20-minute call.
And here’s the thing about SME interviews: it’s hard to develop your story angle or figure out where you want to go by listening once. I need to see the conversation on paper. But if you’re splitting your focus between engaging with the expert and frantically typing notes, you end up with worse conversations and worse content.
I’ve been using Otter.ai since 2020 for my SME interviews, client calls, and conference recordings. Here’s whether it’s actually worth the $100/year for freelance writers who do regular interviews.
How I Actually Use Otter
My primary use is SME interviews, which I do two to three times a month for clients like The Financial Brand and other fintech publications.
I record every interview (with permission), and that changes everything about how the conversation goes. My attention is 100% on the person I’m talking to, not on typing what they’re saying as they say it. I can go off my prepared questions, ask follow-ups on the fly, and let the conversation flow naturally because I know everything is being captured.
That freedom makes for better interviews, which makes for better content.
Beyond interviews, I use Otter for a few other things:
- Client briefing calls: For new projects with complex instructions or clients who prefer talking through assignments instead of sending written briefs. It also creates receipts when the scope increases or instructions get fuzzy later. (“I never said I wanted X” becomes a lot easier to address when you have the transcript.)
- Webinar and conference content: Some clients want me to create content from their webinars, so I’ll record while listening to identify key points and areas to pull for blog posts or social media. The same goes for conference speakers. I can reference the full talk later, contact them for follow-up, or use it to develop a pitch where they can be the main SME.
- Voice notes: Occasionally, if I’m out for a walk and an idea hits for a pitch or blog post, I’ll open Otter on my phone and just talk through it.
What Makes Otter Worth It
The Time Savings Are Real
Transcripts are ready immediately after the call ends. Even with 10 minutes of cleanup for accuracy issues, that’s nothing compared to 60+ minutes of manual transcription.
For my workflow, Otter saves me three to five hours per month. For freelancers who are in a lot of meetings and expert calls, that number can easily be two to five times higher. Otter is a speed booster that helps me write faster.
Here’s the ROI math that made it click for me:
Let’s say you get paid $1,200 for a 1,000-word article that includes one SME interview. The work breaks down into roughly 1 hour of research, 3 hours of outlining and writing, and 1 hour of transcript creation. That’s five hours total, or an effective rate of $240/hour.
Now remove that transcript hour. Four hours total, $300/hour effective rate.
That one hour saved per article adds up fast. If you’re doing three or four interview-based articles per month, Otter pays for itself in the first month.
AI Chat Search
After a call, I can search the transcript for specific topics. If I know the expert talked about “credit card fraud” or “AI personalization,” I ask the chatbot, and it pulls up relevant sections with summaries.
This is incredibly helpful when a speaker goes on tangents or discusses two points that connect in different parts of the conversation.
Audio Playback Linked to Transcript
You can click any part of the transcript, and the actual recording plays from that point. This is essential when something is garbled or obviously wrong. I verify the quote, fix it right there, and move on. It adds a little time but not much.
The Free Plan Is Actually Usable
The Basic plan gives you 300 minutes per month with a 30-minute limit per recording. That’s enough for one or two calls per month, or enough to seriously test whether Otter fits your workflow before paying anything.
Simple Interface
Calendar sync works on your laptop and phone, and there’s no learning curve. Click record and get a transcript. I can have it auto-join scheduled Zoom meetings or invite it on the fly.
Never lose an interview again. Otter transcribes in real-time and saves you 2+ hours per call.
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The Real Limitations
Speaker Mode Required
If you have headphones plugged in while recording, Otter only captures your voice—not the other person. The recording relies on your computer speakers picking up both sides of the conversation.
This is fine if you do 100% of your calls at home or use a coworking booth. It’s annoying if you need privacy or quiet surroundings.
Accuracy Is Around 80-85%, Not Perfect
Otter claims up to 95% accuracy, but in real-world conditions with SME interviews, I’d estimate it’s closer to 80-85%. Names get mangled, technical terms get weird, and sometimes it just mishears things entirely.
But I never take a transcript exactly as written anyway. When I’m pulling a quote to use in an article, I click the transcript, listen to the audio, and verify it’s accurate before publishing. That process adds a little time, but at three to five calls per month, it’s not significant.
If you were transcribing constant daily meetings, the cleanup time would add up.
Speaker Identification Can Be Inconsistent
Otter tries to identify different speakers, but it’s not always accurate—especially when voices sound similar, or you’re recording a webinar where you’re not a participant. It labels speakers as Speaker 1, Speaker 2, Speaker 3, and sometimes guesses wrong. You need to double-check attribution in multi-speaker recordings.
Why Not Human Transcription Services?
There are services that let you send audio to a real person for transcription. The accuracy is better. But they can’t create it instantly.
You send off your recording, wait three to five days for it to come back. If you’re on a tight deadline — say, a week to find the SME, conduct the interview, research, and write the draft—you don’t have three to five days to wait for a transcript. That interview audio is the foundation of your article.
Want it faster? Pay a rush fee.
With Otter, I have the transcript the second the call ends. Even if I spend 10 minutes cleaning it up, I’m immediately into the writing phase. No waiting, no extra fees, no deadline stress.
Other AI Transcription Tools
There are alternatives like Fireflies, Fathom, Rev, and others. I haven’t tested them extensively because Otter has worked for my needs over the past five years. If you do a ton of interviews, I’d recommend trying a few on free trials for a week or two and seeing what fits your needs.
Pricing Breakdown
Basic (Free):
- 300 minutes/month
- 30-minute limit per recording
- 3 lifetime audio/video file imports
- Live transcription and speaker identification
- Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams integration
Pro ($8.33/month billed annually = ~$100/year):
- 1,200 minutes/month
- 90-minute limit per recording
- 10 monthly file imports
- Advanced search, export, and playback
- Zapier integration
Business ($19.99/month billed annually):
- Unlimited recordings
- 4-hour limit per recording
- Custom AI workflows
- Admin features and analytics
For most freelance writers, Pro at $100/year is the sweet spot. You get enough minutes for regular interviews, and the 90-minute limit covers longer conversations or webinar recordings.
Never lose an interview again. Otter transcribes in real-time and saves you 2+ hours per call.
Who Should Use Otter (And Who Can Skip It)
Best for:
- Mid-career freelancers who do SME interviews or client calls a few times a month
- Writers who create content from webinars, podcasts, or conference recordings
- Anyone who wants an affordable, easy way to capture conversations without manual transcription
You might not need it if:
- You never do interviews or record anything for your work
But even then, the free plan is worth testing. You might find uses you didn’t expect, like recording client briefings or capturing ideas on walks.
The Verdict
Otter isn’t perfect. Accuracy requires verification; speaker identification can be wonky, and you need to use speaker mode. But it’s saved me a ton of time over five years of SME interviews and client work.
For $100/year, roughly the cost of one hour of billable work, it pays for itself almost immediately if you do any regular interviewing.
The free plan is generous enough to actually test it. Try it on two or three real calls and see if it fits your workflow.
Liz Froment
Liz Froment is a full-time freelance writer and the one who keeps Location Rebel running like a well-oiled machine. If she's not writing something informative or witty for her clients, she can most likely be found reading a good book.Join over 40,000 people who have taken our 6 part freelance writing course. Sign up below and let’s do this together.
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