Boost your productivity with a voice recorder for your PC

If you’re the type of person who can speak faster than you can type, then you can appreciate the ability to dictate to your PC and turn your speech into text¹. Voice typing is built into Windows 11 and can help you in school, at work, and in your everyday life. Never miss a moment of a school lecture or a work meeting. Learn how to convert speech to text on a computer, and unlock new productivity methods.

How can I translate audio to text in Windows 11?

Windows 11 has built-in voice typing that can turn your spoken words into typed text. This feature can allow you to type as fast as you can talk, which can be helpful if you’re multitasking. Here’s how to turn on voice typing so you can start dictating:

• To turn on voice typing in Windows 11, press Windows key + H on your PC’s hardware keyboard. If your device has a touch keyboard, press the microphone key, next to the spacebar.
• Once voice typing is turned on, your computer will automatically start listening. Wait for the “listening” alert before you start speaking, so that you don’t have to repeat yourself, or risk any important thoughts being missed.
• When you’re ready to stop voice typing, you have two options: say “Stop listening” or tap the microphone button on the voice typing menu.

To access the voice typing menu, press Windows keys + Alt + H. From here, you’ll be able to navigate through the options. There’s also a list of helpful phrases and punctuation to make your dictation experience easier and more effective.

If you’re looking to record directly from your computer for future listening, Windows 11 has two options:

Sound Recorder

Sound Recorder allows you to record exclusive audio and change playback speed. It can be helpful if you’re practicing a speech, learning a foreign language, or just want to brainstorm.

To use Sound Recorder, you can start the recording process by pressing Control + R or the red button. Once you’ve started recording, this button will become a pause button, so you can stop and start recording as needed. To stop recording, press the button with the black square. The recording will automatically show up on the left side of your screen and can be renamed or shared by right clicking on the file.

Xbox Game Bar

Xbox Game Bar is great for recording internal audio in Windows 11. The process for capturing audio is very similar to recording your screen:

• Enable the Game Bar by pressing Windows + G.
• Press Capture and then select Mic to enable voice recording.
• Click Start recording in the Capture pane to start and then press the Recording button to stop.

While the Xbox Game Bar can record ambient sound, it is aimed at capturing gameplay and will end up recording whatever is on your screen at the time. If you’re creating a how-to video for a game, this is the perfect solution. However, if you are recording a podcast episode or a speech, you may not want the screen capture aspect, making Sound Recorder a better option.

How can a PC voice recorder improve productivity?

Here's how voice recording software can help you with your everyday:

• Meetings: not only will you never forget an idea during an important meeting, but you can also help keep people on track. With speech-to-text dictation, you can refer to talking points for reference without having to look through messy notes.
• Interviews: if you’re interviewing a candidate, recording the process can help you remember every aspect of an interview round. Likewise, if you’re pursuing a new position, using this software may be helpful to practice what you’re going to say when you’re asked to talk about yourself.
• Lectures: for students who are auditory listeners, making a recording of a lecture can help them retain information and perform better on exams.
• Speed: you can always talk faster than you can type, which makes dictation software an attractive option. There’s certainly a learning curve, especially in regard to speaking punctuation aloud, but if you’re not quick with a keyboard, this can really boost your productivity.
• Multitasking: any efficiency hack is usually a good one. Voice recording and dictation software can keep you from forgetting important thoughts, allowing you to save important information in the moment.

Computer voice recording technology from Windows is helping people write their novels, learn foreign languages, capture their children’s first words, and be more productive and efficient. See how these and other Windows 11 features can help you today.