Oasis is a useful new app that records, transcribes and cleans up your short voice memos. I’ve been using it to get ideas out of my head and onto paper. If you like to think out loud, Oasis will be a useful addition to your toolkit.

HOW OASIS WORKS

Just open the app and hit record. The AI sums up and synthesizes your own words rather than generating text from thin air ala ChatGPT. It’s more useful than prior transcription apps in that it synthesizes, and summarizes what you say. Read on for Oasis’s most useful features, recommended ways to use it, caveats and alternatives.

SIX WAYS TO USE OASIS

1. On the couch: Save verbal notes on a book so you don’t forget to jot them down.

2. Walking: Remind yourself about an idea you have for a work project.

3. Looking out the window: Make a journal entry by speaking aloud to yourself.

4. Commuting: Draft an email by rambling, no thumb typing necessary.

5. At the gym: Outline a presentation by talking through your key points.

6. At the beach: Write a newsletter or blog post by explaining it out loud minus your laptop.

GET STARTED WITH OASIS: A ONE-MINUTE GUIDE

• Download the app for iOS or Android (waiting list; available next week)
• Open the app.
• Select at least one output format: summary, email, outline, blog post, etc.
• Tap the giant mic button to start recording.
• Talk. Stream of consciousness is fine. The AI will clean up repetition, filler words and gaps later.
• Hit stop when done. I recorded a memo nearly 6 minutes long and 935 words, so don’t worry about rambling. There’s a 10-minute limit as of now.
• Share the Oasis-generated text into any notes or messaging app or copy and paste it. Your material is also saved in the app, so you can access it later.

HOW OASIS IS DISTINCT FROM OTHER TRANSCRIPTION TOOLS

• Strips out mumbling and repetition.
• Summarizes and synthesizes your verbal rambling.
• Formats your thoughts in useful ways—as an email, outline, Tweet, or whatever else you want.
• Unlike Otter, Oasis focuses on AI enhancements rather than raw transcription.
• Unlike Descript, it’s made for mobile and not focused on multimedia editing.
• Unlike Supernormal.com and 4149.ai, Oasis is focused on voice memos and dictation, not transcribing meetings.

USEFUL OASIS FEATURES

• If you’re not sure how you’ll use material you’re dictating, you can just record and add new outputs later when you need them.
• Customize your own output by writing a prompt.
• Share work that sounds like it’s been thoughtfully edited even when you don’t have time to polish it.
• Keep the original recording, the transcript AND whatever other output you choose, such as a summary or outline.

4 APPS I LIKE SENDING TEXT TO FROM OASIS

• Day One: journal entries and thoughts on life.
• Craft: notes for newsletter posts I’m planning.
• Superhuman: composing emails away from my laptop.
• Google Docs: drafting ideas for collaborations.

COST

Oasis is free to try. You’re allocated 30 credits to start. Each use of the AI dictation costs a couple of credits. Expect to pay $5/month or $50/year for a basic subscription, or $150/year for pro access.

INTERVIEW WITH OASIS FOUNDER

I spoke with Matt Mireles, CEO of Oasis, about its past, present and future. Here’s 4149.ai’s summary of our chat and a recording/transcript made with Fathom.video. A couple of highlights:

• Mireles: “I want this to be the most idiot proof product you could imagine. I want my 10 year-old to be able to use it and I want my 92 year-old dad to be able to use it.”
• Upcoming features: A new interface; new languages; Android and Web support; and you’ll be able to upload recordings and add your own text for AI processing. You’ll also be able to edit transcripts and outputs before exporting the results to other apps.

CAVEATS

• Given that it relies on third parties to process recordings with AI, Oasis may not yet be ready for you if you’re highly concerned about privacy. In the future, AI processing will be done more securely on your device.
• For now, you can record only in English. Within weeks, you’ll be able to record in more than 30 languages. Tip: use a custom prompt to get Oasis to translate and summarize your English recording into any of 30+ languages.
• The pay for credits approach is less appealing than an unlimited premium model, because it can be hard to predict how many credits you’ll need. Mireles says an unlimited plan may come later.

ALTERNATIVES

• Audio Pen is a good free alternative that works on the Web or on your phone. It’s similar to Oasis but more focused on varied summarization styles rather than multiple output formats. Benefits for premium subscribers include uploading audio files, defining how long summaries should be, and translating voice notes into many languages.
• Bloks is a useful meeting summary AI app—see my prior piece—that also works for AI-enhanced audio dictation. An added benefit: if you sync your calendar and contacts, you can tag notes related to people or organizations.

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