Plaud: AI Note Taker

The Plaud recorder and this app have in tandem changed the way I get my thoughts from my brain into reality. I occasionally use it for meetings and phone calls as it is mostly advertised, but the vast majority of use is completely personal. The ability to start recording with the start of a physical button and have it be transcribed and summarized by AI is something I have BEGGED for constantly over the last decade. This is without a doubt the best product I have ever encountered for that purpose. Let me be clear. There are some issues with Plaud. The cost is quite high. The charger is obscure and hard to source if lost. It sometimes takes a couple tries to get recordings going. But as a whole, if you are like me and desperate to get fleeting thoughts from your head into your phone with as little friction as possible, there is simply nothing superior to Plaud available. I hope to see updates in the future which improve the software, firmware, and app-side of this tool. Until then, I will be a power user of this life-changing resource.

Plaud AI tells me that it cannot turn things into docs, thinks a “printable format” for a list is a wall of plain text, and will not integrate with anything, it also said it could not save our text thread to one of the folders in the app or save it as a note, it said it did not know contact info for Plaud customer service or how to get a refund. It told me that it is a Google AI even though it will not integrate with any google products like I need. It told me to contact my “service provider” regarding refund requests, very confusing. It seemed to not know who/what Plaud is when it is labeled as Plaud AI. On transcription summary notes where I did a “brain dump” talking to myself to make a to do list while driving it seemed to think “Plaud” was another person I was speaking to and seemed concerned that this Plaud person didn’t know I was recording. I could have just gotten a cheap little voice recorder and input recordings into ChatGPT. That would be about 10% of the cost I paid Plaud and provide a better product. ChatGPT creates printable documents and ics calendar files for me for free. Plaud used false and misleading advertising that their system integrates with many things. It doesn’t. It is a voice recorder with transcription. That tech has been around for a long time. Audio transcription tech can be found for free. The AI summaries can be done for free with several different language learning AI. Gemini isn’t even the best one imo and that is what Plaud AI seems to be. Just buy a voice recorder, save 90%, and get better quality results.

Plaud quickly synthesizes input into smart, organized, and useful formats. For client consultations, I get a thorough record of our discussion, which easily translates into a scope of work, saving me at least 15 minutes each time versus manually creating scope. Plus the benefit of not missing anything and shown as described by the client. This, rather than translating what I think I hear once while taking notes, and again when transferring those notes.Additionally, there is a summary that is more internal, looking through a lens of an experienced, quality vendor. In this section, more AI is used to actually understand, whether that’s an emphasis on long term value, balancing client preferences, or project management suggestions. The other feature I like is the mind map. It’s like an outline of thought but organized into thoughtful categories, sort of like a bubble chart put into a hierarchical format. It’s totally fascinating. Always works. Easy to use. Super thin. Very happy with my purchase.

i’ve been using plaud for a long time now and i honestly love these devices. i have both the Note Pro and the NotePin S and i use them for totally different things all the time.the Note Pro is what i grab for meetings, work calls, longer conversations, and anything where i know i’m going to want a real record afterward. it’s great at turning a messy rambling meeting into actual notes and action items, which is kind of magic when your day is already chaos.the NotePin S is more of my everyday carry. i use it for quick thoughts, voice notes, ideas while i’m driving, reminders, or when i’m talking through a problem out loud and don’t want the thought to vanish into the void like usual. it’s small enough that i actually use it constantly which is the whole point.my only real complaint before was that i was always misplacing them in my house and at work. so i’m genuinely so stoked they added Find My support. that was the missing piece for me. now i can use them without constantly wondering if i left one in a pocket, bag, car, desk drawer, alternate timeline, etc.Plaud is one of those products i’d immediately replace if i lost it, same with the Unlimited transcription subscription they offer. all of it is just absolutely worth it. it has genuinely changed how i capture ideas, remember conversations, and stay on top of work. i don’t say “life changing” about a lot of apps or gadgets but this one actually earned it.