Glean

Glean is a note-taking alternative able to be used online and offline. It is able to record both in-person and online lectures.

Features include: organize classes and lecture notes, playback key parts of lecture, import slides, annotate notes.

Livescribe Smartpen

Livescribe Smartpen is a device for note taking. It records everything you hear, say, and write.

Features include: linking audio recordings to notes, replay audio from paper, organize and playback notes via Echo Desktop software. 

Tutorial: Watch the Smartpen and Echo Desktop Walkthrough Video.

AudioNote 2

AudioNote 2 links the notes you take to the audio recorded when you take them. The result is a linked index of your recording that quickly provides invaluable audio context for your notes.

Features include: synchronize digital notes with audio recording, type or handwrite notes, PDF slides - take notes directly on presentation slides and other documents.

Beeline Reader

Beeline Reader uses an eye-guiding color gradient to pull your eyes through long blocks of text.

Features include: Color gradients to help readers read more effectively and better maintain focus.

Joplin

Joplin is a free open source desktop and mobile note-taking application for windows, and can be used on iOS and Android.

Features include: Joplin Cloud, ability to take photos and save to notes, ability to publish and share notes to the internet, and to create expressions and diagrams.

Just Press Record

Just Press Record is the ultimate mobile audio recorder bringing one tap recording, transcription and iCloud syncing to all your devices. You can edit your audio and transcriptions right inside the app and even start a new recording completely hands-free with Siri!

Features include: speech-to-text transcript (lower accuracy in larger areas), record independently on Apple Watch and sync later.

Note: speech-to-text accuracy will be much lower if used to record lectures.

Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote is a digital notetaking app for iOS, Android and windows that allows you to take notes and add content to them at any time. It stores your note in the Cloud so that you can access them on whatever device you are using.

Features include: 

Sync notes between devices, add sections and pages, create multiple notebooks, handwrite notes, read content aloud.

Notability

Notability is an app that allows notetaking and enables the annotation of PDF files. You can also handwrite, record and replay your notes.

Features include: 

PDF annotation, download external notes, view a second hidden note while presenting.

Transcribe – Speech to Text

Transcribe is your own Personal Assistant for transcribing videos and voice memos into text. Leveraging almost-instant Artificial Intelligence technologies, Transcribe provides quality, readable transcriptions with just a tap of a button.

Features include: transcribe any video or voice memo automatically, supports 120+ languages and dialects, exporting to TXT, PDF, DOCX, SRT files.

Voice Record Pro

Voice Record Pro is a professional voice recorder. It allows you to record voice memos and on-site sounds at unlimited length with configurable quality.

Features include: set bookmarks of audio during or after recording, edit audio files, adjust playback speed.

Dictomate Voice Recorder

Dictomate Voice Recorder is a high quality licensed MP3\OGG audio recorder and dictophone with bookmarking capability. It gives you the ability to record memos, meetings, conferences, lectures with the added benefit of bookmarking key points in the audio recording. Use your phone as a Dictaphone.

Features include: set audio bookmarks during recording, seamless one click uploading of recordings to Google Drive.

Easy Voice Recorder

Easy Voice Recorder allows you to record classes and lectures with clear quality, even when the teacher is not right in front of you. Listen to these recordings as many times as you want to help you study for that next exam. 

Features include: no time limits option to choose a compressed format, easy, basic recording features.

Hi-Q MP3 Voice Recorder

Hi-Q MP3 Voice Recorder is a feature-packed, yet easy to use app that takes the mobile sound recording to the next level. The variety of customization options suggest the ultimate user experience and it’s high-fidelity 44 kHz audio sampling makes it miles ahead of any standard recording app.

Features include: available widget to start/pause/stop recording, Wi-Fi transfer feature.

Voice Recorder

Voice Recorder application is free. It is simple and easy to use. You can reliably record your meetings, personal notes, speeches, lectures, songs. There is no time limits. This application can record most of your voice. You can record a business meeting, a lecture, an interview. 

Features include: edit & trim parts of audio recordings.

Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote is a digital notetaking app for iOS, Android and windows that allows you to take notes and add content to them at any time. It stores your note in the Cloud so that you can access them on whatever device you are using.

Features include: 

Sync notes between devices, add sections and pages, create multiple notebooks, handwrite notes, read content aloud.