Olympus Dictation in 2026: Recorders, Software, App & Prices
Olympus dictation recorders still exist, but they no longer carry the Olympus name on new products. The Olympus audio business moved to OM Digital Solutions in 2021, and its professional dictation line is now sold as OM SYSTEM. If you're looking for an Olympus dictation recorder, the ODMS software download, a free version or the dictation app, this page covers what is current, what was discontinued, and what each piece costs in the US.
Quick answer (October 2026): Olympus dictation products are now made and supported by OM Digital Solutions under the OM SYSTEM brand. The current recorders are the DS-9500 (Wi-Fi), DS-9100 and DS-2700, with RecMic II desktop microphones and AS-9100 and AS-2700 transcription kits. The software is ODMS R8 (Windows, one-time license, 30-day trial) or ODMS Cloud (subscription with Windows, Mac, web and smartphone apps). Older models such as the DS-9000, DS-7000, DS-5000 and DS-3500 are discontinued.
Full disclosure: I built Dictation Daddy, an AI dictation app that competes with part of this workflow, and you're reading this on our site. I've linked the OM SYSTEM pages for every product fact so you can check them. If you want to hear from people who switched, see what real users are saying.
Olympus Dictation at a Glance
| Status in October 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Brand and maker | OM SYSTEM, made by OM Digital Solutions (Olympus audio business since January 1, 2021) |
| Current portable recorders | DS-9500 (Wi-Fi), DS-9100, DS-2700 |
| Desktop dictation microphones | RecMic II RM-4010N and RM-4110N |
| Transcription kits | AS-9100 (with ODMS Cloud), AS-2700 (with ODMS R8) |
| Software | ODMS R8 On-Premise (Windows, one-time license) and ODMS Cloud (12-month subscription) |
| Smartphone app | ODMS Cloud app for iPhone and Android (free, needs an ODMS Cloud account) |
| Mac software | ODMS Cloud desktop app, or the older DSS Player for Mac (last updated September 2023) |
| Discontinued | DS-9000, DS-7000, DS-5000, DS-3500, DS-2600, DS-2400, AS-9000, the original Olympus Dictation app (ODDS) |
Sources: OM SYSTEM Professional Dictation, OM Digital Solutions history.
Is Olympus Dictation Still Made?
Yes, under a different name. Olympus transferred its camera and audio recorder business to OM Digital Solutions, owned by Japan Industrial Partners, on January 1, 2021. The dictation site now describes itself as continuing "OLYMPUS Audio's heritage of more than 55 years of audio capture" as OM SYSTEM. Support, firmware and software downloads for older Olympus recorders moved to the OM SYSTEM Professional Audio Support site.
That matters when you search. Many retailers still list the newest models as "Olympus DS-9100" or "Olympus DS-2700", and the software is still called ODMS (originally the Olympus Dictation Management System). They are the same products.
Olympus Dictation Recorders
An Olympus dictation recorder (often called an Olympus dictaphone or dictation machine) is a handheld digital recorder built for dictation: a slide switch or push buttons for record, rewind and insert, a microphone tuned for close speech, and file formats designed for transcription workflows.
| Recorder | US price (as of October 2026) | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|
| DS-9500 | $599.99 (authorized dealer, with ODMS R8 or 1 year of ODMS Cloud) | Built-in Wi-Fi to send dictations, slide switch, 2.4-inch color screen, 256-bit encryption, cradle included |
| DS-9100 | $459.99 (OM SYSTEM US store, with 1 year of ODMS Cloud) | DS-9500 features without Wi-Fi; 256-bit AES encryption, up to 56 hours of battery |
| DS-2700 | $359.99 (OM SYSTEM US store, with ODMS R8 Dictation Module) | Entry model; DSS, WAV and MP3 recording, 2GB memory plus SD card, up to 56 hours of battery |
Sources: DS-9100 and DS-2700 on the OM SYSTEM US store; DS-9500 at StartStop.
Older Olympus models
The DS-9000 was replaced by the DS-9100, the DS-2600 by the DS-2700, and the DS-7000, DS-5000, DS-3500 and DS-2400 are long discontinued. They still work, and used units are easy to find, but check two things before buying one: that the current ODMS software supports it, and that the battery and cradle are included, because replacements are getting harder to source.
RecMic II desktop microphones
The RecMic II RM-4010N and RM-4110N are USB dictation microphones for your desk rather than handheld recorders. OM SYSTEM says they work with Dragon "with all buttons pre-configured" and with other speech recognition software, and the RM-4110N adds a slide switch and trackball. The RM-4110N is 349.99 dollars on the OM SYSTEM US store.
Olympus Transcription Kits
For the person typing up dictations, OM SYSTEM sells transcription kits with a foot pedal, headphones and a software license. The AS-9100 (229.99 dollars) includes the RS31N four-pedal foot switch, E103 headphones and a 12-month ODMS Cloud subscription with 5GB of shared storage. The AS-2700 (299.99 dollars) includes a three-pedal foot switch, headphones and the ODMS R8 Transcription Module. The older AS-9000 and AS-7000 kits used ODMS R7 and are discontinued. Prices are from the OM SYSTEM US store as of October 2026.
Olympus Dictation Software Download: ODMS R8, ODMS Cloud and DSS Player
There are 3 current ways to get Olympus dictation software, and which one you need depends on your operating system and whether you want a subscription.
| Software | Platforms | Pricing (US, as of October 2026) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ODMS R8 On-Premise, Dictation Module | Windows | $99.99 one-time per user | Authors who record and route files on a Windows PC |
| ODMS R8 On-Premise, Transcription Module | Windows | $199.99 one-time per user | Transcriptionists using a foot pedal |
| ODMS Cloud | Web, Windows and Mac desktop apps, iPhone and Android app | 12-month subscription per user, quoted by dealers | Teams that want cloud routing, mobile dictation and optional speech recognition |
| DSS Player for Mac | macOS | Older software, last updated September 2023 (v7.7.7) | Mac users with older Olympus recorders |
ODMS R8 (On-Premise)
ODMS R8 is installed software with a one-time license and no subscription. It handles DS2, DSS, WAV and MP3 files, encrypts audio with 256-bit AES, and routes dictations to transcriptionists with workflow rules. The single-user licenses on the OM SYSTEM US store are listed as compatible with Windows; there is no Mac version of ODMS R8.
You download ODMS R8 from the OM SYSTEM support site. Many recorders and kits include a license key in the box.
ODMS Cloud
ODMS Cloud is the subscription version. According to OM SYSTEM, it includes a web interface, desktop apps for Windows and Mac, a smartphone app, 5GB of storage per license, 256-bit encryption with two-factor authentication, and an optional speech recognition module based on Microsoft Azure AI. OM SYSTEM doesn't publish a list price; dealers quote it per user for 12 months, and some offer a free trial.
DSS Player for Mac
DSS Player for Mac is the older Mac software for Olympus recorders. The last release was v7.7.7 in September 2023, and the change log lists macOS 13 compatibility. For a current Mac setup, ODMS Cloud's Mac desktop app is the supported route.
Is There a Free Olympus Dictation Download?
Not a free full version. What you can get for free:
- A 30-day ODMS R8 trial. OM SYSTEM's support site says you can install ODMS R8 or R7 "in a 30 day trial mode" by leaving the license key field blank during installation (trial mode guide).
- The ODMS Cloud smartphone app. It's free to download, but it needs an ODMS Cloud account.
- Software included with hardware. The DS-2700 ships with an ODMS R8 Dictation Module license, and the DS-9100 and AS-9100 include a year of ODMS Cloud.
Avoid "free download" sites offering old ODMS or DSS Player installers. They're unsupported, may not run on current Windows, and using them without a license breaks the license terms.
The Olympus Dictation App
The current app is the ODMS Cloud app from OM Digital Solutions, free on the App Store (iOS 13 or later) and Google Play. It records dictations with insert and overwrite editing, works offline, and uploads to ODMS Cloud, where transcriptionists pick up the files. It needs an ODMS Cloud subscription.
The older Olympus Dictation app, which ran on the Olympus Dictation Delivery Service (ODDS), has been replaced by ODMS Cloud. If you still use the old app, OM SYSTEM dealers began moving ODDS users to ODMS Cloud in 2024.
Does Olympus Dictation Do Speech Recognition?
Partly. Olympus recorders capture audio; they don't turn it into text themselves. Speech-to-text comes from one of three places:
- ODMS Cloud's optional speech recognition module, which uses Microsoft Azure AI.
- Dragon. ODMS R8 can pass recordings to speech recognition software sold separately, and the RecMic II works with Dragon out of the box. Dealers sell the DS-9500 bundled with Dragon Professional v16.
- A human transcriptionist, which is still the most common Olympus workflow in law firms and medical practices.
That's the answer to searches like "speech to text medical solutions from Olympus" and "Olympus legal dictation software for lawyers": the hardware and ODMS handle recording, encryption and routing, and the text comes from Dragon, Azure speech recognition or a transcriptionist.
DSS vs DS2: Olympus File Formats
DSS (Digital Speech Standard) is the compressed voice format Olympus recorders have used for decades. DS2, also called DSS Pro, is the newer version that supports 256-bit AES encryption, which is why law firms and healthcare providers use it for confidential dictation. Current recorders also record WAV and MP3, and ODMS R8 opens all four formats.
What an Olympus Dictation Setup Costs
| Setup | Hardware | Software | First-year total (US, as of October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| One author, on-premise | DS-2700 ($359.99, includes ODMS R8 Dictation Module) | Included | About 360 dollars |
| Author plus transcriptionist, on-premise | DS-2700 plus AS-2700 kit ($299.99, includes Transcription Module) | Included | About 660 dollars, plus transcription labor |
| Author plus transcriptionist, cloud | DS-9100 ($459.99) plus AS-9100 ($229.99), each with 1 year of ODMS Cloud | ODMS Cloud renewals after year 1 | About 690 dollars in year 1, plus renewals and transcription labor |
Speech recognition (Dragon or the ODMS Cloud module) is extra in every setup.
When Olympus Dictation Still Makes Sense
An Olympus or OM SYSTEM setup is the right call when:
- Your firm or practice already runs ODMS with transcriptionists, routing rules and encrypted DS2 files. Changing that costs more than it saves.
- You need a physical recorder. Slide-switch dictation, dictating away from a computer, or recording in places with no signal.
- Encrypted audio files are a requirement, for example for court or clinical records that must be stored as audio.
When AI Dictation Fits Better
If what you want is text, not audio files for someone else to type, AI dictation skips the recorder, the file transfer and the transcription queue. You speak into the document and the words appear.
That's what I built Dictation Daddy for. It types wherever your cursor is on Mac, Windows, Android and Chrome, handles legal and medical terminology out of the box with a medical mode, adds punctuation and paragraphs automatically, and needs no voice training. It works with USB dictation microphones such as the Philips SpeechMike and Nuance PowerMic, so you don't have to give up a handheld microphone. It costs 99 dollars a year or 15 dollars a month after a 7-day free trial; enterprises needing SOC 2 or HIPAA compliance have a dedicated plan.
The tradeoff is that Dictation Daddy uses cloud processing, so it needs an internet connection and doesn't produce the encrypted DS2 audio files an ODMS workflow is built around. We know we're biased, since you're on the Dictation Daddy website. Check the testimonials and try it yourself. For more on dictation hardware, see our guide to dictation software for lawyers.
FAQ
Is Olympus still making dictation recorders?
Not under the Olympus name. Olympus moved its audio business to OM Digital Solutions on January 1, 2021, and new dictation recorders are sold as OM SYSTEM. The current models are the DS-9500, DS-9100 and DS-2700, and many retailers still list them as Olympus.
What is the best Olympus dictation recorder?
The DS-9500 is the top model, with built-in Wi-Fi to send dictations, a slide switch and 256-bit encryption, at about 600 dollars from US dealers. The DS-9100 has the same core features without Wi-Fi for 459.99 dollars, and the DS-2700 is the entry model at 359.99 dollars with ODMS R8 included.
Where can I download Olympus dictation software?
ODMS R8 and older Olympus software are downloaded from the OM SYSTEM Professional Audio Support site. ODMS R8 runs on Windows and needs a license key, which many recorders include. ODMS Cloud's desktop app runs on Windows and Mac, and its smartphone app is on the App Store and Google Play.
Is Olympus dictation software free?
No. ODMS R8 can be installed in a 30-day trial mode, and the ODMS Cloud smartphone app is free to download but needs an ODMS Cloud subscription. Full ODMS R8 licenses are 99.99 dollars for the Dictation Module and 199.99 dollars for the Transcription Module on the OM SYSTEM US store as of October 2026.
Does Olympus dictation software work on a Mac?
ODMS R8 is Windows-only. On a Mac, use the ODMS Cloud desktop app, or the older DSS Player for Mac, which was last updated in September 2023 and lists macOS 13 compatibility.
Is there an Olympus dictation app for iPhone and Android?
Yes. The ODMS Cloud app from OM Digital Solutions is free on the App Store and Google Play and replaces the older Olympus Dictation app that ran on ODDS. It needs an ODMS Cloud subscription.
Can an Olympus recorder transcribe speech to text?
Not by itself. Olympus recorders capture audio. Text comes from Dragon speech recognition (sold separately), the optional speech recognition module in ODMS Cloud, or a human transcriptionist using a transcription kit.
What is the difference between DSS and DS2 files?
DSS is the original compressed Olympus voice format. DS2, also called DSS Pro, adds 256-bit AES encryption, which is why it's used for confidential legal and medical dictation. ODMS R8 opens DS2, DSS, WAV and MP3 files.
Is it worth buying a used Olympus dictation recorder?
It can be, if your office already runs ODMS. Check that the model is supported by your ODMS version and that the battery and cradle are included. If you only need text, AI dictation on a computer or phone avoids the recorder entirely.
Last updated: October 7, 2026. Product names, prices and software details checked against OM SYSTEM's dictation, support and US store pages, the App Store listing, and one US authorized dealer for the DS-9500.
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