How to Transcribe an Audio
It’s getting more convenient to be able to record meetings, interviews, academic lectures, telephone conversations, etcetera. But it is not so easy turning that recorded speech into a document, called a transcript.
Transcribing a recorded meeting or interview, for example, can be time-consuming. There are some steps that you can take, however, to ensure an easier transcription from your home or office.
- What method is being used to record the audio, dictation machine or digital devices such as a laptop or mobile phone?
- Have you tested the playback for the speech quality?
- How many speakers are there going to be, is a microphone going to be necessary? (For a meeting where there are quite a few people attending.)
- What format are you going to use for the transcript?
These are helpful considerations when opting to transcribe the audio yourself, and can be a great benefit for the transcriptionist, if you outsource the audio instead.
So, you’ve tested the playback quality, happy that it is nice and clear, you can hear what is being said with very little effort, then you are set to transcribe your meeting or interview after it has taken place.
Just before you start there are some additional tools that you are going to need for the transcription process. They are: -
- free transcription software
- some headphones or earphones
- good typing skills
The headphones are probably not going to be a problem, but the free transcription software could be if you don’t know where to go, or what to look for.
As a professional transcriptionist, working freelance for many years, the only software I have ever used is Express Scribe. Why? Because all those years ago when I first came back to transcribing I could download it for free, and you still can!
Not only that, but there are ‘sound process’ options where you can reduce the background noise or filter the audio, for interference that can unexpectedly appear on the playback of the audio.
I have tried other free versions of transcription software, but none of them measured up the ease and simplicity of using Express Scribe and what it has to offer. I did very quickly move on to obtaining the Professional version, which also includes the capacity to play video and transcribe that too! (Very helpful for video captioning purposes!).
The free version does not offer compatibility with a foot pedal, or compatibility for certain dictation machine formats, and cannot play video. But, if you are transcribing the audio as a one-off, or even a couple, and they are in mp3 or other common formats, Express Scribe will be fine to upload these and play them for you.
To play, stop, rewind 5 seconds, these functions are carried out with the keyboard’s ‘function’ keys. It does delay you typing because you have to search for the key, press it to stop, type what you just heard, and start playing again. Hence the conveniences of a foot pedal where these operations are done with the feet and not the hands!
Once you have the audio uploaded from the chosen method of recording to your computer, you can then upload it to Express Scribe.
Tip: To upload the file quickly to Express Scribe right-click on the audio file and ‘open with’ and Express Scribe should be an option, highlight and left click and it should start uploading.
When you have the audio completely uploaded you can now start the transcription into the document format of your choice. The most popular and common format is Word, but if you don’t have Microsoft Office you can type it just as easily into a text document. When you have the set-up, saved, and ready to go then so are you to begin transcribing.
People do often think that transcription is easy, listening to a recording of an interview for example, and then typing what is said. It is not that easy, it is a skill and art for me; it’s taken over 20 years to be able to turn an hour’s recorded audio around in just 4 typing hours. If you are interested in a further explanation of how an audio typist cannot type at the speed of speech, please do see my Infographic ‘Transcription — Is It as Easy As You Think?’
As a professional transcriptionist freelancing as a transcriptionist (please feel free to visit my website www.transcription.oline), with an ear and eye for detail, excellent spelling and grammar, if you find that it is going to take you just too long to transcribe your recorded lecture or favourite podcast, I would love to help you out.
All work that I undertake I only commit to knowing that I can deliver an accurate transcript to you. I can offer a strict or intelligent verbatim transcription, and mytranscription service does not break the bank. With audio transcription charged per minute, you know exactly how much your transcript will cost from the outset.
Alternatively, did this article help you successfully transcribe your own recorded audio? Please do comment at the bottom of the post to let me know how you got on. If you require any help with Express Scribe or any questions in general about transcription, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
