If you are a content creator in any shape or form, then you will probably need to transcribe your audio.
This is important because it makes your content more accessible to everyone, particularly those with deafness or disabilities. However, transcription isn’t particularly easy. It is meticulous work that can take several hours to complete, depending on how long your content is. So, with all that being said, how does one convert audio into text? That’s what we are going to be discussing today. Keep reading to find out the step-by-step process which should make your transcriptions much easier to complete.
Recording Equipment
First and foremost, you will need equipment to record your content. Without this, your transcription will be impossible to complete. Nobody can remember everything they’ve said during a conversation off the top of their head. That’s why you need some good recording equipment if you don’t already. We suggest investing in slightly more expensive gear because this will make the audio quality much better, so the transcription process is easier further down the line.
Record Content & Save
Next, you just need to record your content and save it onto a computer system. You will need this documentation later when it comes to the actual transcription. Make sure to upload and save the file properly because, otherwise, you will lose the content you have just created.
Transcription Service
You can either complete the audio transcription yourself or you can use a specialist transcription service. If your organisation has the budget, then we absolutely recommend doing the latter. Not only do transcription services make your life easier, but they also produce far more accurate transcriptions in a fraction of the time. To produce a written text for your content’s audio, all you need to do is upload your file to the transcription service’s platform. From here, the service produces a first draft, then proof-reads the transcription until it’s over 99% accurate. The average turnaround time (depending on the length of your content) for a fully proofed transcript is 4 hours.
Doing It Yourself
If you have opted to complete your text transcription yourself, things are a little more complicated. Not to worry. We’re still going to talk you through it. Firstly, we suggest breaking your content down into small timeframes. For example, create different segments for each conversation, or focus on translating 5 minutes at a time. The transcription process is far more manageable this way. We also recommend creating a definitive script format for transcribing your content. Having a distinct framework to work against will make everything easier. The final step is to transcribe your audio. This requires a lot of notetaking, plus stopping and starting. Write a rough first draft of the transcription, then proofread this document by listening to the audio again whilst referring to your script.
This is how you successfully complete audio to text transcription. We hope that you found this step-by-step guide helpful. We mainly recommend using a professional transcription service to complete the task.