Last updated on October 30, 2020
When it comes to transcribing audio or video files, it is not all about how many words you can write per minute. Transcription usually involves taking an audio or a video file and converting it into text. It can be a difficult task if your English language skills are not up to par. Due to the advancements in technology, nowadays, there are many video and audio transcription software out there that can help you in making it an easy task for you. If you are new to the profession of transcription, there are many factors that you will have to take into account. As it is not all about just typing something out. It is not all about speed either. The accuracy and quality of what is being transcribed matter hugely. The aid of technology has to be availed at times to get the efficiency of typing up and avoiding mistakes and grammatical errors out of the text you are writing. Don’t worry, as today we are going to share with you some tricks and tips that will help you get your transcription skills up to professional quality. Some of these tips and tricks are listed as follows;
Use An Auto correction Tool
Whenever you are transcribing something, the main goal should be that every word you write is spelled accurately. Things like grammatical errors can play a huge part in defining the quality of work that you put out. Other than spell checks, proper use of nouns, verbs, and adjectives have to be used so that the person who is reading the text fully understands what it means. Due to the nature of this type of work, a transcriber has to put out words with a certain speed, and this can lead to mistakes. To remedy this problem, the use of an auto correct tool is encouraged. Many software on the internet are available that can be downloaded and installed as a plugin in your computer’s text editor. It will help you in spotting and correcting any grammatical mistakes you might have done, which will save you a lot of time in the end.
Practice Your Typing Skills
Transcribing audio or a video file into text involves writing long sentences and to do this accurately, you must have a good grasp on typing properly. Nowadays, most transcription is done on a computer or a laptop, or sometimes on mobile devices as well, but it usually involves typing for long hours. A transcriber should have good typing skills and they need to practice it in order to make it perfect. A good thing to do would be to download some audio books and type them out in your free time. By doing this every day you will get used to it and your skills as a typist will get better with each passing day. After all, what good is a transcriber, if he or she cannot type properly with speed and accuracy? Speed also matters as you would not want to wait around all day to complete work that has been provided to you. Jot down how much time you take in typing out a 20-second audio book and try to type these 20 seconds as fast as you can. This will hopefully build up your typing speed as well.
Use High-Quality Headphones
Probably the most important tip someone can give a transcriber would be to get a pair of good sound cans. The headphone’s audio should be clear enough so that you can understand every word that is being said in the audio or video file. Eventually, it is a good idea to get some good quality headphones as they are crucial for your typing speed at the end of the day. Also, look for headphones that can be adjusted to change the type of sound you hear through them. This will be very helpful to clear out muffled sounds on the audio file. Many good headphones on the market will help you achieve this. Here is a list of headphones that you can choose from.
Work in a Quiet Environment
Working in a quiet and comfortable environment is key to transcribing an audio file accurately and efficiently. You are listening to audio most of the time while you transcribe, so wouldn’t it be better that you work in a space that is away from all the noise and disturbances of everyday life. Moreover, working in a comfortable environment is also crucial. If you are in an uncomfortable environment it will negatively impact your focus on the work you are doing and you will become prone to making mistakes while typing. So it is a good idea to get a chair that you feel comfortable sitting in for a long period. In the end, be sure to find a place that is away from all unwanted noise, so that you can work in peace and without interruption.
Use Auto-fill/Auto-Complete
This is a great tip for transcribers. Downloading and setting up an auto-fill software will help you out in saving time and typing accurately. An auto-fill or autocomplete software will usually save words that you have previously used and will give you suggestions when you type half of such a previously written word. For example, if you have used the word ‘transcribe’ before, the auto-fill software will suggest that word as soon as you write ‘trans’. This will end up saving you a lot of time. Also, this type of software will give you an accurate spelling. Go ahead and download one for your text editor.
Take Regular breaks
Transcribing usually requires you to sit in one place with your headphones on and typing out what you hear on the headphones. This can be a grueling task and can take a toll on your body. You will get tired of sitting in one place for hours. Your fingers will also get sore from all the typing that you will be doing. Also, your eyes will start to hurt after a while, giving you a headache. It is a good idea to take short breaks regularly, preferably taking a 10 or 20-minutes break after every 2 hours. By doing this you will keep yourself fresh and focused on your work, otherwise, you will not even want to get up as your body will hurt from sitting in one place without making any movements, other than moving your fingers to type out text. Also, do not forget to take restroom breaks as well.
Get a Transcribing Software
If you are a transcriber and you are not using a transcribing software, it is time to get your hands on one as it will greatly impact your typing speed and accuracy. Imagine all the times you will have to pause something or rewind to listen to a portion of the audio clip again just because you missed it on the first go. All of which you will have to do with a mouse as well, which can get very annoying sometimes. There are a number of free and paid software available on the internet that you can download. This type of software will help you out greatly and remove all the frustrations of going back and forth again with a mouse to re-listen to something you missed.
How to transcribe audio to text with multiple speakers
Transcribing from audio to text gets a bit trickier when there are more than one or two people speaking in the recording. For example, you are transcribing audio for minutes of a meeting or a focus group discussion, automatic software will start to struggle especially when two or more people talk over each other.
There are no guaranteed ways on how to transcribe audio to text in this scenario especially when the audio quality is bad, but it’s good to keep a note of the different speakers. Write their names down or if you don’t have their names, you could label them as “Speaker 1,” “Speaker 2,” and so on. It takes practice to discern between different voices, but as a guide, you can always note down specific characteristics (e.g. “Male; deep and raspy”) of each voice to help you in case you get lost.
The Final Words
Transcription depends on a lot of things and when not done correctly, it will hamper your typing speed. Every person can have a different typing speed, but steps can be taken to make sure that he or she improves it greatly. In the profession, typing fast and accurately is the main thing that usually matters. However, when a transcriber sits down to type a one-hour long audio clip, it is impossible for him or her to transcribe the audio clip in the exact duration of the audio clip. The most they can do is get closer by polishing their skills and using tricks to cut down the time required to type out every single word. Today we have shared with you some tips and tricks that you can use to improve your transcribing skills and make your work as accurate as possible. It is a good idea to try them out and judge it yourself.
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