Written communication holds an unparalleled level of reliability, particularly for skilled professionals such as medical practitioners and lawyers. When compared to audio-visual communication, written transcripts offer a distinct advantage. Audio recordings can be compromised by various factors, including substandard equipment, background noise, or low speaker volume, leading to potential inaccuracies or difficulty assessing the information.

In contrast, transcripts serve as invaluable resources for professionals like judges, doctors, and lawyers. Whether it’s a judge reviewing court proceedings, a doctor analysing a patient’s information, or a lawyer studying a deposition transcript to extract key details, these documents provide an unbiased and unmanipulated source of information.

The beauty of transcripts lies in their neutrality and reliability. They provide professionals with a factual account of events, empowering them to make informed judgments and decisions based on unaltered information.

What are the different ways to Transcribe Audio to Text?

Manual Transcription

Manual transcription, while feasible, is a time-consuming and challenging process that requires practice and patience. Although it may not be the fastest method, some people prefer it because they have confidence in their own accuracy. They believe that by transcribing the audio themselves, they can ensure the highest level of precision and fidelity to the original content.

Transcription with Automation

An alternative method for transcribing audio content is utilising third-party transcription software. The software offers automated transcription services that can quickly transcribe your audio files in a matter of minutes. However, one limitation of this approach is its performance with regional accents, which can affect the accuracy of the transcriptions. When deciding between manual transcription and automatic transcription, the key factors to consider are the sensitivity of the content and the level of accuracy required.

Professional Transcription Services

When it comes to transcription services, many companies like SBA offer human transcription services. If speed and high accuracy are the top priorities, human transcription services are the best option. These services employ real people who listen to your audio files and transcribe them manually. Human transcribers, such as courtroom stenographers and Legal Transcriptionists working with sensitive material, have undergone training and possess the skills necessary to deliver transcriptions at an exceptional standard.

Step By Step Guide on How to Transcribe Audio to Text Manually

Here is a step-by-step guide to transcribing audio files to text yourself:

1. Familiarity with the Audio: Before starting the transcription, listening to the entire audio recording is important. This helps the brain attune to the style and content of the spoken words, especially when dealing with unfamiliar accents.
2. Shorthand References: After listening to the audio, it’s easier to identify the recurring elements, such as speaker names, locations, or events and create shorthand references for them. This saves time by avoiding the need to type the same things repeatedly. After the transcription is complete, the shorthand references can be replaced at a go with the find-and-replace feature.
3. Transcribe sentence by sentence: To ensure the most accurate audio transcriptions, slow down the audio clips’ playback speed and carefully listen to each sentence before transcribing it. This helps to grasp the context and comprehend the audio more effectively. While this may take more time, it’s essential not to rush through the transcription process in order to reduce the chances of compromising accuracy.
4. Editing the text file: Once the transcription is complete, listen through the audio file one last time to catch any missing errors. During this stage, the transcriber should pay attention to the transcription’s titles, references, and contextual information. If necessary, format the document with timestamps, margins, headers, or other elements that may be required.
5. Reviewing for accuracy: It is important to meticulously review and edit the transcription to ensure accuracy and completeness. Start by checking the correctness of the terminology used, ensuring that industry-specific terms and jargon are accurately transcribed. Verify that each paragraph makes sense and flows logically, maintaining the intended meaning of the audio. Take the time to thoroughly review the transcription for any missing or incorrect information, ensuring that all relevant facts are accurately represented.

How to transcribe multi-speaker audio?

Transcribing multi-speaker audio, such as interviews, group conversations, or podcasts, requires a specific approach to clarify the transcript. When dealing with multiple speakers, interruptions, and overlapping dialogue, it can be challenging to capture the content accurately.

The recommended method is to transcribe each person’s speech on a separate line. This helps differentiate between speakers and makes the transcript easier to follow. When speakers talk simultaneously, note this by assigning the same timestamp to both lines, indicating they are speaking simultaneously. If the conversation becomes chaotic and it is impossible to discern what one of the speakers is saying, use an ‘Inaudible’ tag to indicate the unclear portion.

For ‘Verbatim’ transcriptions, the transcriber can go a step further and include additional details in the transcript. This may include noting the tone of voice or any other relevant information that helps convey the full context of the conversation. This way, the reader can gain as much insight and understanding as they would from listening to the original recording.

Including Timestamp While Transcribing Multi-Speaker Audio

A transcript of a multi-speaker audio must also include timestamps and speaker identification. These two are vital components for easy navigation and reference within the audio recording.

Timestamps indicate the exact time when a particular portion of the text was spoken in [HH:MM: SS] format. This allows the reader to jump directly to specific points in the interview without listening to the entire recording.

Speaker identification helps differentiate between different individuals speaking in the interview. It indicates when a new person starts speaking and clarifies who is saying what.

Why do businesses choose human transcription services?

Accuracy:

Human transcribers are skilled in accurately transcribing audio content. They have the ability to distinguish speech nuances, understand accents, and accurately capture the context of the conversation. This ensures higher accuracy in the transcriptions, especially when dealing with technical or industry-specific terminology.

Quality Control:

Human transcription services often have a rigorous quality control process in place. Experienced professionals review and edit transcriptions to ensure accuracy, consistency, and adherence to specific guidelines. This helps to maintain a high standard of quality in the final transcripts.

Confidentiality:

Many professional services deal with sensitive information and confidential conversations. Human transcription services prioritise confidentiality and take necessary measures to protect client data. They often have strict security protocols to safeguard the transcribed content’s privacy and confidentiality.

Specialised Knowledge:

Depending on the industry or subject matter, human transcription services may have transcribers with specialised knowledge in specific fields. This can benefit professional services requiring transcriptions in technical or specialised areas such as legal, medical, or financial fields. Transcribers with domain expertise can accurately capture the terminology and nuances specific to those industries.

Outsource Transcription Services with Team SBA

Team SBA has provided extensive transcription support services to law firms for over 12 years. By outsourcing transcription tasks to SBA, professionals and businesses can save valuable time and resources that would otherwise be spent on performing the transcription themselves or managing an in-house transcription team.

Delegate transcription responsibilities to Team SBA and focus time and energy on core tasks, whether serving clients, conducting research, or managing other important aspects of their work.

The opportunity cost of choosing SBA’s transcription services lies in the ability to redirect valuable time and resources towards more important tasks. Rather than hiring and training in-house transcriptionists’ equipment, businesses can rely on SBA’s expertise and infrastructure, which are specifically designed for efficient and accurate transcription services. This eliminates the need for upfront investments and ongoing maintenance costs associated with in-house transcription solutions.