The process of converting audio or video files into text is called transcription. In audio transcriptions, the audio or spoken words are converted to text. This is done in the cases of lectures, podcasts, online tutoring, and interviews, either manually or by speech recognition technology.
Video files are also converted to text by several AI tools. Youtubers, podcasters, and video editors add subtitles to their video or audio files in several different languages for easy access by people all around the globe. This increases the views and the revenue generated as well.
The Process of Transcription
1. Choosing Proper Transcriptors: It is important to choose proper transcription services. There are transcription services that offer translations as well, which can be helpful for creators who are looking to expand their reach in the global market.
There are also freelance transcriptors who can be hired for a reduced price. Depending upon your requirement and the amount of workload, you can choose your transcriptors accordingly.
2. Data Analysis And Transcript Generation: The transcriptors use various softwares to pause and fast-forward the video and audio files to extract the spoken data.
Transcriptors can either do it manually or use AI tools for the extraction and writing of the text. They can also do it in the hybrid method utilizing both manual techniques and AI tools to optimize the transcription process.
3. Proofreading And Quality Check: It is essential to maintain the standard and quality of the transcripts by making sure no errors are present and maintaining a clean, concise script, omitting the errors when not required. A concise and grammatically correct transcript goes a long way in maintaining the image of the creator or the company.
Benefits of Transcription in Podcasts And Webinars:
Webinars are hosted by educational institutes and companies which allow a wide range of people to attend remotely. Companies often host webinars to update employees on the changes in rules or processes. Webinars are also held by educational institutes on particular topics where the students are required to attend.
- Having transcripts of the webinars ensures the students can revisit the points later and it even allows students who are auditorily-impaired to follow and understand the concepts and topic being taught without feeling out of place.
- For employees of a company, having transcripts allows them to analyze the points and make appropriate changes as required. It enables them to focus on the important parts and is more time-saving and efficient than listening to the recordings of the webinar over and over.
- Having a written form of the audio or video is especially helpful in the analysis and makes report-making easier and more convenient.
Podcasters come in all forms and genres. They vary from horror stories, to life tips, to interviews and so much more. Podcasts come in both video and audio formats, catering to different types of audiences with the format.
- Transcription is immensely helpful in providing a transcript for the audio as it helps the audience catch up in case they missed out on something. It also helps the creator to reach an auditorily-challenged audience and make them feel included.
- Transcription also includes providing subtitles in the original language as well as in other translated languages. It opens the door to global viewership for the creator, reeling in audiences from different countries.
- The words in the transcript also act as relevant keywords that increase the reach of the podcast.
Conclusion
Transcription is an essential process in different fields. In corporate and academics, transcripts allow the company and the students to revisit the points and topics being mentioned and discussed.
Employees can use the transcripts from their webinars to make any changes to the current work and make reports more easily. It saves time and is more efficient.
Students use transcripts as notes for their studies or to catch up on anything they missed and it allows deaf students to understand and process the concepts being discussed.
Apart from that, podcasters and creators use transcription services for subtitling their content, or translating the subtitles and also providing the entire transcript for easier processing by the viewers.
It allows the creator to reach out more and expand their community globally. The transcripts act as keywords that increase the frequency of their content showing up on the web or other platforms under relevant searches.
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Frequently Asked Questions
There are multiple sites and companies on the web which offer their transcription and/or translation services. You can find the entire catalogue of their services and prices on the websites and choose accordingly. It is always suggested to opt for peer-reviewed companies and services as they are more trustworthy and you won’t have to risk the reputation of yourself or your company with errors in the transcripts.
The cost varies from company to company. It also varies with workload and the amount of content the transcriptors are working with. If you require translation in multiple languages for the transcripts, the costs are naturally going to increase based on the rarity of the languages. The audio quality also influences the prices. If the audio quality is poor and has a lot of static or background noise, the prices will increase significantly as the transcriptors will have to put in more effort to decipher the content and then write.
Transcripts help in keeping track of the conferences, meetings, and webinars and by analyzing the trends, one can take steps that allow the company to improve on their shortcomings and monitor the areas where they need to work or change the processes, giving them an edge over the others.
For creators, the transcripts act as records to follow their growth as they will be able to revisit the texts and make improvements as necessary, allowing them to progress with time.
Depending upon the workload, it is doable. If the workload is not huge, it will be convenient to use AI tools for faster and more efficient transcription. If the content is huge, it is advisable to hire external services as they are trained to deal with a lot of content without taking too much time.