What is Transcription?
Transcription is the process of converting spoken language or audio recordings, such as interviews, speeches, and podcasts, into written text. It is often used in various industries, including journalism, research, legal, and medical fields, as well as for accessibility purposes.
There are three different types of transcriptions: True Verbatim, Clean Verbatim, and Eco Verbatim. True verbatim transcriptions include every utterance, including filler words, stutters, false starts, and non-verbal sounds. Eco verbatim is similar to true verbatim but without the stutters and non-verbal sounds like um and uh. Clean verbatim stays true to the speaker's words but with edits for improved readability.
Who can benefit from transcription?
- Podcast creators: Podcasters often use transcription to create written versions of their episodes, which can be published on their website or used for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) purposes. Because search engines can’t index audio content, posting a transcript on the page allows search engines to access the keywords and topics in your podcast. This allows your podcast to come up higher in search results. Transcription is also useful for podcasters who want to provide transcripts for accessibility purposes.
- Content creators: Similarly, online content creators can use written versions of their audio/video content to aid in repurposing it to other types of posts. For example, rather than starting out from scratch, you can easily turn a YouTube video into a blog post or email. You can also pick and choose sections to post to your other social media accounts.
- Legal professionals: Transcription is often used in legal settings to create accurate and detailed records of court proceedings, depositions, and other legal proceedings. Legal professionals may also use transcription to create written records of witness testimony, interviews, and other types of evidence.
- Medical professionals: Transcription is important for medical professionals who need to maintain accurate and detailed records of patient consultations, diagnoses, and treatment plans. Transcription can also be used to create written records of medical research, clinical trials, and other types of medical information.
- Business meetings: Transcription is useful for businesses that want to create accurate records of their meetings, including notes, minutes, and action items. Transcription can also be used to create written records of interviews with potential employees or clients.
- Journalists: Journalists are always interviewing people, attending speeches, and gathering up other information which needs to be transcribed so they can write their articles. Transcription can also be used to create written records of press conferences or other similar events.
- Researchers: Researchers needing to analyze and categorize large amounts of data, including interviews, focus group discussions, and other types of qualitative data can greatly benefit from transcription to more easily process their findings.
As you can see, transcription has a wide range of applications. With the advancements in technology, transcription has become more accessible and convenient than ever before, although the accuracy and reliability of human transcription services remains unparalleled. Overall, transcription plays a crucial role in facilitating communication, preserving information, and enhancing accessibility, making it an essential tool for individuals and organizations alike.