If you’re new to the term, transcription is the process of converting speech into text. Has your University professor ever shown a written form of a lecture? That’s a transcript.
Transcription is fairly popular in the digital world. Web pages with transcriptions generate more revenue than those without transcripts. Similarly, captioned videos on YouTube get 7.32 percent more views than the ones without. Let’s say I am searching for a YouTube video about Spectrum Mobile plans. I will be more intrigued to watch one with subtitles or transcription. Long story short, transcripts are imperative for bringing organic traffic to your site.
Ways to Transcribe Content
Whether it’s an audio or video content, since transcription is so important, there are plenty of ways to transcribe. Start with these:
1: Download a Mobile Transcription App
Google Play Store and Apple App Store are filled with transcription apps for mobile. Simply choose the app with the best rating, download it on your phone and start transcribing. If you have extra time, Google the top transcription app and pick 2 to 3 of them. Try each app out to test its capabilities.
Apps like these are ideal for transcription on the go. Some might be free while others would require a small fee. Check complete reviews before buying a subscription.
2: Use Your Device’s Built-In Transcription Features
All modern PCs and smartphones have a built-in transcription feature. If you don’t want to download anything, go for this option. No Internet connection is required to avail of this feature.
On your smartphone, open the notepad app and choose the microphone option. Start talking and it will convert the speech into text. Easy, right!
From your PC, use the Windows Speech Recognition feature to transcribe speech into text. Make sure you have a microphone set up to use this feature effectively.
3: Use Google Voice Typing
This is a free online transcription tool inside Google Docs. All you have to do is access Google Docs, go to tools, and click voice typing.
Start speaking and the tool will type on your behalf. Make sure you speak slowly and clearly. This free app works well only if you are the one speaking/ dictating. It does a disappointing job transcribing pre-recorded audio. If you are using this tool for transcribing the text, make sure you proofread before using the transcript elsewhere.
4: Use YouTube’s Automatic Captioning
Youtube’s automatic captioning feature is accurate to some extent. If there is a lot of background noise in the video, the results can be disappointing.
However, it’s ideal for transcribing videos with a clear sound, moderate speech speed, and clear pronunciation. You can also enable video captions and subtitle features.
5: Use of Cloud Speech API by Google
This app is great when it comes to transcribing videos. It comes with a comprehensive list of features that aid the transcription process. It’s can recognize more than 100 languages.
You can test it out for free (only for one hour). If the results are good, buy its premium version and make your life easier. Cloud Speech API charges monthly depending on the number of audio transcriptions completed. Each transcription is measured by increments.
6: DIY or Hire a Transcriber
Unfortunately, the best effective transcription software or apps aren’t cheap. They can cost up to $500 and even more.
If you are a small digital marketer, a cheaper option is to transcribe the manual. But once your business scales and you need an extra hand, hire professional transcriptions. These pros are easy to find on online job portals at affordable rates. Test their services out by assigning them a 10 to the 60-minute audio project and see how everything goes. If you like their work, simply hire them!
Conclusion
So there you have it! These are some ways you can transcribe audio or video content. Test out the accuracy of each method before giving a final go. Use careful analysis just like you would if you were choosing between top Spectrum packages. Pick the option that best suits your budget and transcription needs.
Don’t forget that poorly made transcriptions are considered spammy even if you are using the best software to concoct them. The work done manually has a higher accuracy rate.
