Transcribing can be a time-consuming and laborious process. It takes a lot of effort and focus, especially if you're doing it manually. But whether you're a student or a professional, your time is precious. And when you've got deadlines to meet and an ever-increasing to-do list to work through, it's understandable you want to get the job done as quickly as possible.
In this guide you'll discover seven top tips for transcribing quickly. With some clever techniques and useful tools, you can speed up your transcriptions, freeing up time to spend on more interesting and enjoyable tasks.
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Let's start by looking at the different types of transcription available to you.
If time isn't an issue (though that's very unlikely), then doing it yourself is one option. Manual transcription involves listening to the audio and typing out the transcription yourself. You'll usually have to pause, rewind, and replay the recording over and over until you've managed to jot down every word.
It's not a method that we would recommend, especially for long audio recordings, as manual transcription is a very long and slow process. There are ways you can speed up the process though - and we'll share some tips for transcribing faster in the next section.
Services using real-life humans to transcribe your audio promise the best possible accuracy. But since real-life humans can only work so fast and, of course, need to be paid, these services are typically both slow and expensive.
In fact, an hour of audio takes approximately four hours for a professional to transcribe, and the average price charged is 75 cents to $1.50 per minute. That works out as $45-$90 per hour of audio transcription, and you might have to wait days or even weeks to receive your transcript.
The fastest way to transcribe audio is with an automatic transcription service like Transcribe. Transcribe uses advanced artificial intelligence technology to provide you with transcriptions in a matter of minutes - if not seconds - and it's the perfect choice for those who want fast and affordable transcriptions.
The service is available in more than 120 languages and dialects, and you can upload your audio or video files to our app or online editor in just a few clicks. Once your transcription is ready, you can proofread and edit it in the app or online editor.
Now you know the options available to you, here are some transcription tips to help you boost your transcription speed.
The starting point for fast transcriptions is, without a doubt, to use automatic transcription software like Transcribe. With AI-powered software, you'll save hours of time. Literally hours. Simply upload your audio or video file to Transcribe and we'll get your transcription to you in a matter of minutes.
Check out our guide on how to transcribe audio for step-by-step instructions.
The clearer your recording, the more accurate the results, but even if the audio quality of your recording isn't great, you'll still receive a fairly accurate transcript, which you can then edit and polish to perfection - using some of the tips below.
Whether you're using a transcription tool or doing it yourself, the clearer your recording, the easier it will be to transcribe. Of course, if you're not the one recording the audio then this is somewhat out of your control. But where possible, try to:
A foot pedal helps you to control the audio playback hands-free. You can use your foot to pause, play, rewind, and fast forward as you listen to the recording, meaning you can keep your hands on the keyboard at all times. No need to reach for the mouse or keyboard shortcuts. This saves you loads of time and helps you to manually transcribe as quickly as possible.
A time-stamping tool helps you keep track of where you are in a recording and makes it easy to locate and jump to specific parts, without having to replay the entire file. This helps to speed up the transcription process, making it more efficient and much less frustrating.
Transcribe's time-stamping feature adds accurate markers to your transcription, making it easy to find specific parts of the audio and saving you loads of time in the process.
Errors and typos are easy to make when you're typing quickly. And you may not always have time to pause the recording and correct yourself as you go. To improve the accuracy of your transcript in the fastest possible way, use a spell-checker and grammar-checker like the ones in Word or Google Docs, or the built-in spell-checker on Transcribe. These tools help you spot errors without having to go through the transcript with a fine-tooth comb.
When you're manually transcribing, a good way to transcribe quickly is to use abbreviations. By shortening common phrases and terms into certain symbols or letters, you can boost your typing speed and save yourself from having to constantly pause and rewind the recording. Either leave them as they are, or find and replace them automatically or manually once you've got to the end of the recording.
It might seem counterintuitive when time is of the essence, but taking regular breaks is very important when you're transcribing long recordings. Manual transcription takes a lot of focus, which can quickly become fatiguing, so taking breaks helps to keep your energy levels up and reduces the likelihood of errors - and frustration.
As you've seen, the fastest way to transcribe audio is with an automatic transcription service like Transcribe. Simply upload your audio or video file and your transcript will be ready in a matter of minutes. Once you've got it, you can proofread and edit it in the app, online, or in your preferred file format.
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