Transcription for Starters

For newbies who are just starting the Transcriptionist Career, transcribing can be a daunting task especially if you've been given an audio where you can barely hear what the speaker is saying and has a lot of noise around it. You'll end up getting frustrated without finishing the job. You might be confused as to what equipment you need to prepare or what software to use in order to transcribe effectively and efficiently. To have some clarity in transcribing, here are some snippets of what you can do to start transcribing away.

Transcription Software and Headphones

First and foremost, you need a transcription software and headphones that you can become comfortable with. The software must have all the functions and features necessary to transcribe seamlessly and that it must be user-friendly as well. There are many transcription software that you can choose from and here are just some that you can try out for yourself. You can weigh out their pros and cons to find the one according to your preferences.

Express Scribe - It is a free transcription tool that can both run on PC or Mac. It's one of the most popular transcription software out in the market so go ahead and give it a try.

InqScribe - With Inqscribe, you can caption and transcribe audios. It's very useful when it comes to transcribing and it quite easy to use. You will be able to work faster and more efficiently in using this tool. InqScribe comes with a price but you can, however, download a 30-day trial so you can try it out for yourself.

EureScribe - EureScribe is another software which can help you in transcribing audio files and supports a lot of audio and video formats. You are sure to face transcription challenges with ease using this powerful software.

With regards to the headphones, make sure that both channels are working and are enough for you to hear every word spoken from the audio.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Once you have selected your preferred transcription software and downloaded it, you will now need to set up keyboard shortcuts that you are most comfortable with. If the software that you are using is user-friendly, you will be able to find the settings on how to change this base on your preference. 

Audio Transcription

Now that you have set up your transcription software and keyboard shortcuts, all you need to do is upload the audio that needs transcribing and then start away.  

If you are transcribing an audio wherein the speaker speaks very fast, a lot of transcription software has a key to slow down the audio. This will make it easier for you to clarify what the speaker is saying. Then you can just return it to the normal speed by pressing another key when it's not hard to understand anymore. This is to save time in transcribing.

Proofreading

Now that you have finished transcribing the file, another important thing to do is to proofread your transcription and find any spelling, grammar, punctuation and comprehension mistakes in it. You must have a good command of the English Grammar, Spelling, and Reading Comprehension to make sure that the transcript is impeccable. And after that, you can then format the transcript based on your template to retain consistency.

Now this does not constitute all there is to know about Transcription. This is just the beginning and it will take a lot of practice and a lot of transcription jobs before you get a hang of it. Be sure to practice always and find ways to become better at transcribing.

Are you a newbie and would like to share your experience? Post it in the comments section below.