Things that a new transcriber needs to know

If you’re new to audio transcription, what things do you need to keep in mind?

Previously on this blog, we’ve talked time and again about different aspects of converting audio to text, and even if we might have covered a large area of the audio transcription field, it’s possible that we may have neglected the very basic aspect of the transcription service arena, the fundamental and elementary things that don’t seem obvious for an experienced professional, but are very important for someone new to this job.  We thought it would be a good idea to make a list of things that can help new transcribers get started, just as we got started some years ago. So, here it goes:

1. Your output file format: Always save your finished document with the name of the audio file or the client name, so that you can distinguish both the customer for whom you do the job, and the order number or date if this is more useful.

2.  Speakers: Make sure to properly denote the speakers, whether it’s a male or a female speaker, or it’s the person taking the interview, or if there are multiple male and female speakers.  If you can hear the speaker’s name, then by all means use it, but it’s always a good idea to confirm the name first using the various search engines.

3. Formatting: Allow large side margins, maybe your client wants to add remarks, and leave a blank line between different speakers.

4. Create a backup: Always make a backup copy of both the audio and the output word document files.  You may never know what happens, so it’s better to be safe.

5.  Create your own little database: This is optional, but it’s very convenient to keep a detailed record of the files you transcribe, in terms of duration, number of pages, client data, date of receiving and the date of finishing the transcription, and of course the amount your client has to pay for your work.

This list is not finished yet.  Make sure to come back for the next installment!

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