Transcription is the process of transforming or converting an audio file into text. It can be done by a human, software, or application. The market features various forms of transcriptions. Each is ideal for use in specific situations or areas. Below are the main types of transcriptions for audio files and when they are applicable;
Verbatim transcription
Verbatim transcription is the most straightforward type of transcription, sometimes known as strict or true verbatim transcription. It is a form of word-for-word audio conversion into text. This form of transcription captures the content of audio files as well as the manners of the speakers. It aims to capture all the filler words, non-verbal communications, interjections, stutters, filler words, pauses, and ambient background noises like walking noises within the audio file or recording. Additionally, in cases where the audio file contains several speakers, the transcriber must include note interruptions in the transcript. For this reason, verbatim transcripts are usually long and highly detailed.
When should you use verbatim transcription?
This form of transcription is ideal for use in areas where both reactions and mannerisms of speakers are required in a transcript. Such areas include; market research studies, job interviews, court statements, and police interviews or investigations. This form of transcription should also be applied for heavily detailed projects that require an analysis of the complete transcript.
Clean or edited transcription
This form of transcription adds a layer of filtering to the process of converting audio files into text. Instead of writing down all sound elements in the audio document, the transcriber has to leave out unnecessary non-verbal communications, starters, interjections, pauses, ambient noises, repetitive words, and filler words. Additionally, all incomplete sentences and grammatical errors are corrected. In simpler terms, this form of transcription leaves out any element that does not add any meaning to the audio content. Therefore, the final transcript looks more formal and features fewer distractions as opposed to a verbatim transcript.
When should you use clean or edited transcription?
This form of transcription is ideal for situations where you require a formal, clean, and easy-to-read transcript. This is especially true for speeches, educational and formal conferences, academic documents, meetings, medical transcription, and lectures. This form of transcription is also ideal for texts that need to be formally published.
Phonetic transcription
This form of transcription focuses on pronunciations of each word and the way speakers utter them. Here, the transcriber must represent each speech sound using various symbols. API (International Phonetic Alphabet) speech symbols are usually used for this form of transcription. Phonetic transcription also features the way a speaker’s tone rises and falls and how various sounds overlap within an audio file. Compared to other forms of audio transcription, this is the most complicated. Therefore, it must be performed by a specialized transciber. This form of transcription also does not include any background noises or non-verbal communications that may interfere with the transcript.
When should you use phonetic transcription?
You can use this form of transcription for specific projects in academia or linguistics. It can also come in handy for foreign language academicians, linguists, and speech-language pathologists.
Summary transcriptions
This type of transcription aims at transforming a lengthy audio document into a short and well-structured summary. More often than not, the summary usually covers only the essential contents of the audio. This includes the fundamental concepts, proposals, and implementation summaries. When should you use a summary transcription?This transcription is usually used to help readers grasp the overview of the contents of a conference, podcast, education, and video materials.
Intelligent transcriptions
This type of transcription is primarily concerned with transforming audio files into concise and readable texts. Here, transcribers are free to edit and remove parts of the audio instead of using all the content in the audio. The role of intelligent transcription is to communicate the meaning of speech in the most natural way possible. All noise, non-verbal communications, repetitions, and off-topic content are not included in an intelligent transcript.
When should you use intelligent transcription?
You can use this form of transcription in scenarios where you wish to deliver transcripts that are easy to understand. For instance, you can use it for general business transcriptions and academic transcription.
Conclusion
The best transcription service should offer each of the above audio transcriptions forms. When choosing the best form of transcription for audio files, you must first determine your needs. This will help you make a wise choice.
