Learn how to make an audio to text transcription
and other audio transcription techniques

Transcribe or retranscribe, what is the difference and, above all, which is the most appropriate in your case? Let's start by seeing the difference:

• The transcription: it is the precise writing of what is said, to the word
• The transcript: you will write down what is said by modifying or rearranging what is said.

The difference will therefore mainly be seen in the rendering, depending on how you write to transform your audio recording into a text document. However, it will also depend on the purpose of your transcriptions. Indeed, a trial or meeting report will surely require more detail or precision than subtitles and therefore to write the words word for word.

There are several techniques for converting audio documents into text. You can choose to do it manually or automatically using professional services.

To do this manually, you will listen to your audio document and write each sentence you hear in a text document such as Word or Google Doc for example. 

Professional servicesThey will take three forms: human, software or an online tool.

You can ask companies to carry out your audio transcription but that comes at a cost, and you may not have the budget for it. Rates are often high.

You can use software to transcribe your audio document. Often the software will help you in this transcription step but there is still a lot to be done by hand. You can use the voice input feature of a software program to listen to your recording and then dictate what you hear into the software program that will transcribe it (this is called the parrot technique). So the software is a semi-automation of the process.

You can use an online tool, there have been several of them for the last few years. They often integrate a voice recognition system so that your transcription / transcription is done automatically. You will still have to go back to correct typos, misspelled proper names or other errors. To ensure that the speech recognition is as successful as possible, make sure you have a good audio input.

High quality sound recording allows a better understanding of what is being said for your audience and for artificial intelligence. Indeed, if you wish to caption a video automatically, you're probably going to use a service like Capté Same for an audio transcription. Capté uses voice recognition. This type of technology will use the soundtrack to transcribe voices into text. Therefore, the more audible and clear your speaker's voice is, the more accurate and successful the transcription will be. For the same reasons, avoid adding music to your videos before you have done your transcription by voice recognition. Otherwise, the transcription will skip some words and your texts will not necessarily be good.

Good sound quality will also allow you to keep your audience until the end of your audio recording. Since sound is an essential element in understanding what is being said, listening will be more pleasant if the sound is of good quality.

Useful in the field of law or secretarial work, but not only that! Transcription can be useful for your business and especially for your marketing content. 

With a transcript you can make your content accessible. In France, for example, there are about 5 million deaf and hard of hearing people, a transcription will allow them to have access to audio content.

A transcript or a transcript will also allow you to reach a wider audience. Indeed, you can translate your content to reach an international audience. And transcripts can also allow you to gain more engagement (likes and comments) including more shares. It will also allow you more visibility thanks to the accessibility you allow (see point above) but also to SEO.

Three letters: SEO, the acronym for Search Engine Optimization also known as natural referencing. With a transcription, your content will be better referenced because search engine algorithms use the text to identify keywords and reference each page. So when writing your transcript, try to incorporate your keywords.

Most importantly, a transcript will allow you to circulate information in a more understandable and memorable way. Indeed, when you read a text, you assimilate the information better than when you read it orally. An audio transcription can help you remember and understand what was said. 

For an audio transcription, there are several techniques but also several tools ready to meet your needs.

Google docs will allow you to make an audio transcription by voice input. You dictate your words and they are automatically transformed into text in your document. The principle is simple: you listen to your recording and then dictate what you hear to the voice input feature that will take care of transcribing the words (speech to text, it's called the parrot technique). Beware, however, the rendering is not always perfect, you have to reread the final input.

Your phone's voice assistant (Siri or Ok Google) uses the same voice input system. 

To transcribe an audio file, you can use software that will slow down the speed of your audio to allow you to write in real time. The oral rate is 200 words / min when you type about 60 words / min maximum. The management of the speed of audio file, will allow you to transcribe more easily.

Online subtitling tools such as the Youtube platform are also available for making transcripts.

This is the case with Capté, an online tool that can allow you to make audio transcriptions. This basic tech tool is created to meet the growing demand for subtitling. For the moment, the service does not handle audio files longer than 20 minutes.

 To transcribe a text, just a few steps are enough:

1. Select your audio file in your folder to upload it
2. Everything that is said in your audio file is transcribed into lines of text (if you have uploaded a video, this will take the form of subtitles).
3. Edit your text directly in the editor
4. Copy and paste the rendering into a text file 
5. There you go, your audio transcription is ready and your file can be shared or published!

If you want to add a subtitle file to a video, Capté is also the perfect tool to meet this demand:

1. From your folder, upload your audio file
2. The tool translates everything that is said into lines of text that form your subtitles. Reported directly into the video in real time.
3. Edit your text directly in the editor and modify the time code if needed.
4. Stylize or translate your subtitles if you want to
5. Export your video with subtitles or only the .SRT file.
6. And there you have it, a new closed file: your subtitles were created in a few minutes! 

If you need help or have special requests, chatbot support is available on the application to allow the team to answer you easily. And if the Capté team is not available, an email will be sent to you as soon as a speaker has been able to answer your message.

Automatic does not mean perfect, we advise you to always proofread the transcripts to avoid typos and other mistakes.

These various techniques will save you time, feel free to use and share them! Audio to text transcription is increasingly in demand and new applications and versions of these are being developed to meet this growing demand.