What are the Different Types of Audio Transcription and When are They Used?

Audio transcription converts audio recordings into text format and is used in a variety of industries, including law enforcement, education, medicine and business. Today's digital world has made audio transcription an essential tool for people who require accurate, fast and accessible documentation of various events and activities. Many organizations hire audio transcription services to transcribe meetings, discussion, interviews, podcasts, and so on, and generate accurate transcripts that can be used for better understanding of the proceedings and ensuring documentation for future reference.

Audio transcription makes audio content accessible to people with hearing impairments. In addition to expanding access to content, transcripts can help clear misunderstandings brought on by regional dialects, audible distractions, background noise, and speech interruptions. Benefits of audio transcription extend to content marketing as well. Your SEO will automatically improve when you include an audio transcript from your podcast or video because all of your keywords are now in written form, which search engines can understand. Popular videos can be converted into textual content for email marketing campaigns or into an infographic for social media sharing. A podcast t can be quickly developed into a comprehensive blog post.

Types of Audio Transcription

There are four types of audio transcription:

• Verbatim transcription: This type of transcription, also known as real verbatim or strict verbatim, is one of the most detailed types. It involves transcribing all the speaker's words as well as any filler words, pauses, and nonverbal cues in the recording. As a result, verbatim transcripts are frequently lengthy and in-depth. Verbatim transcriptionists may also record interruptions, conversational affirmations like "right" or "uh huh," and overlapping speech (if the audio features numerous speakers).

• Intelligent transcription: Also known as intelligent verbatim transcription, this format focuses on turning audio recordings into clear, understandable text. Compared to other types of transcription, there is far greater room for editing and removing speech fragments in intelligent transcription. Repetition of sentences and phrases are removed, and grammatical corrections are made. So intelligent transcription aims to convey the meaning of the speech in the most natural way possible, rather than just transcribing what was said.

• Phonetic transcription: The specialized form of audio transcription known as phonetic transcription is very different from the other categories. It seeks to record the way speakers produce sounds, with a focus on word pronunciation. This can also include annotation of the speaker's tonal peaks and valleys, as well as how various sounds blend together in the audio. To correctly execute phonetic transcription, a particular notation system is required.

• Edited transcription: Edited transcription or clean verbatim transcription is the standard format. Similar to verbatim transcription, it is dedicated to keeping the text's intended meaning. Edited transcription will not paraphrase the text or change its meaning, but will not capture the speaker’s communication style. As they don’t affect the meaning of the text, things like stammering and filler phrases like "like" or "you know" are omitted. Edited transcription seeks to provide a balance between comprehensiveness and readability.

Choosing the Transcription Type

Given these different transcription types, it’s important to understand their applications. Your project will determine the type of transcription you need.

• In general, verbatim transcription is best suited for applications that call for a thorough analysis of the content, such legal work.

• Edited transcription results in crisp, expert documents that are both formal and thorough. This kind of transcript is useful for text that needs to be published.

• Clear and understandable transcripts produced using intelligent transcription are appropriate for many common business needs where documents must be quickly read, absorbed, and shared.

• Phonetic transcription provides a highly thorough explanation of how something was said. It is typically utilized for specific academic or linguistic projects.

Audio transcription is useful to every industry that needs to create documents from audio/video recordings. The best way to produce accurate transcripts in quick turnaround time is to work with a reliable provider of audio transcription services. Experts will carefully assess client goals and help them select the best transcription format.