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A Complete Guide to Interview Transcription

This beginners guide will cover everything you’ll need to know about creating a transcription for your interview.

What is an Interview Transcript?

An interview transcript is a written record of an interview, typically transcribed verbatim from audio or video recordings. It includes all questions asked by the interviewer and all responses provided by the interviewee and is used to document and analyze the conversation that took place.

Interview transcripts are commonly used in social media videos, research, journalism, legal proceedings, and other contexts where it is important to have an accurate and comprehensive record of a conversation.

Why should you transcribe your interviews?

There are several reasons why transcribing interviews can be beneficial:

  • Accuracy: Transcribing interviews ensures that the recorded conversation is accurately documented, providing a reliable and verifiable source of information.
  • Analysis: A transcript makes it easier to analyze and review the interview, as well as to compare information across multiple interviews.
  • Sharing: Transcripts can be shared with others, such as team members, stakeholders, or experts, to gain additional insights or to support decision-making.
  • Record-keeping: Transcripts serve as a permanent record of the interview and can be used for reference or to support future research. It’s a written document of the entire interview, containing items such as the interview questions.
  • Accessibility: Transcripts make the content of the interview accessible to people with hearing impairments or those who speak different languages.

In short, transcribing interviews can help ensure accuracy, facilitate analysis, support collaboration and decision-making, provide a record-keeping resource, and make the content of the interview more accessible to a wider audience.

How to transcribe an interview

When you’re thinking of transcribing an interview, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind before proceeding. The main thing you want to keep in mind has to do with your audio recording. You’ll want to ensure that the audio file or video file recording of the interview is clear and of good quality. If necessary, adjust the volume or use noise-canceling headphones to enhance the audio.

You’ll also want to decide if you want a full verbatim or an intelligent verbatim transcription. Deciding between the two will depend on the style of interview you’re going for.

In full verbatim transcription, the transcriber strives to capture the exact words and sounds spoken, including any repetitions, stammers, or nonverbal sounds such as laughter or sighs. It also includes filler words, pauses, false starts, and any other utterances. The transcript may also include time stamps, speaker labels, or other information to help identify the speaker and the context of each utterance.

The main advantage of full verbatim transcription is that it provides a complete and accurate record of the interview, which can be useful for a variety of purposes, including legal proceedings, research, or future reference. However, it can also be time-consuming and may result in a lengthy transcript that is difficult to read and understand.

Intelligent verbatim interview transcription, on the other hand, is a type of interview transcription that strikes a balance between capturing the essence of what was said during the interview while eliminating filler words, repetitions, false starts, and other unnecessary utterances. This type of transcription aims to provide a clear, concise, and readable record of the interview while still capturing the context, tone, and meaning of the conversation.

The main advantage of intelligent verbatim transcription is that it provides a more readable and understandable transcript that is easier to analyze and review than a full verbatim transcript. However, it may also result in some loss of detail, context, or meaning, so it may not be suitable for certain legal or research purposes.

AI-generated transcription

One of the easiest ways to transcribe in interview is by utilizing AI. Automatic transcription software can give you near verbatim transcription and saves a lot of time.

  1. Choose a transcription software: There are several AI-based transcription software options available such as Simon Says. Editing programs such as Premiere Pro offer some fairly basic AI transcription as well.
  2. Upload the audio or video recording: Upload the audio or video recording of the interview to the transcription software.
  3. Wait for the transcription: The software will process the recording and transcribe the speech into written text. The transcription process may take a few minutes to several hours, depending on the length of the recording and the software used.
  4. Review and edit: Review the text to make sure it’s an accurate transcription and make any necessary corrections. Check for any unclear or inaudible parts and make notes of these.
  5. Format the transcript: Format the transcript so that it is readable and easy to understand. This may include adding speaker labels, indentations, or bullet points to distinguish between the questions and answers.
  6. Save and store: Save the final transcript in a secure and accessible location, such as a cloud storage service or a shared drive.

AI-based transcription software can be very useful for saving time, but it is not always 100% accurate, especially if the audio quality is poor or if the recording contains background noise. It is always a good idea to review the transcript carefully and make any necessary corrections.

Manual transcription

If time isn’t an issue and you want to save a little bit of money, you might want to consider being your own transcriptionist through manual transcription. Manual transcription is the act of using a word processor or some other software to type out subtitles in real-time.

  1. Prepare the recording: Ensure that the audio or video recording of the interview is clear and of good quality. If necessary, adjust the volume or use noise-cancelling headphones to enhance the audio.
  2. Start transcribing: Open a word processing software, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, and begin transcribing the interview by playing the recording and typing out each word spoken by the interviewer and interviewee.
  3. Take notes: If there are unclear or inaudible parts, make notes in the transcript. This will help you to fill in the missing information later.
  4. Review and edit: Review the transcribed text for accuracy and make any necessary corrections. Check for any unclear or inaudible parts and make notes of these.
  5. Format the transcript: Format the transcript so that it is readable and easy to understand. This may include adding speaker labels, indentations, or bullet points to distinguish between the questions and answers.
  6. Save and store: Save the final transcript in a secure and accessible location, such as a cloud storage service or a shared drive.

Manual transcription can be time-consuming, but it ensures a high degree of accuracy and can be more reliable than AI-based transcription software, especially if the audio quality is poor or if the recording contains background noise.

Outsourcing to a transcription agency

There is a third option when it comes to transcription though and that’s through a transcription agency.

  1. Research transcription agencies: Research transcription agencies to find one that offers audio or video transcription services and that has a good reputation for quality and accuracy.
  2. Prepare the recording: Ensure that the audio or video recording of the interview is clear and of good quality. If necessary, adjust the volume or use noise-cancelling headphones to enhance the audio.
  3. Upload the recording: Upload the recording of the interview to the transcription agency's website or provide them with a digital copy through email or another file-sharing service.
  4. Provide instructions: Provide the transcription agency with any specific instructions, such as the format you prefer for the transcript, any specific speaker labels you require, or any other preferences you have.
  5. Wait for the transcription: The transcription agency will transcribe the recording and send you the transcript. The turnaround time will depend on the length of the recording and the workload of the transcription agency.
  6. Review and edit: Review the transcribed text for accuracy and make any necessary corrections. Check for any unclear or inaudible parts and make notes of these.
  7. Save and store: Save the final transcript in a secure and accessible location, such as a cloud storage service or a shared drive.

Outsourcing to a transcription agency can save time and ensure a high degree of accuracy, but it can also be more expensive than manual transcription or using AI-based transcription software. You’ll want to make sure to choose a reputable agency with a proven track record of quality and accuracy.

Start transcribing your interviews with Simon Says

While there are a few benefits to manual transcription, typing everything manually can be a huge pain in interview transcription. Automated transcription software is a great time-saving tool with incredibly accurate speech recognition. This is where Simon Says comes in.

Simon Says can automatically generate transcripts from your interview audio. You can then use the transcription to quickly add captions and subtitles to footage natively within your preferred video editing software. Simon Says offers native extensions for Final Cut Pro, Da Vinci Resolve, and Adobe Premiere Pro.

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