Transcribing audio and video files is helpful for recordkeeping, search engine optimization, accessibility, and more. Regardless of why you need something transcribed, you might be wondering – what does it entail?

This guide will review the meaning of transcribing, the benefits of doing so, practical applications, and how you can do it automatically. Let’s get started!

Transcribing: What is It?

You may be familiar with the word transcript or transcribing, but what does it mean?

Transcribing means taking a conversation, audio file, or video and converting it into readable text. The documentation is a word-for-word conversion of the recording that allows you to see the dialogue in usable text.

Historically, this was a manual process. If you had a recording, you would need to press start and stop over and over – while you captured the dialogue by hand. Alternatively, you could hire a transcription service to take the recording and do the manual work for you. This process could take days or weeks to complete.

Technology has advanced to a point where transcribing can be done automatically – simply upload your file to the platform, and it will do the work for you. 

Read more about what Transcribe means here.

What Can You Transcribe?

So, what kind of audio and video can you transcribe? 

You can transcribe anything that involves a spoken conversation or dialogue. For example, a company may wish to transcribe a business meeting or a client presentation to document what they agreed upon and ensure everyone has access to the content. 

Likewise, you might see transcripts from court hearings, academic lectures, and journalist interviews. The same goes for speeches, seminars, and events – it is always helpful to keep a transcript that can be shared online or with the attendees via email.

Even healthcare providers can use transcription services to record doctors’ notes and other interactions with patients.

As you can see, the practical applications for transcribing conversations, audio files, and video are endless!

Benefits of Automatic Transcription

Now that you understand the many reasons you might need to transcribe something, let’s review the benefits of automatic transcription.

Technology means that you no longer need to type out or handwrite your transcripts. Combine that with the fact that almost anything can be recorded with a smartphone, and it is clear why the demand for transcription services is so high.  

When you use Milk to automatically transcribe your audio, you can be assured that the process will be quick and accurate. It eliminates the risk of human error since you don’t have to try and remember everything that was said, or manually start and stop the audio. 

This is especially important when you need to catch everything said – as even professionals can have a hard time when the tempo is changing or the audio file is not clear. 

Speed is another impressive benefit of automatic transcription. Our platform is on-demand, so all you need to do is upload your file, and your transcript will be ready in a matter of minutes. That means you don’t need to wait for a staff member to have time to create the transcript, and you can start using it while it is still relevant!