Recording the perfect audio file can often bring an indescribable sense of accomplishment. You know, the one where the recording has everything from great audio quality and humor in the right doses to content so profound that it makes you pause and think. What could go wrong here? Everything! As soon as you get to transcribing your perfect recording, you realize it isn’t really perfect after all. On the contrary, it is far from it and your hopes of converting this file from audio to text have gone up in smoke.
If you’ve felt this pain once, the fear continues to linger everytime you think you have found your perfect recording. AI transcriptions, with its automated processes, have definitely helped in improving the quality of the transcription, boost productivity and in general enhance the quality of the audio recordings. Even with all this and more, AI transcription is not flawless. Errors are just as common as they are with manual transcription.
There are some criticisms that have come with automated AI transcription of audio files. Its inability to distinguish and accurately transcribe multiple voices in the room is one of them. Especially in the event where a person is interjecting the other and talking over the other person. Background noises and ambient sound have also been disruptive in AI led automated transcription.
While AI led automated transcription technology has its flaws, there is still a lot of scope of improvement. It has still made massive strides with its development, and the service is only expected to improve in the future. Hopefully, the day where technology is advanced enough to generate accurate transcriptions is not too far. In any case, we will have to wait for a while before that day arrives. So here are a few things you could do to improve the environment, and thus directly improve the accuracy of your audio transcription.
See also: Convert Audio to Text Online
A lot of transcription platforms, like Trint for example, ask you to fill out a check list that helps them determine the quality of the file. This checklist helps them in transcribing the recording as accurately as they possibly can.
One of the most important aspects is the environment in which the recording is produced. Background noises can be more disruptive than people imagine. Ambient sounds are out of your control, especially if you have to record it in a public place. Coffee shops have long been considered favorites for interviews, as it can be ‘relatively quiet’, warm and can really help in having long meaningful conversations. However, a lot of people fail to reflect on all the background noises that can hamper your interview, when it comes to the actual transcription.
The best place to record would be in private, quieter locations, where you can control background sounds and keep them to a minimum. In case the choice of location is outside your control, the decision to pick a venue for recording must be made with a few things in mind. Like the crowd at the location. Always pick a destination that is extremely unlikely to be crowded. If this location is a venue like a coffee shop, pick a timing which is the most conducive to record. In the case of a coffee shop, it would mean a time at which it is least crowded. This is the best way to minimize any background noise making its way into your recording.
The other way to enhance the quality of your audio file is the power of the mic. The way you place your mic and speak into the mic makes a big difference to the quality of your audiofile. So the mic should be placed such that it can clearly record and distinguish all the voices that are speaking into it.
When setting up the mic, it is also important to establish a few rules of the recording. The most key aspect should be to minimize overtalk. Make it a point to ensure that only one person is talking at any point in time.
Most common instances of overtalk is when you record a podcast with more than two people. Or even in the event of an interview, where an interviewee may abruptly interrupt the question. The best way to avoid this is to ask short sharp questions, in the event of an interview. For a podcast, the best way to go about this is to address the person you are talking to, so it is clear who has to respond.
Even with all these precautions, a bit of overlap is impossible to avoid. The good news is that most transcription services allow you to create timestamps of passages where you are speaking. This will help you edit parts where there are multiple voices in a passage.