Who Needs Audio Transcripts? – 2024 Guide

We might not give much thought to who needs audio transcripts and yet all around us we can see the results of audio transcripts. We take for granted subtitles on TV movies and programs but do not recognize where transcription has been deployed if it is not an item that we typically use in our own jobs.

However, there are many who do find it helpful to have this type of script in front of them for their job. In fact, you may be surprised at the number of people engaged in their everyday work all of whom rely on, or at least use regularly, transcription services in one form or another. Let’s take a look at some of the people who find audio transcripts useful to work with and how it enables increased productivity.

Doctors

Doctors need to take detailed notes during an examination or indeed during the surgical time, regardless of whether it is a major procedure or minor procedure, for future reference. Even if the patient has a fairly mild ailment, a doctor needs to be able to accurately to record the symptoms and treatments given. Therefore, many have taken to creating records using voice recording. They then rely on a transcription to be able to create a written record of the notes. Such accurate records are required should the patient relapse or indeed if at some future time the patient issues a lawsuit against the doctor, surgery, hospital or all.

Lawyers

Like doctors, lawyers will also have consultations with clients where they might want to make records for the future. The records may form part of a contract at a later date, especially if it is concerning a business deal or the transfer of funds from or to the lawyer’s client’s bank accounts.

Transcribed records may be required for the reading of a will, where perhaps the deceased has recorded a living will for a future date. One of the easiest ways to do so is to record conversations.

However, having audio files is often not enough of a record. It is good to also have transcription software that will accurately be able to relay what might have happened in a conversation between a lawyer and their client.

Journalists

When interviewing someone, journalists often just record the conversation for future reference for when an article or a broadcast is commissioned. The reason the conversation or interview is recorded is so that they can focus on what is being said without other distractions. Additionally, the interviewer can place the interviewee at ease without the distraction of note-taking, thus making sure that the interviewee is relaxed and enjoying themselves in the process. Afterward, they can use software such as audio transcription by Verbit to properly transcribe the interview and get it written up for their article or for broadcast.

Content Creators

The Internet has become a platform for what can only be described as ‘people journalism’ in the form of blogs, opinion sites and videos for YouTube and other audio-visual media platforms.

Content creators also need to make use of transcriptions when creating high-quality content for their audiences. Firstly, many video makers like to include some sort of captioning with their videos. While many video platforms automatically provide one, they are not always very accurate. The YouTube video captioning service is often at best laughable, at worst completely useless and not worth the bother.

Therefore, increasing numbers of content providers are engaging the services of transcription providers to create their own ‘visual audio’ instead of relying on generic apps provided by platforms where their content is hosted. Content creators are savvy individuals who understand that by offering subtitles – captioning and transcription – those who are hard of hearing can still enjoy the entire range of content that is produced and published. In so doing they are adding value to the work which they create and publish for consumption.

Content creators who create podcasts or frequently publish long interviews, whether that is by way of audio content or video content, might also want to produce transcripts that can be uploaded in blog text form. They are good for a quick reference, or they might even be preferred by some of their audience who might not be fans of the primary format used. There is still a large swathe of potential visitors to websites, news sites and blog sites who prefer reading content to watching or listening to audio-visual content. Content creators ignore them at their peril.

Students

Finally, many students also take advantage of transcription services. Transcribed notes of lectures or indeed, transcribed audio from a recording taken during each lecture will help them with their studies. If you are sitting a very intense course, you might want to spend a lot of time focusing on what is being said in your lectures rather than making notes. An audio recording of the lecture which can be transcribed at a later date for reference when cramming for exams can be an invaluable tool.

By recording the audio of a lecture and then transcribing it after, a student will be able to revisit a lecture over and over so they have accurate records of what is happening. Crucially, the nuances of the lecturer in the way he or she delivers the lecture can be just as important in assisting the student to attain the best grades possible.

These are five key areas where we can see transcription regularly being used, and while transcription services can be deployed in virtually any given scenario, they are very much just the start. No matter what industry you might be looking at, no matter what industry in which you may work, there is a high chance that audio transcription is being used somewhere to help provide accurate records and clarity for future use.