Two Examples of Video Transcriptions

Video transcription consists of translating audio from video files into text. There are two main ways to achieve this. You can opt for automatic speech recognition technology or human transcriptionists. If your video lacks a transcript, the transfer of information is solely through audiovisual means.  

Examples of Video Transcriptions

When transcribing a video, you can choose either full or clean verbatim depending on how you intend to use the transcript. 

Full Verbatim Example

A full verbatim transcript includes absolutely everything audible in the video: all that is said, the way it’s communicated, utterances, verbal tics, grammatical and vocabulary errors, false starts, and repetitions. Here’s a video transcript example:

Max Taylor: Real quick, uh, Max Taylor of Sports Direct here talking to, uh, Jamal Hadid. Let’s discuss your strong finish this afternoon, man. Congratulations, Jamal.

Jamal Hadid: Oh, thank you very much. [coughs]

Max: What brought you back to, um, this track? I understand you stayed away for a while.

Jamal: Oh, it was just-- [laughs] It’s-- If you love racing and it’s in your bones, you can’t really, like, stay away. Uh, it’s true that I haven’t been back, um, for a few years. I was on a roll trying to discover new places. But-but now I’m back. You know, it’s been incredible. The fans are-- Well, uh, nothing beats the fans, right? 

Max: And now that, uh, you’re back again, is the track how you remember it? 

Jamal: Yeah, I think so. I think, uh, there were some spots where I was like-- [laughs] But it was-

Max: Awesome.

Jamal: -crazy. Kinda unbelievable the people who would attempt this track, don’t you think?

Max: Mm-hmm. Absolutely, and--

Jamal: But I’m glad I came back, all the same. The weather is awesome, the people are great, and-- Well, I have to say, though, the riders are fast this time of year. Like, what are they, um, putting into their bodies?

[laughter]

Max: Oh, Jamal, I-I-I think that’s opening a whole new can of worms there. We’ll need to book you for three hours if we’re, uh, gonna talk about that.

Jamal: [laughs]

Max: Alright. Well, I think that’s kinda it. Like, thanks a lot for talking to me, man. So glad to see you here again at, uh, West Oaks. 

Clean Verbatim Example

Clean verbatim is precisely as it sounds. The following example of a video transcript is a cleaned-up version of full verbatim. This doesn’t mean that it’s summarized, but the final transcript will be easier to read because it won’t contain filler words and false starts, among other meaningless utterances.

Max Taylor: Real quick, Max Taylor of Sports Direct here talking to Jamal Hadid. Let’s discuss your strong finish this afternoon, man. Congratulations, Jamal.

Jamal Hadid: Thank you very much. [coughs]

Max: What brought you back to this track? I understand you stayed away for a while.

Jamal: [laughs] If you love racing and it’s in your bones, you can’t really stay away. It’s true that I haven’t been back for a few years. I was on a roll trying to discover new places. But now I’m back. It’s been incredible. The fans are-- Well, nothing beats the fans, right? 

Max: And now that you’re back again, is the track how you remember it? 

Jamal: Yeah, I think so. I think there were some spots where I was-- [laughs] But it was-

Max: Awesome.

Jamal: -crazy. Unbelievable, the people who would attempt this track, don’t you think?

Max: Absolutely, and--

Jamal: But I’m glad I came back, all the same. The weather is awesome, the people are great. Well, I have to say, though, the riders are fast this time of year. What are they putting into their bodies?

[laughter]

Max: Jamal, I think that’s opening a whole new can of worms there. We’ll need to book you for three hours if we’re going to talk about that.

Jamal: [laughs]

Max: Alright. Well, I think that’s it. Thanks a lot for talking to me, man. So glad to see you here again at West Oaks. 

Timestamps

Synchronizing your transcript to video playback is important. That’s where timestamping comes into play. Both full and clean verbatim transcripts can include timestamps to give your viewers an optimal way to grasp the message. 

Reasons To Provide a Video Transcription

There are so many benefits to providing a transcript to go along with videos, such as: 

• Boosting your SEO ranking 

Search engines are unable to crawl through the contents of a recording. Transcripts included on your website provide the missing ingredient that makes your video more searchable. 

• Creating a better user experience 

Some people grasp information better with additional inputs. It’s always a great idea to give your viewers a secondary way to grasp what you’re trying to convey. 

• Making your videos more interactive 

Interactive transcripts highlight words as they’re being said in the video. This promises engagement and will help people focus better on the message at hand. 

• Increasing accessibility 

By providing a transcript, you’re making your video more accessible to the deaf and hard-of-hearing, people in a noisy environment, ESOL viewers, and more. 

How To Get a Reliable Transcription

There’s no reason why you shouldn’t transcribe your videos. Here are some tips to help you along the way: 

• Use transcription software 

Install a program to playback the video using shortcut keys. Don’t rely on your mouse to start and stop the recording.  

• Invest in a foot pedal 

Using your foot to control playback will keep your hands free to type. It’ll make transcribing significantly faster compared to using a mouse or keyboard. 

• Define your own shorthand 

Professional transcriptionists use word expander programs to define their shorthand codes for common phrases, thus increasing their typing speed. 

• Manipulate the autocorrect function 

Word processing programs have a function to replace words as you type. Set up some codes for key phrases to save you some keystrokes. 

• Get a good set of headphones 

Whether you’re transcribing in a quiet environment or not, some noise-canceling headphones will deliver crisp audio to ease the process. 

• Run the file through voice recognition software 

If you don’t like typing, generate an automated transcript first. You can then transcribe it yourself and make any necessary corrections. 

• Boost the audio quality 

An audio editing program can enhance the voices on your file so that it’s easier to transcribe. You’ll also be able to decrease noise frequencies to make things clearer. 

• Get acquainted with hotkeys 

A good transcription software comes with a host of hotkeys that will help you along, whether to insert timestamps, speaker labels, or tags. 

Is It That Easy To Transcribe A Video?

Truth be told, transcribing anything takes good listening skills, fast typing, effort, and concentration. Humans are the best at it because of verbal and language nuances. Even in this age of AI, computers are still not close to being precise when it comes to deciphering speech. 

If you’re looking to transcribe a video, it’s best to leave it to the professionals like the people at GoTranscript. This way, you can focus on what you do best - creating useful content.