How To Easily Transcribe Audio And Video On Your Mac

You might be surprised to find out that audio transcription is a very popular service these days. This is because people usually don’t think about something until they need it. But whether you are a student, journalist, blogger, podcaster, businessman, or doctor, sooner or later, you will be faced with the need to convert your audio or video notes to text format.

Of course, it’s best to just entrust this to professionals who know how to achieve the desired result. But this does not mean that this is your only option because you can simply take advantage of your Mac features. There are situations when your computer can be really helpful, and it is important to know how you can actually utilize its opportunities. 

Transcribe Audio or Video Files on Mac With Ease

The first thing you need to understand is that the transcription of any files on a Mac is automatic. What is this format, and what other options are there?

• Automatic transcription assumes that you load your recording into a program that will process the file using special algorithms. Without a doubt, the capabilities of Artificial Intelligence are better today than ever. However, they are not perfect. This means that if you want to use this format, you need to make sure that the original recording is of good enough quality. It should not contain distorted speech. It is desired that only 1 person speaks because machines experience difficulties when distinguishing the speech of different speakers, especially if they have different accents and dialects.
• Manual transcription is a format when you outsource this task to real people. They will listen to your audio or video and type down all the words said. You can order verbatim services or an edited transcription when there are some requirements to follow. Of course, it will take more time because people are not machines. But exactly because they are not machines, they can guarantee you a perfect level of quality. However, if you’re going to use your Mac, the only thing you can do here is open our website and place your order.

So, your Mac features will work for you only if you’re looking for automatic transcription. For example, when you have a record with your college notes, a high-quality webinar, or any other file that can be processed automatically. Below you’ll find detailed instructions that can help you with this task.

Transcribe Your Audio File Automatically on Your Mac

1. Open Launchpad and then System Preferences.
2. Tap on Dictation and Speech.
3. Turn the dictation on. It is important to ensure that you’ve selected the right microphone input. Most likely, the Internal Microphone will be set by default, but if you want to use another one or input source, you can choose it at this moment.
4. While still in this window, you can also go to the Enhanced Dictation. This option shows you the real-time results of a transcribed file, which means you can correct mistakes and edit the document that was generated automatically. If your file includes a couple of sentences, you don’t need this option. However, if the audio is pretty voluminous, it is highly recommended to use it. 
5. If you don’t like the default Shortcut key, you can change it right now.
6. Finally, if the language of your audio file is different from the language that is set in your system by default, you should choose the necessary language.
7. Now that you have your requirements selected, it is time to click out. Don’t worry about your changes, and they will be saved automatically.
8. Once you’re finished with the previous steps, you can begin the transcription. Ensure that you have a convenient text editor, e.g., Google Docs or Microsoft Word. There are also many other options for Mac, so just check the AppStore.
9. Create a new text file — it will be your document. Now you can press the shortcut key that you chose at step 5. If you are not sure if your Mac is listening for a file, check the Speech Dictation popup as an indicator. 
10. Now just play your audio and ensure that your Mac can hear it. With Enhanced Dictation, you’ll see your transcription in real-time. If you haven’t selected this option, you’ll see the final draft after you tap the Done button.  

As you can see, these steps are pretty easy, and they won’t take you much time. However, there are a few more things to consider.

Don’t Expect Your Transcription to Be Flawless

We have already mentioned that automated transcription comes with some advantages. While you’re using your Mac, it will be free for you, and you also don’t need a lot of time to process a record. However, you should understand that software is not able to replace people. For example, it will not automatically decide where to place commas, full stops, paragraphs, etc. You need to edit your text document and insert punctuation manually. 

If you have a record with different voices, you also shouldn’t expect that your computer will distinguish between them. Yes, you can save the time of typing without spending a penny. But if you’re looking for something more, you should hire a professional transcription service.

Rely on Our Team When You Need Help With Your Transcription

We really hope that these instructions were helpful. Undoubtedly, you don’t need to hire professionals each time when you have an audio file to be transcribed. For example, nobody is ready to pay when it comes to a paragraph of daily notes. Just use your Mac, and you’ll receive the desired result in a couple of minutes.

But when it comes to marketing purposes, case studies, research papers, important interviews and negotiations, medical records, and so on, your computer will not provide you with the results that you need. That’s where our professional transcribers can impress you. Just provide us with your requirements, and once your expectations are in place, we will do our best.