With the increasing demand for accurate and efficient transcription, automated transcription software has become more prevalent in recent years. However, many people still prefer to rely on human transcribers for their transcription needs.

In this blog, we will explore the pros and cons of both human and machine transcription. We will also consider factors such as accuracy, turnaround time, cost, and the level of customization each option provides.

Whether you’re a journalist, a researcher, a business owner, or someone who needs to transcribe audio or video files regularly, this post aims to help you decide which transcription method best suits your needs. So, let’s dive in and compare human versus machine transcription!

First, let’s talk briefly about what transcription is.

Transcription is converting spoken words or audio recordings into written text. This involves listening to the audio and accurately transcribing or typing out the spoken words, capturing the tone, inflection, and other details that may be relevant to the context. Transcription can be done by a person or with the help of software that automatically transcribes the audio using speech recognition technology. Transcription is used in various contexts, such as in business for record-keeping purposes, legal settings for transcribing court proceedings, medical settings for transcribing patient notes, and academic research for transcribing interviews and focus groups.

There are several reasons why transcription is important:

• Record Keeping: Transcription is useful for creating a written record of meetings, interviews, speeches, lectures, and other spoken events. This can be helpful for reference, research, or legal purposes.
• Accessibility: Transcription can make audio and video content more accessible to people with hearing impairments or those who prefer to read instead of listen. Transcriptions can also help people learn a new language or aid those who struggle to understand spoken language.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Transcribing audio or video content can help improve SEO by providing text for search engines to crawl and index. This can make the content more discoverable and increase its visibility.
• Editing and Translation: Transcription can make editing and translating audio or video content easier. Written text can be easily modified and translated into different languages, whereas audio or video content may require specialized software and tools to translate.
• Research: Transcription is a valuable tool for researchers studying language, communication, and other fields. Transcribing interviews, focus groups, and other types of spoken data can help researchers analyze and understand patterns and trends in language use.

Human Versus Machine Transcription

Human transcription involves a person listening to an audio recording or watching a video and transcribing the spoken words into text. This process requires excellent listening skills, attention to detail, and the ability to type quickly and accurately. Human transcription can be done by a professional transcriptionist, a freelancer, or even a volunteer.

Machine transcription relies on software to transcribe audio or video content into text automatically. The software uses speech recognition technology to convert spoken words into text. Machine transcription is faster and less expensive than human transcription, but it is not as accurate, particularly when dealing with complex accents or multiple speakers.

Both human and machine transcription have their advantages and disadvantages. Human transcription is more accurate and can capture nuances in language and tone, but it can be more time-consuming and expensive. Machine transcription is faster and less expensive, but it may not be as accurate, particularly for recordings with background noise or multiple speakers.

In general, human transcription is best suited for recordings that require high accuracy, such as legal or medical transcriptions. In contrast, machine transcription can be a good option for quickly transcribing basic audio or video content.

Pros of human and machine transcriptions

Cons of human and machine transcriptions

The choice between human and machine transcription depends on the project’s specific needs. Human transcription is the better option if accuracy and contextual understanding are critical. However, if speed and cost are the main priorities, automated transcription software may be the way to go.