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9 Best Interview Transcription Software for 2024

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Whether you’re a journalist chasing the next big story, a researcher solving complex data or an HR ensuring every detail of your interviews is accurately documented – interview transcription software is your silent but powerful ally. Gone are the days of painstakingly typing conversations; today’s technology offers swift, precise, and user-friendly interview transcription services. Dive into our curated list of the nine best interview transcription tools that will revolutionize how you handle audio content, making the process seamless and stress-free. 

Why Do You Need Interview Transcription Software? 

Interview transcription software is a game-changer for anyone conducting interviews. If you’re involved in journalism, academic research, market research, or hiring processes, interviews are an inseparable part of your job. Thus, let’s discuss the reasons why you need automatic interview transcription software.

Time-Saving

Manually transcribing interviews is a time-consuming process that can take hours, if not days, depending on the length and complexity of the conversation. Interview transcription software automates this task, allowing you to focus on more critical activities.

Imagine you’ve conducted a 60-minute interview. Manually transcribing it might take around four hours. With some of the best interview transcription software, you can get the transcript in real time or within a few minutes after the interview ends.

Improved Accuracy

Human error is inevitable, especially during lengthy interview transcription tasks. Interview transcription software uses advanced speech recognition technology to ensure high accuracy, reducing the chances of misinterpretation and errors.

If an interviewee uses technical jargon or speaks quickly, the person transcribing interviews manually can easily miss words or phrases. Transcription software can accurately capture such details, ensuring nothing important is lost.

Enhanced Accessibility

Transcribing interviews makes it easier to review, share, and reference the content and context of your interviews. This is especially beneficial for people with hearing impairments who might find it challenging to follow audio recordings.

For example, researchers can quickly scan transcripts to find relevant quotes or data points, making the analysis process more efficient. Sharing an interview transcription with colleagues or stakeholders is also straightforward.

Some of the best software for transcribing interviews has features that allow you to organize your transcripts , add notes and action items, and highlight key points. This helps keep your research or project well-organized and easy to navigate.

Journalists can tag different parts of an interview by topic, making it easier to locate specific quotes or sections when writing an article.

Choosing the Right Interview Transcription Software

Selecting the right software is crucial for optimizing your workflow and ensuring accurate results. 

Start by considering its accuracy. A high percentage of accuracy is essential to capturing every detail of your interviews without requiring extensive manual corrections. 

Another critical factor is the ease of use. The best interview transcription software should have an intuitive interface that allows even non-technical users to navigate and utilize its features effectively. 

Integration capabilities are also vital — ensure the software seamlessly integrates with your existing tools and platforms, such as your preferred video conferencing software or project management system. 

Cost is always a consideration. Thus look for interview transcription software that offers the best balance between price and features, including additional costs for advanced functionalities or higher usage limits. For instance, if you’re a journalist conducting multiple interviews weekly, you’ll need a robust solution that offers unlimited transcriptions without exorbitant fees. 

By evaluating these factors in the context of your specific needs and workflow, you can choose transcription software that enhances productivity and accuracy, making your job significantly easier.

What’s the Best Software For Transcribing Interviews? 

Below, we introduce the nine best interview transcription software for 2024. Each has its strengths, making them suitable for different use cases and scenarios.

Krisp is an AI-powered transcription software designed for professionals across various industries, from legal to academic fields. Known for its high accuracy in transcribing interviews, Krisp eliminates the need for extensive post-meeting edits.

Automated and Timely Transcriptions

Krisp saves time by transcribing interviews without the need for manual initiation. Once integrated with your preferred platform, Krisp’s AI Meeting Assistant carries out AI interview transcription. It automatically transcribes your interview discussions , allowing you to focus on the conversation rather than setting up the transcription.

For example, if you are a legal professional conducting client interviews, Krisp ensures that every word is captured accurately without requiring you to manually start and stop the transcription process.

Real-Time Transcriptions

With Krisp, you don’t need to record interviews to receive transcriptions. If you use it as your interview transcription software, you can access transcripts immediately after your interviews.

This real-time capability is handy for academic researchers who need quick access to interview data for analysis and reporting. You can review and share the transcripts with colleagues or stakeholders without delays, facilitating prompt follow-ups and decision-making.

Seamless Integration

Krisp easily integrates with popular interviewing platforms, making it simple to incorporate into your existing workflow. Whether you use Zoom as your interview platform , Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet, Krisp can be set up quickly and transcribe your calls. This seamless integration benefits busy professionals who switch between different conference tools and need a consistent transcription solution across platforms.

AI-Powered Meeting Notes

Krisp’s AI Meeting Assistant generates summaries highlighting your discussions’ key points . These AI interview transcription notes can be customized to focus on critical highlights and action items or provide a detailed transcript covering all takeaways , decisions, and questions. For instance, project managers can rely on these AI-generated notes to keep their teams aligned on project goals and tasks without sifting through lengthy transcripts.

Noise Cancellation

Krisp includes a robust AI Noise Cancellation feature that blocks background noise , ensuring clear and accurate transcription during interviews. This feature is particularly helpful for professionals working in noisy environments or during remote meetings where background noise can be distracting. Imagine interviewing in a bustling café; Krisp’s noise cancellation ensures that the transcription captures only the conversation, not the ambient noise.

  Try Krisp For Free

GoTranscript

GoTranscript is a human-based transcription service ideal for those requiring high accuracy and confidentiality.

It is best suited for:

Different business processes require transcribing interviews, meetings, and conferences. Go Transcript can deliver such services decently. 

People in academics have no less interview processes, and they can use interview transcription software like GoTranscript to research interviews and lectures.

GoTranscript stands out for its human touch, ensuring meticulous attention to detail and high accuracy.

Notta excels in real-time transcriptions and supports multiple languages, making it perfect for a diverse range of users.

Journalists

For live interview transcriptions, Notta ensures every word is accurately captured, allowing journalists to focus on the conversation rather than taking notes. This efficiency not only speeds up the writing process but also enhances the accuracy of reporting.

Multinational Teams

For meetings in various languages, Notta bridges communication gaps, enabling team members from different linguistic backgrounds to collaborate seamlessly. This feature is particularly beneficial for global organizations, ensuring everyone is on the same page regardless of their native language.

Content Creators

Notta offers a reliable solution for transcribing podcasts and videos that saves time and effort. Content creators can easily convert their audio or video content into written format, facilitating the creation of subtitles, blog posts, and other derivative works.

Rev offers both human and AI interview transcription services, making it flexible for different needs. It caters to a diverse range of users who require efficient and accurate transcription solutions.

Podcasters benefit from Rev by transcribing episodes, allowing them to create detailed show notes, improve accessibility, and repurpose content into blogs or social media posts. This capability enhances the reach of their podcasts and provides listeners with additional ways to engage with their content.

Video Producers

Video producers use Rev to create captions and subtitles, which are essential for making videos accessible to a wider audience, including those with hearing impairments. Additionally, captions and subtitles can improve viewer engagement and SEO, helping videos reach a broader audience on platforms like YouTube and Vimeo.

Researchers

Researchers rely on Rev as interview transcription software for accurate transcription of interviews and focus groups, ensuring they capture every detail for their qualitative analysis. This accuracy is crucial for maintaining the integrity of research findings and for preparing comprehensive reports and publications.

Scribie provides affordable transcription services with quick turnaround times, making it accessible to a wide range of users. It offers a practical solution for those who need reliable transcriptions without breaking the bank.

Students find Scribie particularly useful for transcribing lectures and study groups. By converting spoken content into written text, students can focus on understanding the material during lectures rather than taking notes. This allows for better retention of information and creates comprehensive study materials that can be reviewed later.

Small Businesses

Small businesses benefit from Scribie’s services by transcribing interviews, meetings, and client calls. This ensures that all important details and decisions are accurately recorded and can be referred to later. Having written records of meetings helps maintain transparency and accountability within the organization and enhances communication with clients.

Freelancers

Freelancers use Scribie as interview transcription software to transcribe interviews and podcasts, enabling them to produce written content efficiently from their audio recordings.

This is particularly useful for journalists, bloggers, and content creators who need to quickly turn verbal content into written articles, blog posts, or social media updates. Scribie’s affordability makes it an attractive option for freelancers operating on tight budgets.

TranscribeMe

TranscribeMe combines AI and human transcriptions to offer high accuracy, making it perfect for users who require precise and confidential transcription services. This blend of technology and human expertise ensures top-notch quality and reliability.

Medical Professionals

Medical professionals use TranscribeMe to transcribe medical records and consultations. Accuracy in medical transcriptions is crucial as it directly impacts patient care and treatment outcomes. TranscribeMe ensures that medical terminology and patient information are transcribed with precision, maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive data.

Legal Teams

Legal teams rely on TranscribeMe for detailed and accurate legal transcriptions. The legal field demands exactness, and any misinterpretation or error in transcriptions can have significant consequences. TranscribeMe provides meticulously accurate transcriptions of depositions, hearings, and client consultations, ensuring that legal professionals have reliable records to support their cases.

Corporate Teams

Corporate teams benefit from TranscribeMe by using it to transcribe meetings and presentations. Accurate transcripts of meetings allow for better record-keeping and facilitate clear communication within the organization. They also aid in creating detailed minutes and action plans, which can be referenced later for accountability and follow-up.

TranscribeMe is best for users needing high accuracy and confidentiality, particularly in specialized fields like medicine and law. 

Otter.ai offers real-time transcription and collaboration features, making it an invaluable tool for enhancing teamwork and productivity across various user groups.

Teams use Otter.ai for collaborative meeting transcriptions, allowing them to focus on the discussion without worrying about taking notes. The real-time transcription feature ensures that all team members have access to accurate and immediate meeting records.

This capability enhances communication and enables team members to participate more actively, knowing that everything is being documented. Otter.ai’s collaborative features also allow team members to highlight, comment, and edit transcriptions in real-time, fostering a more dynamic and interactive workflow.

Journalists benefit from Otter.ai as interview transcription software by getting live transcriptions of interviews and events. This capability speeds up the reporting process, allowing journalists to focus on their interviews without being distracted by note-taking.

The real-time transcription ensures that journalists capture every detail accurately, which is crucial for creating reliable and detailed reports. Additionally, Otter.ai’s ability to transcribe live events helps journalists cover press conferences, speeches, and other events more efficiently, providing them with immediate access to written content for their stories.

Students use Otter.ai to transcribe lectures and group discussions, which helps them concentrate on learning rather than taking notes. The real-time transcription feature allows students to follow along with lectures more easily and provides them with accurate, searchable records of their classes.

This capability is particularly useful for revising and studying, as students can revisit the transcriptions to review key points and discussions. Otter.ai also supports collaborative study sessions, enabling students to share and annotate transcriptions, enhancing their group learning experience.

Happy Scribe

Happy Scribe is one of the best interview transcription software for different user groups in that it offers a range of transcription services tailored to meet various accuracy requirements.

Content creators benefit from Happy Scribe’s services for transcribing videos and podcasts. This transcription process enhances content accessibility, improves SEO, and allows for content repurposing into written articles or blog posts. By transcribing their content, creators can expand their audience reach and deepen engagement with their followers.

Researchers utilize Happy Scribe for academic transcriptions, ensuring meticulous documentation of interviews, focus groups, or lectures. These accurate transcriptions serve as vital records for referencing and analysis, maintaining the integrity of research findings, and facilitating comprehensive reports and publications.

Businesses leverage Happy Scribe for transcribing meetings and webinars. Meeting transcriptions provide detailed minutes and action plans, enhancing organizational communication and accountability. Webinar transcriptions allow businesses to repurpose content for marketing or training purposes, extending the lifespan and impact of their webinars.

Trint utilizes AI technology to deliver rapid and precise transcriptions, coupled with comprehensive editing and sharing functionalities. It caters to a diverse range of users seeking efficient and high-quality transcription services.

Media Professionals

Media professionals rely on Trint for transcribing interviews and news reports. The speed and accuracy of this interview transcription software enable journalists and reporters to quickly convert audio content into written form, facilitating faster news dissemination and content creation. Trint’s editing features further enhance the efficiency of media professionals, allowing them to refine their transcripts with ease.

Marketing Teams

Marketing teams benefit from Trint by transcribing and repurposing content. Transcribing audio and video marketing materials enables teams to create written content for blogs, social media, and other platforms, maximizing the reach and impact of their campaigns. Trint’s editing and sharing features support marketing teams in efficiently creating and distributing content across various channels.

Academics utilize Trint for the transcription of research materials. Trint’s accurate transcriptions of lectures, interviews, and discussions provide academics with detailed records for their research projects. The interview transcription software has advanced editing capabilities that allow academics to refine their transcriptions and extract key insights for their studies.

Choosing the right interview transcription software depends on your needs: high accuracy, real-time transcription, or multilingual support. Tools like Krisp, Rev, and Otter.ai offer unique features catering to different professional requirements, ensuring you find the perfect solution for your transcription needs.

By understanding your unique needs and the characteristics of each tool, you can choose the best software for transcribing interviews to streamline your workflow and improve productivity.

  Explore Krisp For Free

How to transcribe audio interview to text? Transcribing an audio interview to text can be done using AI-powered transcription software or manual transcription services for higher accuracy. Who needs interview transcription software? Researchers, recruiters, academics, podcasters, and YouTubers usually need interview transcription software since interviews make up a large portion of their professional lives. Is it necessary to transcribe interviews? Transcribing interviews is essential for documentation, easier reference, and ensuring all important details are noticed. How accurate are transcription services? Accuracy varies by service. AI tools typically offer 85-98% accuracy, while human transcription services can reach near-perfect accuracy. However, human transcriptions are not time-efficient. What are the different types of transcription? The main types are verbatim (word-for-word) and non-verbatim (cleaned up for readability) What transcription methods can be used to transcribe an interview? Methods include AI-powered software, manual transcription services, and hybrid approaches combining both for enhanced accuracy.

Related Articles

10+ Best Transcription Tools For Researchers

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What’s the best transcription tool for researchers? Let’s find out in the article below.

Research demands precision, yet transcribing audio or video manually consumes hours. So, how can you overcome the challenge of transcribing hours of audio or video content? Transcription tools is the short answer. 

These digital assistants utilize advanced algorithms to recognize speech patterns and transcribe audio or video files.  We’ve  compiled a list of the best transcription tools that will save you the time and effort required to convert spoken words into text. 

Table of Contents

Why Use a Transcription Tool for Research?

Here are some of the benefits of these tools:

#1. Efficiency

Using a transcription tool for research allows you to speed up the process of transcribing interviews, lectures, focus groups, or other qualitative data. This means you can spend more time analyzing data rather than transcribing it manually.

#2. Accuracy

While human transcriptionists are prone to errors, transcription tools can provide accurate transcriptions with minimal mistakes, especially if they have advanced speech recognition capabilities. But when combined with humans,  these tools give you accurate transcripts and summaries.

#3. Consistency

Transcription tools ensure consistency in transcribing data, as they apply the same rules and standards to every piece of audio or video content. This consistency helps maintain the integrity of your research findings.

#4. Searchability

Once transcribed, research data becomes searchable. This allows qualitative researchers to quickly locate specific information or themes within their data sets.

#5. Accessibility

Transcriptions make research data more accessible to a wider audience, including individuals with hearing impairments or those who prefer reading over listening. This increases the inclusivity and impact of the qualitative research.

Best Transcription Tools for Researchers

#1. rev.com .

Rev.com is trusted by over 750,000 individuals as a powerful tool for transcribing audio and video content. This platform blends AI technology and skilled freelancers to deliver transcripts, captions, and subtitles with an impressive accuracy rate of 99%.

But the benefits don’t stop there. Rev’s transcripts help you gain access to actionable and shareable moments. This makes you go deeper into your research and share insights with others. 

Rev charges $1.5 per minute for human transcription with the option to add English captions at the same rate. But if you need subtitles translated, you can get them done for $5-$12 per minute

• Rev.com provides fast turnaround times for transcription and translation services.
• This platform has a system in place for quality control to ensure accurate transcriptions and translations.
• Rev.com can handle a high volume of work and provide the best transcription services in multiple languages. Thanks to their global network of freelancers. 
• Their transcription service, especially for rush orders or specialized requests can be relatively pricey compared to some competitors.
• While they have quality control measures, the accuracy of transcriptions and translations varies depending on the complexity of the audio file.

The last time we check, there is a free trial going on. Try it for free here .

#2. Otter.ai 

This transcription tool helps you transcribe every word spoken. Otter AI has special offers for students. If you visit https://otter.ai/education , you get help with both virtual and in-person classes. 

The platform’s transcription capabilities ensure you don’t miss any valuable information during lectures or meetings. To make it even better, you can effortlessly review discussions, lectures, or presentations. 

The free version gives you up to 300 monthly minutes. This might suit casual users or those with lighter transcription needs. However, if you find yourself needing more minutes, you can upgrade to the Pro or Business plan for $9.17-$20 per month. This gives you additional 1200-6000 monthly minutes depending on your specific needs. 

But for more advanced features and higher minute limits, there’s the Enterprise plan, which offers solutions and pricing based on specific requirements.

• Otter.ai makes it easy to capture meetings, interviews, and lectures.
• Its real-time transcription feature allows you to follow along with what’s being said.
• This transcription tool is accessible to individuals and businesses of all sizes. Thanks to its awesome pricing plans.
• While generally accurate, Otter.ai may struggle with certain accents, background noise, or technical jargon.
• Editing transcripts within Otter.ai can be somewhat limited compared to dedicated word processing software.
• Otter.ai requires a stable internet connection to function properly. This may pose challenges in areas with poor connectivity or during internet outages.

#3. MeetGeek 

Think about it: You attend numerous meetings, workshops, and lectures, each brimming with crucial information. MeetGeek allows you to automatically record every session and obtain accurate transcriptions to ensure you never miss a single detail. 

This transcription tool goes above and beyond by summarizing key insights to allow you grasp the core concepts at a glance.

You can start with the free version to get a taste of its awesome features. In the free version, you’ll receive 300 minutes of transcription each month along with some additional benefits.

If you find it suits your needs and you’re ready for more, paid plans start at $15 a month and go up to $59. As you upgrade your plan, you’ll unlock more benefits and features to enhance your experience.

• MeetGeek boasts an intuitive design that everyone can easily use.
• This tool delivers transcripts with over 90+ accuracy. 
• MeetGeek’s free plan offers a glimpse into the tool. The 300 free minutes let you gauge the capability of this transcription tool before committing. 
• While MeetGeek offers a variety of features, it may lack seamless integration with other popular productivity tools, requiring additional steps to sync your workflow.
• Like any software, MeetGeek isn’t immune to occasional bugs or glitches.
• While MeetGeek offers a free version, unlocking advanced features may require a subscription. This could be a drawback for budget-conscious users or small teams.

Try MeetGeek for free .

#4. Descript

Descript is an amazing tool that you can utilize for your research endeavors. Although primarily designed for podcast editing, its transcription capabilities make it a versatile tool in academics. 

This transcription tool supports 22 languages including German, Spanish, French, and of course, English. It allows you to transcribe audio in your preferred language.

Imagine how such a tool can be beneficial for your research projects. Instead of tediously transcribing interviews or lectures by hand, Descript saves you valuable time and effort.

Descript offers a free version that gives you 1 hour of transcription per month. You can also opt for one of their paid plans, which come at $12 or $24 per month. 

• It saves you time by automatically transcribing audio and video files.
• You can even generate synthetic voice overs useful for fixing mistakes in podcast editing.
• Descript facilitates collaboration with its cloud-based platform. This allows multiple users to work on projects simultaneously.
• While the transcription feature is convenient, it may not always be 100% accurate, especially with complex or accented speech.
• Descript may lack some of the advanced editing features found in dedicated audio/video editing software.
• There’s a free version available, but some of Descript’s more advanced features are locked behind subscription plans. This may be a deterrent for budget-conscious users.

As a student, you know the struggle of taking notes during lectures or watching educational videos. That hassle disappears with Reduct. It effortlessly generates subtitles and transcriptions for your videos. 

You no longer need to worry about missing important details or scrambling to catch up. Instead, you can focus on understanding the content and engaging with your studies more effectively. 

At $24 per month, the Standard Plan offers a solid set of features to get you started. If you’re looking for more comprehensive features and capabilities, you might want to consider the Advanced Plan, priced at $40 a month.

For larger-scale operations and advanced needs, there’s the Enterprise Plan, coming in at $75 a month.

• It saves users valuable time and effort.
• Reduct offers competitive pricing. This makes it accessible. It also has a free trial version to give a glimpse into the tool.
• While Reduct is user-friendly, some users may still experience a learning curve when first getting started with the platform, especially if they’re not familiar with similar tools.
• Reduct requires a stable internet connection to function properly, which could be inconvenient for users in areas with unreliable internet access.

#6. WeScribeIt

This platform offers both dictation and audio transcription services, ensuring that your valuable data is accurately converted into text. 

What’s truly remarkable about WeScribeIt is its commitment to quality and efficiency. You get results within just six hours, you can trust that your transcription needs will be met promptly and with precision.

WeScribeIt offers transcription services starting at $1.50 per minute. However, it’s important to note that additional charges may apply for legal or medical files due to their specialized nature. So, you might find yourself paying a bit more for those types of transcription projects.

• WeScribeIt offers a user-friendly interface, making it simple for both clients and transcribers to navigate.
• This platform accommodates various transcription needs, including audio, video, and specialized transcription services.
• The platform ensures high-quality transcriptions through rigorous quality control measures, including proofreading and editing.
• Some users may find WeScribeIt’s pricing structure relatively higher compared to other transcription services in the market.
• WeScribeIt primarily focuses on English-language transcription, which may not meet the needs of users requiring transcriptions in other languages.
• During peak periods or for specialized transcription projects, users may experience delays due to the availability of transcribers.
• While WeScribeIt offers proofreading and editing services, some users may prefer more extensive editing options for their transcriptions.

#7. Scribie

Scribie is a fantastic transcription tool that’s perfect for your research needs. Similar to WeScribeIt, this platform delivers top-notch transcription services with an impressive 99% accuracy rate. 

That means you can trust it to transcribe your audio files with incredible precision, saving you valuable time and effort. With Scribie, you can count on reliable results that you can depend on for your research projects.

If you’re looking for budget-friendly transcription services, you should definitely consider Scribie. They offer the most economical rates in the market, charging just $0.80 per minute of audio. 

What’s more, with over 50,000 human transcribers at their disposal, you can be assured of timely and accurate results. So, if affordability and quality are your priorities, Scribie is definitely worth checking out.

• Scribie offers competitive pricing for transcription services, making it accessible for individuals and businesses on a budget.
• With their team of transcribers, Scribie can deliver transcriptions relatively quickly, which is useful for time-sensitive projects.
• While not perfect, Scribie generally provides accurate transcriptions, especially for clear audio recordings.
• Poor quality audio or difficult accents requires more work. This may result in more charges.
• While the base pricing is reasonable, extra fees may apply for features like timestamps or verbatim transcription, potentially increasing the overall cost.
• Quality can vary depending on the individual transcriber assigned to the task, leading to inconsistencies in the final output.

This chrome extension simplifies the transcription process. While it may not have the advanced features like the others, Notta still shines as a valuable tool for students and researchers alike.

With just a few clicks, you can convert any lecture or speech into written form directly in your Chrome browser.

It’s absolutely free. All you need to do is add the Chrome extension to your browser, and you’re all set to enjoy its features without any cost to you.

• Saves time and effort by converting speech to text.
• Boosts productivity with quick transcription.
• Helps users with mobility issues interact with digital content.
• May make occasional errors, especially with complex sentences.
• Requires a stable internet connection to function reliably.

#9. Beey.io

This platform offers a quick solution for transcribing or subtitling your files. And here’s the kicker: G2 users can’t get enough of it. Why? Because Beey.io delivers on its promise with seamless precision. Imagine spending less time fussing over tedious transcription work and more time on research.

You get the first 30 minutes for free to explore the platform and its features. After that, if you decide to unlock premium services, you can do so for just $26 a month.

• Beey.io is an efficient AI-powered transcription platform, ensuring speedy transcription services.
• Its user-friendly interface facilitates easy navigation, making it accessible for all users.
• The accurate transcription results achieved through AI and speech recognition technology save time and effort.
• Users may encounter occasional errors in transcriptions, affecting overall accuracy.
• Complex audio recordings may pose challenges, limiting flexibility in transcription.
• Dependence on internet connection for usage may disrupt workflow and accessibility.

#10. Transkriptor

This online tool offers a hassle-free way to transcribe your audio files with ease. Transkriptor covers over 40 languages to ensure that no matter what language your research material is in, you can rely on it to get the job done accurately.

But that’s not all: Transkriptor boasts an outstanding reputation with over 4-star ratings on Trustpilot from satisfied users. This speaks volumes about its reliability and effectiveness in delivering quality transcriptions.

The paid versions start at just $4.99 a month. Plus, you’re not diving in blind; you get a trial version to get a taste of this transcription tool before committing. 

• Easy-to-use platform for transcription tasks
• Fast turnaround time for completed transcriptions
• Supports a variety of file formats
• Costs may accumulate for large transcription projects
• Quality can vary depending on the transcriptionist assigned
• Limited to English language transcription

This transcription tool also uses AI to transcribe your audio and video files into over 40 languages. Imagine effortlessly converting your recordings into text, saving you valuable time and effort. With Trint , you can transcribe interviews, lectures, or any other recordings you need for your research. 

Its AI-powered technology ensures accurate and reliable transcriptions. This empowers you to focus on qualitative data analysis rather than struggling with manual transcription tasks.

Here, you pay for a seat, which starts at $52 a month. This gives you access to their transcription tool. You can also take advantage of a trial version to get a taste of what they offer before committing.

• Automated transcription saves time.
• Easy-to-use interface for uploading and editing.
• Supports multiple file formats.
• Accuracy may vary, requiring manual corrections.
• Dependent on internet connectivity 

Transcription software are handy tools that streamline the task of transcribing interviews, lectures, or meetings, saving you precious time and effort. 

As a student, you’ll appreciate the efficiency they bring to organizing your notes and extracting key insights. These tools help you focus on your research with confidence. So, try them out.

There is more.

Check out our other articles on the Best Academic Tools Series for Research below.

• Learn how to get more done with these Academic Writing Tools  
• Learn how to proofread your work with these Proofreading Tools
• Learn how to broaden your research landscape with these Academic Search Engines
• Learn how to manage multiple research projects with these Project Management Tools
• Learn how to run effective survey research with these Survey Tools for Research
• Learn how get more insights from important conversations and interviews with Transcription Tools
• Learn how to manage the ever-growing list of references with these Reference Management Software
• Learn how to double your productivity with literature reviews with these AI-Based Summary Generators
• Learn how to build and develop your audience with these Academic Social Network Sites
• Learn how to make sure your content is original and trustworthy with these Plagiarism Checkers
• Learn how to talk about your work effectively with these Science Communication Tools

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Interview Analysis with MAXQDA

Interview transcription examples, make the most out of your interviews.

Interview transcription is an important step in the data analysis journey of many research projects, but often it is a time-consuming and arduous affair. Transcribe with MAXQDA. Our product comes with many exciting features which make the transcription process faster and easier than ever before. Whether you are a first-time researcher or an old pro, MAXQDA is your professional software solution with advanced transcription tools for you and your team. With MAXQDA you are not limited to audio files – you can transcribe video files as well.

Multimedia-Browser

How to transcribe an interview with MAXQDA

Transcribing recordings is easy with MAXQDA, because MAXQDA provides all the standard transcription functions, such as automatic speaker exchange, autocomplete with defined shortcuts, and timestamps for synchronizing transcriptions with audio or video files. In addition, the add-on AI Assist includes MAXQDA Transcription – MAXQDA’s AI-powered transcription service that automatically transcribes your media files.

Step one: Import your interview transcription files

Whether you want to transcribe your video or audio files using MAXQDA or analyze an automatically transcribed interview with MAXQDA’s powerful tools – importing your files is easy. Simply drag the files into MAXQDA’s “Document System” window or go to the Import tab and choose the corresponding file format.

Upon import of your audio or video file, a document with the audio/video file’s name is created. When opening this file in the Document System you see a blank page: this is where you write your transcript. Alternatively, you can import transcripts that were created automatically or with specialized transcription software. These transcripts usually contain timestamps that link a text segment to its corresponding time segment in the audio file. Of course, MAXQDA can recognize these timestamps and link text and audio segments accordingly.

Step two: Transcribe your interview

With MAXQDA, you can either transcribe your audio files manually within MAXQDA or have them transcribed automatically with MAXQDA Transcription. For the AI-assisted automatic transcription service, all you need is the AI Assist add-on and a MAXQDA account. Simply upload your media files to your MAXQDA account and receive transcripts that are perfectly matched to MAXQDA and contain time stamps that link text sections to the corresponding sections in the audio recording.

For manually transcribing your interviews, simply open the transcription mode by selecting “Transcribe audio file” in the context menu of the document. MAXQDA includes many functions that facilitate the transcription process, such as a freely definable rewind interval, playback speed, and timestamps. If you want to re-listen to a certain passage in the audio recording, click on the timestamp to listen to the corresponding passage in the audio recording. Once everything is set up, start transcribing: press play, listen, press pause, write down, and repeat.

Step three: Review your transcribed interview

Before analyzing your interview transcript, you might want to review it. Especially, when you transcribed non-verbal utterances, such as laughter, or nodding, make sure that you unify the written form. This will help you to understand your interview transcripts at a later point in time, and facilitates understanding the transcript for other people, such as your team member.

In addition, a clear and correct transcript allows you to use the full range of MAXQDA’s powerful tools, including the tools that enable you to explore the content and structure of your interview transcripts without needing to read or code in advance. For example, MAXQDA’s Word Frequencies tool extracts the most frequently used words in your interview transcripts – misspelled words can lead to inaccurate results.

Interview transcription methods

Interview transcription might seem straightforward, but once you get started you will recognize that people stutter, repeat words, and use non-verbal language. Consequently, the question arises whether non-verbal nods and repeated words should be included in the transcript. And what about non-verbal expressions of emotions like laughter?

To empower you in coming to an informed decision, we briefly present the most common interview transcription methods. With MAXQDA you are free to choose which interview transcription methods best meets your needs - verbatim, intelligent verbatim, edited, or phonetic.

Verbatim transcript

A strict verbatim interview transcript includes every word and sound that was recorded, including filler words, repeated words, stuttering and stammering, non-verbal nods, and if possible, non-verbal expressions of emotion, such as laughter or groaning.

While verbatim transcription usually takes longer compared to other transcription methods, it can be worth the effort, as those non-word sounds can convey information about the interviewee's state of mind. For example in the legal context, a verbatim transcript can give information about the witness's confidence.

Intelligent verbatim transcript

By contrast, the intelligent verbatim transcript is a more readable form of the verbatim transcript. The idea is to exclude distracting repetitions and filler words to obtain a more readable transcript while preserving the participant's intended meaning. There are no strict rules about what to exclude. Things that an intelligent verbatim transcript might exclude:

filler words, non-standard words (e.g. "dunno"), repeated words and sentences, off-topic utterances, pauses, caughing, and general noises

Edited transcript

An edited transcript modifies the original recording even more than an intelligent verbatim transcript. Typically, the researcher corrects grammatical mistakes, and incomplete sentences to obtain a readable, concise, and clear transcript. But the interviewee's voice may be changed. One area of application is business communication. Business communication tends to be formal and error-free, therefore an edited transcript might be the way to go.

Phonetic transcription

A phonetic transcript includes notes on how the spoken words are pronounced using special phonetic symbols. Using phonetic transcription, you can analyze whether the pronunciation of a certain word changes (in the course of the interview/sound recording) or compare the pronunciation of certain words between dialects.

Analyzing interview transcripts

Once you are done transcribing your interview, clicking on the audio/video file, opens the corresponding transcript in the Document Browser. With MAXQDA as your interview transcription software, you have numerous possibilities for analyzing your interview transcripts – impossible to mention all.

Create your code system

Coding qualitative data (categorizing interview) lies at the heart of many qualitative data analysis approaches. Coding refers to the process of assigning a code to a segment of your material. A code can be described as a label used to name phenomena in a text or an image. Because MAXQDA is a software designed by researchers for researchers it supports a variety of QDA approaches with specialized tools. For example, the In-vivo coding tool is especially suited for inductive coding approaches.

To create your Code System simply go to the “Codes” window and click on new code. Choose a descriptive name, select a color, and add a description that explains when to use the code. The new code will be displayed in the “Codes” window. Of course, you can change every aspect of your code at a later point in time. Via drag-and-drop, you can hierarchically organize your code system. You can also use highlighters or emoticons to code your material. With the Creative Coding tool and the Smart Coding tool, you can easily refine your code system.

Code your interview transcript

MAXQDA offers many possibilities for coding qualitative data. Simply drag and drop codes from the code system to the highlighted text segment. If you don’t have a name for your category yet, you can use highlighters to mark important text passages. Of course with a professional interview transcription software like MAXQDA, you can code many more data types, such as audio and video files, or social media data. In addition, MAXQDA permits many further ways of coding qualitative data. For example, you can assign symbols and emojis to your data segments. To keep track of your ideas you can write Memos. By attaching memos like post-it notes to text passages, texts, document groups, images, audio/video clips and of course codes, you can easily retrieve them at a later stage.

If you have a large amount of data, the Search and Autocode tool can be especially useful. It allows you to search your entire material or a part thereof for specific terms and automatically codes the search hits.

Analyze your interview transcript with MAXQDA

With MAXQDA as your interview transcription and analysis software, you have plenty of options regarding your interview transcription analysis. The following paragraph presents just a few of the analytical possibilities of MAXQDA. To learn more about how to analyze interview transcripts with MAXQDA, we recommend reading the free literature listed below.

Retrieve coded segments

A typical analysis step is the in-depth analysis of topics that you have coded in your interviews. An Interview Transcription & Analysis software like MAXQDA facilitates this step, as it allows you to compile all text segments coded with one (or more) codes of interest from one or more interviews. Furthermore, you can logically combine several codes to refine your search for coded segments. But the retrieved segment window has more to offer. Display variable values of the interviewees, such as age, relationship status, and more, or quickly jump to the original position of the text segment with just one click to review the coded segment in context.

Quantitative evaluation of themes

Quantitative aspects can also be relevant when conducting an interview transcription & analysis. Using MAXQDA as your Interview Transcription & Analysis software enables you to employ a vast range of procedures for the quantitative evaluation of your material. You can sort sources according to document variables, compare amounts with frequency tables and charts, and much more. Make sure that you do not miss the word frequency tools of MAXQDA’s add-on module for quantitative text analysis with which you can compare word frequencies between speakers. Furthermore, MAXQDA offers mixed methods tools that allow you to easily combine qualitative and quantitative methods to get an even deeper insight into your data. With MAXQDA Stats you can statistically compare groups of participants.

Visualize your data

The proverb “a picture is worth a thousand words” also applies to the analysis of qualitative interviews. That’s why MAXQDA offers a variety of Visual Tools that allow you to get a quick overview of the data, and help you to identify patterns. Of course, you can export your visualizations in various formats to enrich your final report. Visualize the progression of themes in an interview with the Codeline, use the Word Cloud to explore key terms and the central themes, or make use of the graphical representation possibilities of MAXMaps, which in particular permit the creation of concept maps. Thanks to the interactive connection between your visualizations with your MAXQDA data, you will never lose sight of the big picture.

Literature on interview transcription and analysis

We offer a variety of free learning materials to help you getting started with your interview analysis. Check out our Getting Started Guide to get a quick overview about MAXQDA and to get a step-by-step instructions on setting up your software and creating your first project with your brand new QDA software.

Getting Started with MAXQDA

Analyzing Focus Group with MAXQDA

If you want to dive deeper, check out our free QDA-books

Focused Analysis of Qualitative Interviews with MAXQDA Step-by-Step Guide

The Practice of Qualitative Data Analysis Research Examples Using MAXQDA

This free book contains a variety of research examples from different disciplines and methodological approaches.

Transcription refers to the process of converting spoken language into a written form. Consequently, an interview transcription denotes the process of converting a (pre-)recorded interview (typically an audio or video file) into its written form. Several interview transcription methods exist that mainly differ in their strictness of what is transcribed from the recording. For example, while a strict verbatim transcript includes non-verbal nods like “um hmm”, an edited transcript might exclude these utterances to obtain a more readable transcript. As a result, you have (a more or less edited) transcript of your interview that you can use for further analysis, such as manually coding the transcript.

With MAXQDA’s Transcription tool you can quickly and easily transcribe interviews, no matter their file format.

Interview transcription might seem straightforward, but once you get started you will recognize that people stutter, repeat words, and use non-verbal language. Consequently, interview transcription methods arised that mainly differ in their strictness of what is transcribed from the recording. To empower you in coming to an informed decision, we briefly present the most common interview transcription methods.

• Verbatim transcript : A strict verbatim interview transcript includes every word and sound that was recorded, including filler words, repeated words, stuttering and stammering, non-verbal nods, and if possible, non-verbal expressions of emotion, such as laughter or groaning. While verbatim transcription usually takes longer compared to other transcription methods, it can be worth the effort, as those non-word sounds can convey information about the interviewee’s state of mind. For example in the legal context, a verbatim transcript can give information about the witness’s confidence.
• Intelligent verbatim transcript : By contrast, the intelligent verbatim transcript is a more readable form of the verbatim transcript. The idea is to exclude distracting repetitions and filler words to obtain a more readable transcript while preserving the participant’s intended meaning. There are no strict rules about what to exclude. Things that an intelligent verbatim transcript might exclude: filler words, non-standard words (such as “dunno”), repeated words and sentences, off-topic utterances, pauses, caughing, and general noises
• Edited transcript : An edited transcript modifies the original recording even more than an intelligent verbatim transcript. Typically, the researcher corrects grammatical mistakes, and incomplete sentences to obtain a readable, concise, and clear transcript. But the interviewee’s voice may be changed. One area of application is business communication. Business communication tends to be formal and error-free, therefore an edited transcript might be the way to go.
• Phonetic transcript : A phonetic transcript includes notes on how the spoken words are pronounced using special phonetic symbols. Using phonetic transcription, you can analyze whether the pronunciation of a certain word changes (in the course of the interview/sound recording) or compare the pronunciation of certain words between dialects.

As there are different methods, scientific disciplines, and contexts in which interview transcription is used, it is difficult to determine “the best way”. In general, it is a good idea to carefully think about your interview transcription and subsequent analysis prior to transcribing your interviews. Are you interested in how your interviewees respond? Then including non-verbal utterances in your interview transcripts can help to identify the interviewee’s state of mind, confidence, etc. Are you more concerned with what your interviewees say? Then an edited transcript (without non-verbal utterances) that is grammatically correct and more readable might be better suited. Knowing if and which filler words, non-verbal utterances, ans so on, you want to include in your transcript allows you to transcribe systematically from the beginning. By this, you can save a lot of time, as it will not be necessary to re-visit your interview transcripts.

Using MAXQDA for your interview transcription can also save you a lot of time and makes your interview transcription easier than ever before. With MAXQDA you can adjust the rewind interval and the playing speed to your own transcription pace. You can define abbreviations that MAXQDA automatically spells in full, and you can define speaker names that MAXQDA automatically inserts when you add a new paragraph.

As in all aspects of scientific work, preparation is the key to success. Carefully think about the purpose of your interview transcription and decide what level of detail your transcript needs and which interview transcription method you want to apply. Next, familiarize yourself with MAXQDA’s advanced transcription tools, and adjust the settings to your needs (for example define a rewind interval, and abbreviations to replace). Then, start transcribing a first rough draft (with no or low rewind interval) which can include spelling mistakes and notes about unintelligible segments to revisit. In a next step, you can revisit and edit the transcript to get a readable transcript which you can use for your subsequent interview transcription analysis.

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Transcribing interviews for research

Transcription involves making a written record of speech. This can be done during an actual interview or carried out afterwards using an audio or video file.

Why transcribe interviews during research?

Transcribing interviews that are carried out for research is good practice. Interviews that are transcribed verbatim in qualitative research allow analysis of the collected responses in greater detail at a later date. It also leaves less room for bias caused by the researcher’s personal interpretation.

Researchers can read and re-read interview transcriptions, identify themes and patterns, and extract key quotes or phrases. This process helps to identify significant points, which can then help to draw meaningful conclusions.

Transcribing interviews for research is also useful because it helps researchers check that their interpretation of the conversation is accurate, so reduces errors or misinterpretations. The transcription provides a permanent record of the interview, which can be referred to by other people in the future to confirm any findings.

Interview transcription can also help to ensure the anonymity of the participants. By removing identifying information from the transcriptions, researchers can protect the privacy of the participants. This often makes people more willing to take part in research interviews.

Another benefit is that interview transcription can be easily shared among researchers. This facilitates analysis and collaboration, which further contributes to the reliability and validity of the research.

Full audio and video transcription solutions

How to transcribe manually.

Transcribing a recorded interview manually is time-consuming and it’s vital to make sure it’s done correctly. Here are some steps to follow if you’re considering transcribing interviews for research:

• Before starting the transcription process, listen to the recording to familiarise yourself with the voices, accents and any background noises that might affect the transcription process.
• Create a transcription template that includes the speakers’ names or identifiers, timestamps (if required) and space for the transcribed audio text.
• Start transcribing the interview by listening to a few seconds of the recording, pausing and then typing out what was said. It’s important to be accurate, and to include all the spoken words. Also be sure to include filler words, such as ‘um’ and ‘ah’ and any non-spoken communication, such as laughter or pauses if needed. Find out more about different types of transcription .
• Once the transcription is complete, spend time editing to ensure accuracy and readability. Make sure you have correctly identified the speakers and that any timestamps are accurate.

Download our free transcription template

Get started with transcription. Here you will find templates for both detailed transcription and standard transcription . You can use the formats and examples in your own working document.

Tools for creating automatic transcriptions

Manual interview transcription is incredibly time-consuming. However, there are several software apps available that offer free interview subscription or paid-for services. Here are some of the most popular:

• Otter.ai: Otter.ai is a popular transcription app that uses AI to transcribe interviews in real-time. It offers a free plan that allows users to transcribe up to 600 minutes of audio per month. There are paid-for plans available for higher use.
• Temi : Temi is an automated transcription service that offers both free and paid-for plans. The free plan allows users to transcribe up to 45 minutes of audio per month.
• Trint : Trint uses AI to transcribe audio and video files. It offers a free trial and paid-for plans.
• Happy Scribe : Happy Scribe is another transcription software tool that uses AI to transcribe audio and video files. It has some pretty impressive user reviews and offers a free trial and paid-for plans for higher usage.
• Speechmatics : Speechmatics is speech recognition software that offers an automatic transcription service and can also be integrated with other systems. It offers a free trial and subscription plans.

Automatic transcription software is undoubtedly convenient and time-saving. However, it might not always be accurate. At the very least, all automatic interview transcriptions should be manually checked.

Here’s what an interview transcription for research might look like

Interviewer: Can you tell me about your experience using language learning products?

Participant: OK. [inhales deeply] So, I’ve tried more than a few different products, mostly apps on my phone and tablet, and I’ve found that they can be helpful, but also frustrating at times. I also tend to lose interest in them after a while.

Interviewer: Can you tell me about a time when you found a language learning product helpful?

Participant: Yeah, so I was using this one app to learn Spanish, and it had a feature where you could record yourself speaking and then listen back to it. I found that really helpful because it helped me hear my mistakes and work on my pronunciation. It was awful listening to myself speak though. [laughs]

Interviewer: [laughs] That’s interesting. Can you tell me about a time when you found a language learning product more frustrating?

Participant: Yeah, so I was using another app to learn French, and it was just really baffling and such a waste of time. The lessons were all over the place, and the exercises didn’t seem to match up with what I was learning. It was really frustrating and demotivating. I ended up giving up after a couple of weeks and it really put me off to be honest. [sighs]

Interviewer: I see. Can you tell me about any features of the language learning apps you’ve tried that you particularly like or dislike?

Participant : I really like it when the app has a feature where you can practise speaking with a native speaker. It’s really helpful to get feedback and practise in a more natural way. On the other hand, I don't like it when the app is too repetitive or doesn’t have different exercises and that. I end up just chucking it. [intonation rises]

Interviewer: Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences. [laughter]

Participant: No problem, happy to help.

What if I need an APA interview transcript?

Transcribing an interview can be done manually. At the moment, it’s not possible for AI transcribers to do this. You should format your transcription to the style required by your organisation. Include the transcript as an appendix or as a reference in the body of your text. Appropriate referencing systems include APA, Harvard, MLA etc. Learn more about academic referencing styles.

Final thoughts

Transcribing interviews for research is one of the best ways of creating a permanent record of the data that’s gathered. It can then be shared with colleagues and analysed in the future. However, it’s a labour-intensive task, and sometimes it’s important to capture every word spoken, every inflection and even communication that comes from unspoken cues, such as laughter or vocal intonation.

Semantix’s multilingual transcribers can transcribe your interviews quickly and accurately, and they work in more than 170 languages. If you’d like to talk to us about our confidential transcription services , fill in the form and we’ll be in touch.

Would you like to order a transcription?

Download templates for both detailed transcription and standard transcription. You can use the formats and examples in your own working document.

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How to transcribe an interview in 5 simple steps (2024)

What type of content do you primarily create?

So you’ve finished an interview recording . 

Whether you’re using that conversation in an article or a research project or editing it into a video or podcast, it’s time to transcribe it. 

Where do you start? You start by typing “how to transcribe an interview” into Google, but you probably already did, and that’s what brought you here. Hi!

Anyway, you’re in the right place, because Descript will automatically transcribe your interview (and let you edit the audio or video right from the transcript). But if you want to learn more about different transcription options, here’s what you need to know.

What is an interview transcript?

An interview transcript is an audio track converted into text so people can read it. Before you start transcribing, it’s worth considering the transcript’s ultimate purpose.

• Are you using the interview as a research source? If you just want to drain your subject’s brain with interview questions , and their exact quotes don’t matter, you don’t have to waste your time with an intelligent verbatim transcription. A quick and dirty job will do.
• Will you be quoting your subject for publication? People don’t typically like being misquoted. Yet, it rarely reads well when people are quoted exactly as they speak in real life. You’ll likely want to split the difference: Go through that audio with a fine-tooth comb, get it down as faithfully as you can, and eliminate all the “ums,” “ahs,” and unnecessary “I means.” No one will fault you for making them sound more articulate.
• Is every single word, pause, and false start important? You’ll have to do a full verbatim transcript. When details count, they really count, so having every detail from your interview will be helpful for your project.

How to transcribe an interview, the easy way

1. get transcription software.

Praise the robots, for they allow us to save time. 

Not only is a lot of transcription software free (or free to a point), but it also takes the drudgery out of the transcription process. Some errors and typos are inevitable, so you’ll want to edit the text afterward, even if you use a high-quality transcriber like Descript.

Descript automatically transcribes any file you import; just drag your audio into the app, wait a few seconds, and you’ll have a complete transcript. 

That, in our very biased opinion, makes Descript the best transcription service, hands down. But here are some other transcription tools:

• Otter. Otter is a workplace tool to transcribe meetings and follow up with any actionable items easily. But you could also just as easily use it to transcribe your interviews in real time. Otter uses AI to automatically separate speakers and transcribe as your interview happens, and the basic features are free. You'll have to upgrade to get more advanced functions, like importing files for transcription. Plans start at $8.33/month.
• Amberscript: Amberscript, another AI-based transcription software, also offers translation and human editing services. The downside is that you only get 10 minutes of automatic transcription free. Beyond that, you’ll need to pay $10 per hour of audio.
• Scribie: For automatic transcription, Scribie claims to reach over 80% accuracy and only costs 10 cents per minute. That’s definitely good for the price point, though for the interviewer on the go, it’s worth noting that the service doesn’t have a mobile app. 

2. Upload your audio or video file

Open your Descript app, then click New project in the upper right corner.

On the following screen, name your project and click Choose a file to transcribe.

Choose your file.

After selecting open, Descript will automatically transcribe your audio or video file. 

3. Add speakers

Next, Descript will ask you to identify the speakers in your file. If it’s just you and another interviewee, select two from the dropdown menu.

Descript will then ask you to identify each speaker. We'll play you a short clip from your file, and you'll type in the speaker's name. 

Then click Add “ Name ” as speaker. Easy peasy!

4. Clarify the transcript as needed

Now you’ve got a transcript ready for editing. 

You probably see some mistakes already. With Descript, you can edit your audio by editing the text in the transcript. 

If you don’t like a word or sentence in your transcript, highlight it and press delete on your keyboard. You can also correct words and punctuation quickly with a few handy keyboard shortcuts . 

You can also choose to automatically correct any mistakes the AI made. Access them in the upper right hand corner of your transcript.

You’ll find shortcuts like:

• Shorten word gaps. Remove long periods of silence from your recording automatically. Set how many seconds (or more) of gaps to fill, then reduce them to whatever you want. 
• Remove filler words. Descript will automatically remove filler words like "you know," "well," or “um”. It can also remove stutters and repetitions. 
• Detect transcription errors. Clean up your transcript quickly with this tool. Click this button and Descript will highlight probable recording errors for your review.

5. Export the transcript and proofread

At this point, you’ve got a clean transcript ready to go. The last step here is to export the transcript and give it a good proofread. 

First, click the Publish button in the top right corner of your screen. Click the Export tab and then the Transcript button . 

Before exporting the file, you can choose to include:

• Composition name
• Ignored text
• Speaker labels

You can also choose how often you want the timestamps to appear in your transcript file, and the format of the transcript file. Once you hit Export, you can find the file on your computer. 

Here’s an example of what we just made.

💡PRO TIP: If you’re publishing the transcript as-is, hire an editor or use Grammarly to tighten it up. There will likely be grammar errors you missed during editing. It’s normal. Edit the transcript before pushing it live to truly make it shine out in the wild. 

Other ways to transcribe an interview

The above process for transcribing interviews is super easy, but if you’re up for a bit more of a challenge, or have more budget, there are two other types of transcription methods. 

Transcribe manually

Transcribing interviews manually is the “roll up your sleeves and type like the wind” approach. There aren’t many fancy tools here, just you, your audio recording, some headphones, and a word processor. (There are tools that will let you slow down and go back in a recording without leaving the keyboard, though — our managing editor has trusted the manual transcription tool from Wreally for years.)

The upsides are that it’s free (assuming you have the basic interview recording equipment ), and you’ll get very familiar with the material. The downsides are that it is time-consuming, and if you don’t have fast typing speed, it could feel like a Sisyphean task.

Here’s a rundown of how to get started.

• Gather your materials. You’ll want a pair of headphones, a decent word processor, and a keyboard.
• Listen to the entire interview first. If possible, you should listen to the interview soon after you do it so it’s fresh in your mind. If you or your subject dropped a word or mumbled, you might remember what was said within a day or two. But if it’s been a week or more since the interview, you probably won’t.
• Do a rough pass. Perfectionists might struggle with this step, but listen to the audio track and do your best to type everything out without stopping. This will give you an editing basis. It will probably look like a drunk person’s manifesto when you’re done, but that’s fine.
• Edit your rough pass. Before you listen through again, fix up your messy transcript the best you can. Separate the speakers from one another and correct any words or phrases you can.
• Listen again and adjust your transcript. Now that you have a serviceable document, follow along with your transcript as you listen again, tweaking words or phrases as necessary. If you’re lucky and your subject spoke slowly, this may be the only extra step you need.
• Listen through and adjust again as needed. As mentioned earlier, if you only need the transcript for the information you got from the subject, you likely don’t need to worry about getting everything exactly right. If you do need precise quotes, listen to your recording and edit your transcript until the two match up.

Hire a transcription service 

Nothing beats that human touch — for now at least. (The robots will replace all of us in the end.) Sending your audio files to a service that will farm it out to an actual person for transcription has obvious benefits. 

Namely, people understand the nuances of human speech better than a computer will, and if you hire a quality service, you won’t have to worry too much about editing what they send back. 

On the other hand, a transcript made by a human will cost you more than one made by software, and the level of detail means it’ll also take a lot of time.

Here are a handful of respected agencies to try:

• Descript White Glove : You had to know this one would be in here. It’s true: Descript allows you the option of ordering a human transcript right from the app with its White Glove service. It only extends to English for now and there’s a cap of two hours per transcription, but provided the audio quality is decent, Descript will return a transcript that’s up to 99% accurate.
• Vanan Services: Vanan provides transcription services in a variety of languages and also offers a free trial of up to five minutes from a given file. If it matters to you (and it should, because it’s cool), even NASA has used their transcription services. Their exact rate depends on the audio, but they do provide quotes in advance.
• GoTranscript: For a basic file with one or two speakers, GoTranscript’s rates start at 90 cents a minute, and they deliver reliable results. Everything beyond that (full verbatim transcription, timecoding, etc.) will cost you extra per minute.

Example of interview transcript 

Here’s an example of an edited transcription with timestamp headers: 

Interviewer (Content Marketer, Susan): Good afternoon, Mike. Thank you for taking the time to be with us today.

Mike (Founder, MarketingTool.io): Hi Susan, thank you for having me.

Susan: Mike, can you briefly tell us what inspired you to create MarketingTool.io?

Mike: Absolutely. I saw a gap in the market for user-friendly and cost-effective marketing tools. I wanted to create something that every business could use.

Susan: Interesting. What's the core functionality that sets MarketingTool.io apart from other tools?

Mike: Our AI-driven analytics. It not only provides accurate data but also insightful suggestions on how to improve your marketing strategies.

Susan: That sounds like a game-changer. Can you tell us about a significant challenge you faced while developing this tool?

Mike: Building the AI was the toughest part. It had to be smart yet straightforward. The balance was challenging but we managed it.

Susan: I can imagine that was a significant task. Moving forward, what new features can your users expect from MarketingTool.io?

Mike: We're planning to integrate more social media platforms and add real-time tracking capabilities.

Final thoughts

The nice (and maddening) thing about transcribing is that you know you can always get a free transcription by just doing it yourself. 

But if you have the option of hiring a transcriptionist to do it, it’s definitely something to consider. Transcribing an interview podcast is fun once or twice, but if you have a whole bunch of long, say, qualitative research interviews to get into text, you’ll be kicking yourself and/or going insane before long.

Interview transcription FAQ

What is the easiest way to transcribe an interview.

The easiest way to transcribe an interview is by using an automated transcription service like Descript. These apps use AI to convert spoken words into text, reducing the manual effort and time required to transcribe an interview.

How would you transcribe an interview?

To transcribe an interview, you would simply upload the audio or video file to a software like Descript. It’ll generate a written transcript in minutes and you can edit for accuracy. 

How long does it take to transcribe a 60 minute interview?

If you’re using an audio-to-text app, the turnaround time to transcribe a 60 minute interview is minutes. You’ll need to spend some time reviewing and correcting errors. If you’re transcribing the interview manually, it could take you up to six hours considering you have to pause, rewind, and review way more often.

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In this post, we introduce MelGAN, a new generative model of raw audio waveforms created by the Lyrebird team that is capable of generating natural sounding speech at a rate of more than 2,500,000 audio samples per second — more than 100x faster than real time, and 10x faster than alternative methods on similar hardware.We believe that MelGAN paves the way for taking many real-time speech applications onto smaller devices. Imagine, for example, in the not too distant future, having real-time text-to-speech translation on your mobile device without the internet. And, it’s application to music translation brings us one step closer to AI-assisted music composing.We’ve open sourced MelGAN and we encourage interested machine learning developers and researchers to check out our code base.

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The Best Transcription Services

By Signe Brewster

Signe Brewster is an editor focused on technology. She also writes about virtual reality and has tested everything from robots to 3D printers.

Whether you need to share the content of a meeting or quickly parse an interview recording, using a transcription service is a good way to outsource the otherwise labor-intensive task of turning audio recordings into readable text. After spending 30 hours researching nine transcription services and testing seven on their ability to transcribe recorded phone calls, we found that Temi is the best option for people who need to know the gist of an audio file and want it transcribed quickly and inexpensively. If you’re willing to pay more (and wait longer), though, GoTranscript will deliver a nearly flawless transcript.

Everything we recommend

The best transcription service

Within minutes, Temi returned transcripts that were easier to read than what other AI services produced, even when the audio file wasn’t perfect or when the words were hard to follow.

Buying Options

GoTranscript

For nearly perfect transcripts done by real people.

The human transcribers at GoTranscript returned nearly 100% accurate transcriptions in a couple of days and didn’t balk at recordings featuring heavy accents.

AI-based transcription services are useful for finding a specific place in or quickly skimming the contents of an audio recording. They do not return results that are perfect enough that you can expect to copy a quote without going back and checking the actual content of the audio. In our tests, Temi transcripts were the easiest to read among the AI-based options, with acceptable grammar and word accuracy even when our audio contained jargon or background noise. (We recommend using a company that employs human transcriptionists if your recordings have noise, feature a non-American accent, include speech impediments, or otherwise pose a challenge.) Transcripts arrive in minutes, and the built-in text editor lets you easily clean up the completed transcript—a necessity since even the top AI-based services, like Temi, get only about 75% of words right at best. Because Temi is quick and relatively inexpensive (at 25¢ per minute of audio), it’s a great choice for anyone who is paying for their own transcriptions, doesn’t expect them to be error-free, and doesn’t mind doing some cleanup work themselves.

If you want the most accurate transcriptions possible and you (or your company) are willing to pay a premium for it, GoTranscript is the best service to use. It’s also a great option if you have audio that includes difficult accents, or if you need a transcription of something in a language other than English. For about four times the cost of Temi, a real person will transcribe your audio and return a nearly perfect transcription within a few days. Other companies we tested that use human transcriptionists were nearly as accurate, but GoTranscript returned jobs faster and was willing to tackle even the most challenging audio files, with support for many accents and 48 languages.

The research

Why you should trust us, who should get this, how we picked, how we tested, our pick: temi, flaws but not dealbreakers, highly accurate transcripts from real people: gotranscript, the competition.

I’m a professional journalist who has conducted more than a thousand interviews over the years. Although I usually transcribe my own interview audio files the free and old-fashioned way (typing quickly as I play and rewind each sentence 100 times while cringing at the sound of my voice), I have tried numerous other options. Transcription services have always stood out as the most effective. For this guide, in addition to in-depth testing, I read existing reviews of transcription services and consulted forums to find commonly recommended options.

Professionals and hobbyists who need a text version of audio files—journalists, students, broadcasters, and beyond—can benefit from using a transcription service. Such services can cut out hours of time spent manually typing up a transcript, and they make it easy to search through the contents of an interview, to find an audio sample in a large library of recordings, or to take care of most of the work of transcribing quotes. Keep in mind that we tested the picks in this guide almost entirely with phone calls recorded with the TapeACall app. It’s possible that they perform differently with other types of audio, such as in-person recordings.

AI-based transcription services are a more informal, much faster, and significantly cheaper option than services that use actual humans for transcribing. Even the best AI services aren’t perfect, but they are accurate enough to remind you of the gist of a recording and help you find a specific part. That makes them useful for people who need a visual way to parse interviews, such as journalists who record a lot of interviews, students who make casual recordings of their classes, or professionals who need to remember the contents of a meeting. Journalists also need to double-check quotes no matter what, so it can make sense to pay less and go with an AI-based service. But if you take the AI route, you’ll need to spend time cleaning up the text. Skip the AI-based services in favor of a service employing real people if you plan to publish an entire transcript or need a completely accurate text file for use in a professional setting.

The best human-powered transcription services are nearly 100% accurate and struggle only with highly specialized language such as street names, which makes them more appropriate for someone who wants an exact record of what is said in an audio file. Podcasters who want a full transcription of an episode, professionals who need a thorough record of a meeting to distribute across a company, or journalists preparing a long Q&A article might find that they can save a tremendous amount of time using a human transcriptionist. Just be prepared to pay a lot more for the extra accuracy compared with AI services, and expect a few days of turnaround time unless you’re willing to pay even more to get results quicker.

We scoured forums frequented by journalists, writers, and podcasters to find a range of commonly used transcription services. We also read reviews by Poynter , TechRadar , and PCMag . To decide which services to test, we considered the following criteria:

• Readability: The single most important factor in choosing a transcription service is the readability of the resulting transcript, so we checked samples for grammar and spelling. We also researched services’ self-reported accuracy and other people’s experience with them. Among human-backed transcription services, we favored those that claimed to be at least 99% accurate. Many AI-based services don’t report accuracy, but one option we tested claimed to be at least 90% accurate for clear audio.
• Cost: Whether your employer or client pays for your transcriptions or it comes out of your pocket, it’s important that they be cost-effective. We found that the most commonly recommended AI services cost around 25¢ per minute of audio, and services employing human transcriptionists cost up to $2 for a minute of clear audio.
• Turnaround time: AI-based services take a maximum of one to two minutes per minute of submitted audio to return a transcription, but human transcriptionists can take days to deliver a transcript. If a long delay will interrupt your workflow or cause you to miss an important deadline, an AI service is far more affordable than a rushed transcription from a person. Because we saw such a wide range of turnaround times, we considered the advertised deadlines for AI services and real-people transcriptions separately. For the latter, we considered only those transcription services that could return a transcript within a week, and we took special notice if they promised a turnaround time of hours or even minutes.
• Support for complicated audio: Not all audio files are recorded in a professional studio, so the best transcription services should be willing or able to handle background noise, jargon, and accents. Although we tested only with recordings of English speakers with American and French accents, we also noted what languages and accents each service claimed to support. Some services, such as Temi, state explicitly that they do not support languages or accents other than American English, while others, like Trint, offer transcriptions for multiple languages and accents. We prioritized American English for this guide.
• Transcription editors: The best services keep an online database of your transcriptions indefinitely. They also give you an in-browser space or mobile app where you can work easily in a clean design, editing text, listening to audio playback when you click anywhere within the text, and changing the speed of the audio. AI-based services are so error-prone that it’s nice to have the ability to jump in and edit a transcript on the service’s website. Because human transcriptionists are so accurate, we didn’t consider it as important for those services to include as many online editing features.
• User interface: Websites that allow you to upload audio files intuitively and quickly make the overall transcription process more pleasant. We preferred services that laid out extras, such as adding time stamps or selecting a faster turnaround time, on one page and also showed the cost of those add-ons. We dismissed services that obscured the cost until after we placed an order, made us pass through many pages to place an order, or had a messy appearance.
• Security and privacy: Although we don’t recommend uploading sensitive audio files to a transcription service, we still looked into the policies each company had for protecting customers’ data. We examined what type of encryption the companies used and whether they offered NDAs, and we looked for other security measures they took.

Because we found that readability was the most important factor, we tested each service with a variety of conversations and levels of audio quality. We wrote two scripts based on real interviews that reflected the different types of content a good transcription service should be able to handle:

• Our 237-word “control script” discussed drones, included common vocabulary and numbers, and concluded with a series of pangrams—phrases that use all the letters and sounds of the English language. It also featured an interruption where one speaker talked over the other.
• Our 172-word “jargon script” included jargon about batteries, particle physics, and place names.

Two professional actors recorded themselves reading both scripts over TapeACall , an iPhone recording app that journalists commonly use. I also recorded a woman with a French accent reading the entirety of the control script over TapeACall. Overall, we made four recordings:

• Control script (clear): The actors read the control script clearly and without background noise to test the best possible outcome from each of the transcription services.
• Control script (with background noise): The two actors read the control script while music played and dogs barked in the background to test the services’ ability to pick up on the audio that mattered.
• Control script (with accent): The woman with a French accent read the control script to measure which services did better with non-American accents.
• Jargon script (clear): The actors read the jargon script clearly and without background noise to test how the services handled unusual words.

During a second round of testing in 2020, we added another audio sample: We recorded a meeting with the iPhone’s Voice Memos app, a sample intended to test whether the services’ performance would change dramatically when an audio file was made with an app other than TapeACall.

We submitted all of the audio samples to each transcription service and recorded how long it took to upload the samples, plus our experience navigating the user interface. We timed how long each service took to return the completed transcript and compared the transcript against the original script to gauge accuracy.

We measured the quality of the transcripts in two ways. First, we read each transcript and ranked how easy it was to understand compared with the other services’ transcripts, a factor that we labeled “readability.” Then we counted the number of words that were correct and divided that amount by the total number of words to generate a percentage that reflected accuracy. Although it’s easy to draw a conclusion from that percentage, there’s a significant difference between a service that transcribes “batteries” as “battery” and one that transcribes “batteries” as “basketball.” So although raw accuracy is important, we ranked readability as even more important.

We also recorded the total cost for each transcription and tested each service’s editor to determine how easy (or difficult) it was to use. Finally, we checked to see whether each service offered helpful options such as time stamps, the ability to add names, and a place to submit vocabulary words.

Temi is the best choice for fast, inexpensive transcripts. In our tests, it beat other AI-based services in readability and accuracy, and it returns transcriptions within minutes or hours instead of the days that a human transcription service typically requires. When the accuracy isn’t perfect, its web-based editor lets you easily jump into a transcription and adjust the text or listen to the synced audio. It’s also the second-least-expensive AI option we tested, so it’s an affordable choice for freelancers or anyone paying out of pocket.

AI-based transcription results of English pangrams in 2018

In our 2018 testing, Temi returned a more readable transcription than Otter and Trint —the two other AI-based services we tested—for all four test recordings, and it also had the highest accuracy percentage across the board. The first part of Temi’s control transcript, which discussed drone regulations, had accurate grammar and was highly readable. The second part, which was made up of pangrams, had more inaccuracies. In total, it was 73% accurate.

AI-based transcription results of jargon-filled speech in 2018

Temi still performed better than the competition when we added background noise to our test recordings. In this case Temi’s AI made only a few more errors than it did on the control, which means it’s still worthwhile to use Temi even when your audio isn’t completely clear. Temi’s jargon transcript was even more accurate than its work on the control; the first part of the jargon transcript discusses batteries, and we thought Temi’s result on that was the most readable of the AI services’ transcripts. The final section includes difficult place names such as La Cienega, Wayzata Boulevard, and the Schuylkill. That part stumped Temi—as it did even the human transcriptionists. Finally, Temi’s transcription of the meeting recording we made in 2020 had only a single error.

Price comparison (AI services vs. human-transcription pick)

Temi charges 25¢ per minute of uploaded audio, tying for the cheapest option we tested (aside from Otter and YouTube, which are free but wildly inaccurate). Trint’s unlimited subscription-based model is cheaper only if you upload at least 240 minutes of audio a month. The algorithm behind Temi doesn’t care how complicated your audio is, so the price is always the same regardless of what you submit. Human transcription services, meanwhile, start at 80¢ a minute and go up based on audio complexity and added features. Temi took between two and five minutes to return each transcript, which means it took one to two minutes to transcribe each minute of audio. There are expensive human options that can return a file within hours, but most non-AI services—including our pick, GoTranscript—take at least a few days to deliver results.

Temi had the second-best editor we tried in terms of our ability to check for and correct errors. Trint and Rev share the same editor, which we ranked as our favorite because it looked nicer, though it didn’t have any extra features. Temi’s website stores all of your transcripts indefinitely and allows you to edit them within a web browser, letting you work with the text and the audio at the same time. We prefer that to the arrangement for some other services, which requires you to edit text in an office-software document and separately control an audio player. With Temi, you can click anywhere in the transcript to hear the audio for that segment and type in your corrections. You can slow down the audio playback or hit a button to rewind five seconds. The interface also offers tools for highlighting and striking text. When you’re done, you can download the transcript as a PDF, Word document, or text file, or share it via email or a link.

Temi had the second-fastest average upload time of any of the services we tested. You have just two pages to navigate: an upload page and a payment page, neither of which requires you to submit any additional information about the file. The user interface is modern and clean, so uploading files and editing transcripts is intuitive.

Temi says it stores and transmits data using TLS 1.2 encryption, which we think is plenty secure, and you can request a non-disclosure agreement . Temi says no humans view your data unless you share a link to your transcriptions. You can also choose to delete text and audio files from the site once you’ve downloaded them; we recommend doing so if you consider a recording sensitive.

Temi doesn’t allow you to submit speaker names or jargon in advance (though you can edit them after the fact with the company’s editing tool), a feature that other services offer to improve their transcriptions. It also does not save payment information; in our tests, it required us to resubmit those details each time we uploaded an audio file. One workaround is to use PayPal or preload your account with funds, which will allow you to check out faster. However, even when we had to reenter credit card information, going through the upload and payment process took us less than a minute—similar to our experience with the other services we tested. You can also upload multiple files at once to cut down on the number of times you need to check out.

Readability rankings (AI-backed services vs. our human pick)

Temi’s other flaws are common to every AI-based service—the only way to avoid these problems is to pay substantially more for a person to do your transcription. First of all, even though Temi beat other AI-based services in readability and accuracy, it still returned transcriptions filled with errors. You should treat Temi as a way to help you find a specific place in an audio recording or recall the overall content, not as a service that perfectly prepares quotes for publication.

Like the other AI services we tried, Temi especially struggles with audio containing accents. Since it doesn’t promise support for languages or accents other than American English, we weren’t surprised to see it struggle with our speaker’s French accent. If you need a nearly perfect transcription of a file with accented speakers, we recommend paying more for transcription services done by a real person.

Temi’s speaker detection and time stamping are poor, which is a trend we saw across all the AI services. It returned our transcripts as one long paragraph attributed to “Speaker 1,” even though three of our submitted recordings featured two speakers. Its transcripts have an initial “00:00” time stamp but no further notation. Clicking anywhere in the text gives you a time stamp for that section; for a visual representation, however, be prepared to do your own formatting.

If you need transcripts that come ready for publication, or a transcript of an audio file featuring speakers with accents, GoTranscript is the best choice. It’s one of the most readable and accurate transcription services we tested, as it consistently returned transcriptions that were nearly 100% accurate. Services that employ human transcriptionists take days to return transcripts, in contrast to minutes for AI-based services like Temi, and they are significantly more expensive. But the price is worth paying if you don’t want to spend time cleaning up transcripts yourself.

Accuracy tests for different scripts and audio-quality levels in 2018

When transcribing our control script, GoTranscript produced the fewest errors of any service we tried. The few errors included typing “part of” instead of “in part,” and writing “$1,440” instead of “$1,414.” On the pangram section, which featured phrases that contained all of the letters in the English language, GoTranscript was perfect. When we submitted the same script with intentional background noise, the transcription had only similarly minor errors. Two words were replaced with “unintelligible,” a common tactic we saw from human transcriptionists to avoid inserting incorrect words; this approach makes the problem areas especially easy to spot so that you can jump in and edit the transcript yourself.

The first two parts of the transcript from the jargon-filled recording, which was slightly less accurate overall than the human-performed work from competing services, had just a few inaccurate words. But we found two spots where words had been replaced with “inaudible” or “unintelligible.” GoTranscript did get proper nouns like Mulholland Drive and Bala Cynwyd correct, but the service inserted “unintelligible” labels four times for other place names in the last section, which affected its accuracy score considerably.

GoTranscript is the only service we tried that was able to accurately transcribe a recording of someone with a non-American accent. At 99% accuracy, the GoTranscript transcription of our French-accented audio sample was the most accurate transcription we received overall and easily beat Rev’s 78%-accurate transcript. Scribie didn’t return a transcript to us at all, stating that the file was too difficult.

Price comparison (human transcription vs. our AI pick)

GoTranscript is the second-least-expensive real-people service we tested: 90¢ per minute for the first 180 minutes of recordings you upload, with lifetime discounts if you upload more. It charges extra for files featuring background noise or accents, which meant we paid nearly four times the cost of Temi, overall, to use GoTranscript to transcribe our five test recordings. However, there’s no way around paying more if you want the accuracy of human transcription. Multiple services offer trial credits or coupon codes, and GoTranscript gives you $10 of free credit to start.

Transcription turnaround time in 2018

If you’re on deadline and you need highly accurate transcripts quickly, you need to either pay GoTranscript the premium for rush processing or go with one of its competitors. To get the cheapest price, we selected the slowest possible turnaround time: five days. You can choose turnaround times as fast as six to 12 hours for a fee. GoTranscript took between 1 day 17 hours and 1 day 22 hours to return our transcriptions, but longer audio files could require the full five days. Scribie took two to three days to return our transcriptions, but Rev easily beat GoTranscript on turnaround time by giving us our files within hours. All of the AI-based services were even faster. But we think it’s worthwhile to wait the several days and get a more accurate transcript if you have the time.

GoTranscript’s editor isn’t the best of the services we tested, but because its transcripts have so few errors, you can expect to spend less time using it than you would with other services. Although it lacks features that competitor Rev includes, such as highlighting and read-along options (similar to how a karaoke machine highlights the words as you go), it makes up for that with its simplicity and ease of use. You can click anywhere in the text to play back that part of the audio and make changes. In our tests, the transcriber accurately identified different speakers, and each time the speaker changed, a new paragraph began and the text was clearly marked with a time stamp (an option we paid for). The other human-transcription services also did this accurately, while none of the AI-based services were able to.

The upload process is simple: After you send an audio file, GoTranscript asks you to select details about the recording, including the number of speakers and whether the audio is low-quality or features accents. You can also select options such as time stamping or captions. It’s clear when extra charges are involved, and the form includes a spot to submit speaker names or special terms so that you can help the transcriber improve their work.

GoTranscript makes a few promises related to security. The company says it uses 2,048-bit SSL encryption to transfer and store data, which we consider secure enough. GoTranscript requires transcriptionists to sign a non-disclosure agreement, but you can also submit your own agreement for them to sign. Audio files are also chopped into pieces five to 10 minutes long and spread among different transcriptionists so that no one person hears the entirety of a recording. After the transcription is complete, GoTranscript deletes the recording from its system, though you can still access the transcription on its server. (You can delete it after downloading, which we recommend for sensitive files.) GoTranscript also offers specialists for transcription projects in sensitive industries, such as medical and legal.

If you’re thinking about using a human-based service like GoTranscript, it’s worth considering the low pay that transcriptionists generally receive. GoTranscript’s competitor Rev has been in the news recently for its low wages, but GoTranscript’s Glassdoor page is also full of complaints about low pay . You should also consider whether the recordings you are submitting could be disturbing , and whether you’d be subjecting a person to an unexpectedly traumatic experience at work.

AI-based services

Trint is a well-known AI-based transcription service, and it had the best editor and the fastest turnaround time of any service we tested. It also advertises its ability to transcribe in multiple English accents and 12 European languages. However, in our tests it was less accurate than Temi, producing poorer readability on all four audio samples while also being more expensive. Trint operates under a subscription model that starts at $48 per month for one user and 84 files per year, with an unlimited option at $60 per month. If you’re uploading at least 240 minutes of audio a month or working on a team, this unlimited tier might be a better option for you based on cost.

Otter offers 600 minutes of free transcription per month (as long as you record directly from the app or Zoom), which makes it an attractive option for anyone who wants to transcribe and sort lots of interviews on a nonexistent budget. Although our 2020 testing showed Temi to be much more accurate, Otter beat Trint in some cases. However, when it came to readability Otter consistently scored last, with transcriptions that sometimes read as gibberish. It’s easy to use, and it has the fastest upload times and a decent editor.

If you’re looking for a free transcription option, you can also try YouTube : Turn your audio recording into a video, upload it to YouTube, and then use the website’s captioning service to generate a transcript at no cost (be sure to set the upload to private for security reasons). The YouTube upload process took so much work and time, however, that we quickly disqualified this option. If you want a free transcript, you’re better off using Otter.

Human transcription

If you need the accuracy of a real person doing your transcribing but have only hours of turnaround time to spare, Rev could be a good option. Rev has the best editor tool (in fact, it’s the same editor that the AI-based Trint uses) and the easiest upload process of any of the human services we tested. But although it was more accurate than any of the AI-based services we tried, it consistently returned the hardest-to-read and most error-filled transcriptions (aside from the jargon transcription, on which it tied for the most accurate) while also being the costliest of the services we tested. The Rev transcripts were still readable, but we think it’s worthwhile to wait a bit longer for transcripts from the cheaper and more accurate GoTranscript service, if you have the time to spare.

Scribie took the longest of any tested service to return our transcripts and had the worst editor, the slowest upload process, and the poorest user interface. When we submitted our audio sample of a speaker with a foreign accent, Scribie rejected it; a customer service representative stated that the file was too short and too complicated for the service to find someone willing to transcribe it. Scribie rejected a longer accented file, too. If you need to submit an audio file only on occasion or have lots of clear audio files, Scribie could still be a good option—it’s the least expensive real-people service we tried, and it produced easy-to-read and accurate transcripts. But steer clear if you want to be sure that your uploads will be accepted every time.

Meet your guide

Signe Brewster

Signe Brewster is an editor on Wirecutter's PC team. She also writes about virtual reality. She previously reported on emerging technology and science for publications like Wirecutter, MIT Technology Review, Wired, Science, and Symmetry Magazine. She spends her free time quilting and pursuing an MFA in creative writing.

Further reading

The Best Dictation Software

by Kaitlyn Wells

Apple Voice Control and Nuance Dragon Home 15 are the best dictation tools we’ve tested, though both struggle with some accents and speech impediments.

The Best Mobile Scanning Apps

by Ben Keough

The simple design, high-quality results, free cloud storage, and $0 price make Adobe Scan an excellent choice.

The Best VPN Service

by Max Eddy

You might not need a VPN, but if you want to add an extra layer of security to your web browsing, Mullvad has been our pick for years.

The Best Photo Book Service

by Erin Roberts

If you want to make a photo book to commemorate an event or experience, Mixbook is the best service to use.

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• Knowledge Base
• Methodology
• Transcribing an Interview | 5 Steps & Transcription Software

Transcribing an Interview | 5 Steps & Transcription Software

Published on 6 May 2022 by Raimo Streefkerk .

Transcribing is converting speech to text word for word. Transcribing is a common practice when conducting interviews because it enables you to perform analysis.

How to transcribe an interview in five steps:

• Choose your preferred transcription method.
• Transcribe the audio (using transcription software ).
• Add speaker designation and time stamps.
• Clarify the transcript where needed.
• Proofread the transcript.

Transcription software comparison

Table of contents

Transcription methods, altering the transcript, example transcript, analysing interview transcripts, transcription software.

Before you start transcribing, you first need to determine what transcription method you want to use. The best method depends on the goal of your transcription.

Verbatim transcription

Write down every single word, including pauses, the expression of emotions such as laughter, stuttering, and hesitations such as ‘uh’.

This type of transcription is mostly used in the legal profession or in research where you’re not only interested in what is said but also how it is said.

Intelligent verbatim transcription (most common)

Write down every word, but without irrelevant fillers like ‘um’, ‘yeah’, and ‘you know’. To improve readability, you can also fix grammar mistakes, broken sentences, and long paragraphs.

This method is more readable than verbatim transcription, but some data – such as emotions, pauses and hesitation – is lost in the process.

Edited transcription

A summarised and edited version of an intelligent verbatim transcript. In addition to omitting fillers like ‘you know’, irrelevant sentences can be omitted if it doesn’t change the meaning of the story.

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

If the audio quality is bad or the conversation itself needs clarification, you are allowed to make changes in the transcript. For instance:

• Adding a clarifying comment: ‘I showed him that this option [raising prices] would be beneficial for profitability.’
• Marking unclear or missing audio with ellipses: ‘I showed him … would be beneficial for profitability.’
• Emphasising words: ‘ Increasing prices is needed for profitability.’

There are no rules for formatting and structuring a transcript. However, most transcripts contain the following information:

• Names of the interviewer and interviewee (can be anonymised)
• Date and time when the interview took place
• Location of the interview
• Speaker designation (who says what?)
• Line numbers and time stamps (optional)

After transcribing the interview(s) it is time to start analysing. There are several techniques for doing this – coding and categorising is one of them.

This means that you link keywords (e.g., ‘understanding customer’) to the answers you’ve received to your questions. Based on these keywords you are able to find connections between the answers of different respondents.

You can also use methods such as content analysis , thematic analysis , or discourse analysis .

If you quote from an interview in your paper, make sure you correctly cite the source. Learn how to cite an interview in MLA and APA .

Transcribing interviews takes a lot of time, but luckily transcription software is developing quickly. Using transcription software can help you speed up the process.

Most software is able to accurately convert English speech to text. However, the audio quality must be good in order for the software to work. That means a noise-free background, no over-talk, clear accents and good microphones.

If the audio quality is too poor for automatic transcription, you unfortunately have to dictate it or transcribe it manually.

We tested and reviewed the transcription software below using the audio of a YouTube video in which Bill Gates is interviewed . The audio meets all the criteria listed above.

Happy Scribe

• Speaker recognition
• Clean and intuitive editor
• Omits ‘uhs’ and stuttering
• Correct capitalisation and use of full stops
• 25% student discount
• Doesn’t insert punctuation (except for full stops)

• Good speaker recognition
• Simple but powerful interface
• Comment and highlight feature
• Ignores intro music from video
• Easy to keep track of reviewing progress
• Some missing spaces

• Solid speaker recognition
• Very good capitalisation and punctuation (including commas)
• Much cheaper than other transcription software
• Just a 1-minute trial
• Dated editor with limited functionality
• Doesn’t connect audio and transcript
• $20 (approx. £16.25) annual licence fee

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Streefkerk, R. (2022, May 06). Transcribing an Interview | 5 Steps & Transcription Software. Scribbr. Retrieved 7 June 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/research-methods/transcribing-an-interview/

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The 6 best transcription services

These are the best apps to transcribe audio, video, and meetings..

If you're a knowledge worker or creator, you need a transcription app to instantly transcribe your meetings, videos, or podcasts. But if you've ever tried a transcription service, you know they're far from perfect. Some provide inaccurate scripts you have to spend hours cleaning. Some have so many features that you can barely find the transcription. Others are heavy on the pocket.

Things have been getting better with improvements in AI transcription technology, but that also means it's becoming a more saturated category, harder to pick out the right one. 

I spent several weeks evaluating over 65 transcription apps and doing in-depth testing on all the top contenders. These are the AI transcription apps—some for audio and video transcription, some for meeting transcription—that impressed me the most.

Do you need transcription software?

Before we dig into the qualities that make an excellent transcription service, one thing to remember: you might not actually need a transcription service if it's available as a feature in tools you already use. For example:

Adding transcripts to your existing software stack is easier than adding another tool to the mix, so check for a built-in transcription option in your existing apps.

What makes the best transcription software?

I do lots of interviews with subject matter experts. If I had to pause and take notes on what I find interesting every time, I wouldn't be able to focus on the conversation. I also use transcription software on podcasts that I'm using for research. That's all to say, I've spent my share of time with transcription services, and I know what separates the great from the terrible.

Here's what you should look for—and what I was keeping my eye out for while I was testing the apps.

AI transcription : Transcription is moving in the AI-only direction at whip speed. Every app I tested has automated transcription available—it's fast, easy, and convenient. Human transcription is great as an add-on feature—especially for industries with plenty of technical jargon—but I didn't test human-only transcription services.

Value : The price point varies depending on whether it's standard transcription software or largely meeting-focused. Standard transcription services are priced at around $0.25/min, while meeting transcription apps have subscription options hovering just under $20/user/month, depending on the features provided. I was looking for value for the price.

Editing options : It's cumbersome to download a transcript to edit it—especially if you want to collaborate. I looked for apps containing basic editing options within the app—like highlighting, inviting teammates to comment/edit, and adjusting playback speed.

With that, here are my picks for the six best transcription services.

Best transcription service for accuracy

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Sonix pros:

Accuracy and speed of transcription (0 mistakes!)

Customization options

Confidence score

Sonix cons: 

No meeting transcription available in Meet or Teams

AI summaries aren't excellent 

Accuracy isn't the only area Sonix excels in, though: its user experience is beyond ordinary. It has the basics, yes: highlight, custom dictionary, and speaker identification. But it also has a "personalized Sonix editor" where you can choose from various interface, editing, and text options, like auto-pausing while typing, smart capitalization, and auto-saving your edited transcript. I love how breezy it makes the editing process.

Sonix has a Zoom integration to record and transcribe all your meetings, but there's no integration to Google Meet or Microsoft Teams yet. It also launched a feature to provide an AI summary of your transcripts; you can choose from a bulleted list, a text, or even a paragraph summary. But I found the summaries of Sonix were only halfway decent. There are better AI meeting transcription apps if this feature is essential for you. But it'd be good enough for admin needs, like generating podcast episode descriptions.

Add files to a Google Drive folder and have them transcribed by Sonix

Save new Sonix transcripts to Google Docs

Sonix price : Free for 30 minutes; $10/hour (or $5/hour + $22/user/month subscription for teams)

Best transcription service affordable recurring transcriptions

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Value for price

Human transcription options

Speed of transcription

Can't add a personal dictionary (except for human transcription)

Not quite as accurate as Sonix (but close)

Another area where Rev shines brighter than Sonix is in its pricing for larger subscription needs. While Sonix charges $22/month for subscriptions and Rev charges $29.99/month, the former also slaps a $5/hour fee in addition to the base fee. This means that for a subscription of 20 hours in one month, Sonix would cost you $122 ($22 base fee + $100 for an hourly fee), while Rev would only cost you only $29.99.

You can't go wrong with Rev if you have recurring transcription needs and don't need the bells and whistles of things like customized editing and AI summaries.

Save new Rev transcripts as notes in Dovetail

Create Rev transcription orders from new Dropbox files

Rev pricing : Free for 45 minutes; $0.25/min (or $29.99/month for 20 hours of transcription)

Best transcription service for podcast and video editing

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Descript pros: 

Seamless podcast and video editing using a transcript

Audio customization options

Overdub feature to clone a voice

Descript cons:

Less accurate than other options

The part where Descript isn't as stellar is in its accuracy. It had a decent number of mistakes compared to other apps I tested, and I've spoken to other users voicing the same complaint. Descript wasn't consistent in its mistakes either—it could detect "Trello," for example, but not "Asana," and speaker identification was also inaccurate a couple of times.

I'd recommend Descript if you have regular podcast or video marketing needs and don't mind cleaning your script a bit manually (or are ok with less-than-perfect transcription). 

Transcribe Published Episode in Descript

Create Notion pages for new Descript transcriptions

Descript price : Free for 1 hour/month; $15/user/month for 10 hours

Best meeting transcription service for efficient, AI-powered meetings

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Fireflies.ai pros:

Sentiment analysis of meetings

Accurate and detailed meeting summaries

Built-in AI chatbot to get answers about the meeting

Fireflies.ai cons:

Speed (much slower than other options; took 10 minutes)

Many AI features only available on paid plans

For starters, you can create soundbites of meeting clips to share only a segment of the meeting with your colleague. I also found the sentiment analysis feature (which uses natural language processing to detect the tone of transcripts) pretty useful. It wasn't wishy-washy or inaccurate for the audio I uploaded. The AI summary was also detailed enough to be emailed back to clients as call notes or to coworkers as updates—although sometimes I found it to be a bit too long.

I also loved the "Ask Fred" feature—it's the ChatGPT for your meetings. Ask questions about the meeting, such as, "What did the customer say about feature X?" and Fred will scour the meeting data to provide accurate answers. I used it to write a follow-up email based on the meeting, and it was pretty good. It certainly needs some tweaking—in my case, the follow-up email was dry and corporate-sounding. Still, it's a huge time-saver.

I liked that the organization system in Fireflies.ai is similar to Slack. Create channels, and organize your meetings however you want. There's also a "topic tracker" feature to check for common subjects in your meetings and a search option to type and search for keywords in the transcript.

The drawbacks are that most useful AI features—even smart search—aren't available in the free plan. Another disadvantage is Fireflies.ai takes its sweet time transcribing your meetings—ten minutes doesn't sound like a lot, but other apps had the transcription available immediately after the call ended.

Upload Zoom recordings for transcription with Fireflies.ai

Create ChatGPT conversations from new Fireflies.ai meetings

Fireflies.ai price : Free for 800 minutes of storage/seat with limited transcription credits; from $18/seat/month for 50 hours of transcription

Best meeting transcription service for grabbing audio clips from your meetings

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Grain pros:

Accuracy and speed (transcript was available immediately after the call)

Ease of clipping audio

Time-stamped notes feature

Grain cons:

Price (slightly more expensive)

Fireflies.ai has a similar feature called "Soundbites," but I found Grain much more intuitive and smoother for this particular functionality. In Grain, you can even create these clips while you're on the call with the click of a button—which isn't possible in Fireflies.ai.

Another feature I love in Grain is taking time-stamped notes. This allows you to jot down your thoughts as they come to you. You can even invite your team members to collaborate on this note-taking, which is great for when you're training new employees and want to share an internal note while on customer calls.

Grain also creates decent AI summaries of your calls. Or you can click on just a particular segment, say two paragraphs, and have Grain summarize only that bit for you.

Generate Trello cards with new Grain recordings

Grain price : Free for 20 meetings/member with a maximum of 5 seats; from $19/seat/month for paid features

Best meeting transcription service for getting useful AI meeting insights

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MeetGeek pros:

Detailed meeting insights

Over 40 KPIs for meeting analysis

MeetGeek cons:

Need to upgrade to Business plan to create a new metric (using a template)

It has all the basic transcription requirements covered: it's accurate enough (misses brand names sometimes), provides an AI summary, and enables you to create shareable clips from the call.

Beyond the basics, it analyzes your meetings for call sentiment, participant involvement, punctuality, and 40 other KPIs. Based on these metrics, it gives your meetings an overall score and creates a word cloud of your call content. For the meeting I tested it for, it was pretty accurate in identifying all the KPIs correctly. I would've loved it if there was an option to create personalized KPIs too, based on my meeting goals and what I care to track. I can customize the weight given to each metric, but creating a new metric isn't an available option.

You can create custom KPIs on the Business plan using meeting templates, though. For example, if you have a meeting template to keep your quarterly all-hands presentation on track, you can create custom meeting insight KPIs for that meeting type.

MeetGeek price : Free for 5 hours of transcription/month; starts at $15/user/month

What about Otter?

So if you don't care about AI insights or you need a dictation option, Otter might be a better choice for you. (Just be ready to pay double the price if you choose a monthly subscription option.)

What about OpenAI's Whisper?

Create transcripts of audio files with openai's whisper.

Create meeting transcripts and summaries with OpenAI from audio files

You can even use Zapier and Whisper to translate audio files from one language to another.

Translate audio files with OpenAI and send to Dropbox

Translate files into english with openai and store in google sheets.

Which transcription service should you use?

To be honest, most good transcription apps are indistinguishable when it comes to the transcript itself—many of them use the same technologies to get the job done. So my advice is to evaluate these apps on the additional features that might help you. For example, are you looking for insights into your meetings? Or is sharing clips more important? Do you want to edit videos using a transcript? Or do you need something that works instantly?

All of these transcription apps have a free trial, so give a few of them a spin, and see how they stack up for you.

Related reading:

This article was originally published in May 2018 and has had contributions from Melanie Pinola, Ryan Law, and Matthew Guay. The most recent update was in May 2023.

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Rochi Zalani

Rochi is a freelance writer for B2B SaaS companies in marketing, productivity, HR, and eCommerce. When she's not writing, you can find her engrossed in a fiction book or contemplating a Mary Oliver poem. Learn more at rochizalani.com

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Transcribing Interviews for Qualitative Research: Best Practices

• Serra Ardem

The long hours dedicated to transcribing interviews are now in a galaxy far far away, thanks to the developments in AI and machine learning. Qualitative research highly benefits from these advancements as AI transcription technology not only saves valuable time but also increases research efficiency and accuracy.

In this blog, we emphasize the significance of transcribing interviews for qualitative research as well as the best practices in this area. We also explain why automatic transcription offers more advantages to researchers and how to choose an interview transcription software to achieve optimal results.

Let’s begin.

What is qualitative research?

Qualitative research is a systematic approach to understanding and explaining social phenomena. Focused on “How?” and “Why?” questions, it is an umbrella concept that involves different research methodologies including interviews, participant observation, focus groups and so on.

Qualitative data is based on words, behaviors and images. By analyzing these, qualitative research generates theories and hypotheses on how the social world is experienced and understood by people in everyday life. Unlike quantitative research that depends on numbers and statistics, qualitative research seeks to uncover the underlying meanings in human experiences.

Importance of Transcribing Interviews in Qualitative Research

Transcribing interviews for qualitative research offers several benefits that contribute to the overall depth and success of the research process. Here are its key advantages:

• Comprehensive analysis: Transcripts capture every word, nuance and non-verbal cue, which is a goldmine for data analysis. This allows researchers to identify themes and patterns thoroughly to draw meaningful conclusions.
• Enhanced reliability: Having the transcript for an interview will strengthen research validity by providing evidence to your argument. Plus, other researchers can review the transcription, ensuring transparency and collaboration.
• Reduced bias: Transcribing interviews will reduce bias as it minimizes the risk of misinterpreting or omitting information. Compared to note-taking, which may be influenced by the researcher’s perceptions, transcription offers a more objective representation of data.
• Increased accessibility: Via transcription , researchers can share and discuss findings with people who couldn’t participate in the interview due to language barriers. Furthermore, the practice improves accessibility for deaf and hard of hearing individuals by allowing them to engage with the findings through written text.
• Time-efficiency: No more jumping back and forth in audio files! When you transcribe the interview, you can quickly search for and navigate to specific parts, saving time during the analysis phase.

4 Types of Transcription

Transcription can be grouped into four categories: verbatim, intelligent verbatim, edited and phonetic. Let’s take a look at each one’s pros and cons, and highlight the best choice for transcribing interviews for qualitative research.

Verbatim Transcription

Verbatim transcription includes every sound in the audio recording such as coughs, doorbells and hesitations (er, mm, etc.) between sentences.

Pros: Provides the most complete and accurate record of the interview, which is essential for capturing the full context and subtle nuances.

Cons: May include unnecessary details. Can be time consuming and expensive to produce in case of manual transcription.

Primarily used in: legal proceedings, sociolinguistic research studies

Intelligent Verbatim Transcription

An intelligent verbatim transcript removes filler words and repetitions but retains key content and non-verbal cues. Its purpose is to provide a more on-point transcript.

Pros: Offers a balance between readability and details. 

Cons: May sacrifice some context and require careful quality control to guarantee accuracy.

Primarily used in: qualitative research, especially in interviews and focus groups

Edited Transcription

Clarity is the main focus of an edited transcript. It corrects grammatical errors and eliminates filler words, repetitions and extraneous sounds.

Pros: More readable and concise, therefore suitable for general understanding and thematic analysis.

Cons: Risks losing some nuances and the authenticity of participants’ expressions.

Primarily used in: journalism and media contexts

Phonetic Transcription

Phonetic transcription is unorthodox as it uses symbols from the International Phonetic Association to represent sounds exactly as they are spoken. This includes accents, dialects and non-standard pronunciations.

Pros: Analyzing variations in pronunciation.

Cons: More complex and expensive than other types of transcription.

Primarily used in: linguistic studies

What is the best type for interview transcripts in qualitative research? As we’ve said above, intelligent verbatim transcription is often the best choice: It is readable and manageable for analysis, yet it also provides a detailed record of the conversation.

Still, always consider your research goals, questions, data and budget when transcribing interviews. An edited transcript might be sufficient if you want to focus on broader themes. Meanwhile, verbatim transcription can be pretty useful if details matter to you a lot.

Methods of Transcribing Interviews

There are two main methods when it comes to transcribing interviews: manual and automatic. While manual transcription involves a human transcriber typing out the spoken words in the interview, automatic transcription utilizes speech recognition technology to convert audio to text.

As in types of transcription, these two methods have their unique advantages and disadvantages. Human transcribers can better understand nuances and context. However, this method can also be pretty time consuming and it may be expensive to hire a professional transcriber.

On the other hand, automatic transcription is much faster and cost-effective. This is an important advantage in the realm of qualitative research where large amounts of interview data need to be processed and analyzed. You can definitely save time and resources by using software when transcribing interviews for research.

Moreover, automatic transcription services are getting more accurate day by day thanks to the developments in AI, machine learning and voice recognition. Current systems can handle diverse accents, linguistic variations and even contextual nuances very well. This significantly increases the reliability of the interview transcript and research results.

How to Choose an Interview Transcription Software

Decided to use an interview transcription software for research but confused on how to choose one? Look for these qualities when making your decision:

Accuracy is crucial when transcribing interviews as it directly influences the reliability of your data. Prioritize an AI-powered tool with a high accuracy rate to remain true to your original interview. We recommend you test the AI transcription software beforehand with a small sample of your interview.

Quick turnaround time is essential for researchers who work with large sums of interview data and tight deadlines. The right software must transcribe audio to text rapidly without compromising accuracy and meet the demands of an intense qualitative research process.

It is your responsibility to comply with ethical standards and protect your participants’ sensitive information. You must choose a tool that has end-to-end encryption and clear privacy policies.

Flexibility

Does the transcription software allow you to upload audio and video files in different formats? Is it easy to edit the transcript and add notes? This flexibility will help you refine interviews seamlessly, enhancing the quality of your data.

Customization

Speaker identification, timestamps and punctuation are indispensable when transcribing interviews for qualitative research. Select a software that allows you to tailor these elements to your needs.

Language Support

Make sure that the tool supports the languages spoken in your interviews. Break down the language barrier by choosing a software that transcribes multiple languages and enrich your research with global perspectives.

Transcribing Interviews with Maestra Step-by-Step

If you’re looking for a tool with all these features, then Maestra’s AI-powered interview transcription software is the right choice for you. You can get your transcript instantly by following a few simple steps.

• Upload your audio or video file. Maestra supports 125+ languages .
• Select audio language and receive the transcript in seconds. 

Custom dictionary is especially beneficial when transcribing interviews for research as the audio content is more likely to include technical terminology. With this feature, you can add specific terms to your custom dictionary, assign importance values and Maestra will transcribe them as specified, ensuring accuracy.

You can also select the number of speakers during the upload phase and assign names to each speaker, making it easier to navigate the transcript.

• Click “Submit” and witness AI transcription work its magic. You will instantly receive your interview transcript with timestamps and speaker tags.
• Ta-da! You can now proofread and edit your transcript, take notes and add comments with Maestra’s built-in text editor .

Maestra has a very high accuracy rate but you can always polish your document for maximum clarity and comprehensibility.

After transcribing interviews, you can safely reach and organize them via MaestraCloud . You can also store your interview recordings here as the cloud allows you to keep audio and video files of any size without time limitations.

Collaborating with fellow researchers? Maestra Teams is ready to help you. You can create team-based channels with different permission levels and edit the document with other researchers in real-time.

Tips for Transcribing Interviews for Qualitative Research

No matter your experience in qualitative research or the software you use, there are certain practices to adopt when transcribing interviews.

Use a High-Quality Recording Device

Utilizing a high-quality recording device lays a solid foundation for interview transcription. Invest in a reliable recorder with good microphone sensitivity and audio quality to capture every part of the conversation. Don’t forget to test your equipment beforehand to avoid potential technical issues during the interview.

Respect Confidentiality

Upholding confidentiality is paramount when transcribing interviews for qualitative research. Always obtain informed consent from participants for recording and transcription, and store your files securely. Avoid sharing any personally identifiable information to safeguard participant privacy and maintain the integrity of your research.

Include Speaker Identification and Time Stamps

This practice enhances the overall usability of an interview transcript by enabling easy reference to specific points. Make sure you clearly identify each speaker on the document either by name, role or pseudonym. You can use different fonts or colors to visually distinguish between speakers.

Follow the Specific Style Consistently

Choose a transcription style guide (verbatim, intelligent verbatim, etc.) and follow it consistently throughout the project. Define rules for punctuation, contractions and interruptions. This will guarantee uniformity and enhance the reliability of your findings.

Add Non-Verbal Cues and Annotations

This one is not mandatory but can provide valuable context. You can document non-verbal expressions, pauses or changes in tone to add depth to qualitative data analysis. Meanwhile, bracketed annotations can help you highlight important moments. Just remember that adding too much detail can be distracting, so only include relevant information.

Edit and Proofread the Transcript

Proofread and edit your document once transcribing an interview: correct any errors, format inconsistencies and review for readability. Double check speaker identification and timestamps for accuracy. These practices will ensure a smooth transition from transcription to analysis and publication.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is transcription necessary for qualitative research.

The necessity of transcription depends on the nature and goals of the qualitative research you conduct. For example, it is crucial for in-depth and focus group interviews but not essential for participant observation where researchers can rely on field notes.

How do you transcribe an anonymous interview?

When transcribing interviews with anonymous participants, remove any information that can directly or indirectly identify the participant such as name, nickname, location, job title and affiliations. Create neutral pseudonyms (Participant 1, Interviewee A, etc.) for the participant and use them consistently throughout the interview transcript.

How do you analyze interview transcripts in qualitative research?

First, familiarize yourself with the data through readings when analyzing an interview transcript for research . Then, assign codes to relevant segments and organize similar codes into broader recurring themes. Finally, present your findings via a structured narrative. Always maintain transparency during the process.

How do you transcribe an interview in APA format?

Transcripts of interviews are usually added to the appendix in APA format . You should use a specific header with interview details, double line spacing and speaker identifiers in the transcript.

How do you summarize an interview transcript?

Carefully read the content and identify key themes when summarizing the transcript of an interview . Organize the information logically, provide brief contextual details when necessary and use quotes to add impact. Capture the essence of the interview by keeping the summary short and sweet.

Interview transcription is particularly valuable in qualitative research, which delves deep into human experiences and perceptions. Transforming spoken words into text enables researchers to derive meaningful insights from the rich tapestry of qualitative data. It also increases the accessibility of the research, empowering scholars to collaborate with colleagues across disciplines and borders. 

The advent of AI technology revolutionized the process of transcribing interviews and will continue to do so in the future. Its benefits range from increased accuracy to cost-effectiveness, providing a much refined experience for researchers. By choosing the right software and adopting the best practices for transcribing interviews, researchers can unleash the full potential of their endeavors.

About Serra Ardem

Serra Ardem is a freelance writer and editor based in Istanbul. For the last 8 years, she has been collaborating with brands and businesses to tell their unique story and develop their verbal identity.

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NYU IRB Protocol Regarding Transcription Software

Suggestions for best practice for 3rd Party Transcription:

• Researcher that have an individual other than themselves transcribe audio/video media, should let the IRB know who they are and have the transcriber sign a confidentiality agreement  (Transcription Agreement Form for Individual)
• Researcher that have an on-line transcription software companies transcribe audio/video media, should follow the attached protocol established by PRIM&R (Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research,) the national organization for IRB's. The PRIM&R IRB forum offers suggestions regarding data security with a third party vendor.  (see attached)

Suggestions for best practice for Data Storage:

• NYU IRB also suggests that once the transcription is complete, the dictation/interviews should be destroyed/wiped clean/deleted after they are reviewed by the researcher.
• It is not advised to use NYU Stream to store your material. 
• PRIM&R (Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research) suggestions re data security with a third party vendor
• Transcription Agreement for Individual

NYU Accommodation Software

NYU Digital Accessibility Program- Read&Write

Text to Speech is a downloadable software that reads aloud what’s on the screen, which can be used to proofread transcriptions done manually or through a third-party transcription service. 

 NYU Adaptive Computing - Speech to Text Software Accommodations

• Kurzweil 1000 - reads books and other print materials aloud
• CCTV - closed circuit enlargement of print materials
• JAWS - allows users to listen to the contents of the computer’s screen
• ZoomText - magnification and screen reading
• Dragon Naturally Speaking - allows users to dictate, rather than type

The adaptive computing rooms at NYU make it easier for researchers with special accommodations to choose from a variety of mediums to ensure a smooth transcription process.  *If you do not have special accommodations through the NYU Moses Center, please go to the above website and locate the “Inquire about these rooms” button to discuss your research needs with the computer center.  For more information about the library services, please visit the website above or contact Lauren Kehoe of Lib accommodations at [email protected] or (212) 998 2509.

Suggested Transcription Resources

• Transcription Overview
• Microsoft Office 365
• Manual Transcription in MAXQDA
• Manual Transcription in ATLAS.ti

For qualitative researchers, transcribing is an integral element to the research process. There are a variety of ways that researchers can approach transcription and the preparation of qualitative data for analysis. While many researchers transcribe interviews manually there are also a variety of resources that can be used in conjunction to speed up the transcription process while retaining the accuracy of manual transcription. The following resources will highlight some considerations for you as you begin the process of preparing and cleaning your qualitative data.  

• NYU Office 365 Access NYU Provides access to Microsoft Office 365 free of charge for students, staff, and faculty. This link takes you to the sign up page and provides more information on access to Office 365.
• Transcribe in Office 365 Microsoft Office 365 now includes free features for Speech-to-Text and Auto-transcription of uploaded files. This link will take you to the Microsoft support pages where you can find step-by-step instructions for using these features.

How To Order a Transcript on NYU Stream

• To order closed captions/ a transcript  of your recording, simply add new media by uploading your project >> "Add New".  
• Once it is uploaded, click on the title of the media and it will take you to an editing page.  
• From here.  You will see a drop down menu choice under the title "Actions" in which you may choose the option to "+Order Captions ".  It will take approximately 3 times the length of you media to transcribe (ie 5 min film will take 15 mins) you will note that the status will change from pending to in progress to complete.  
• Once your caption request is processed, click the "Actions" button, dropdown and select "Edit."  Select the “Captions” option in the toolbar>Edit Captions. Edit captions as necessary while streaming the video on the righthand side of your screen.
• To download captions, return to the toolbar>Captions>select the rightmost icon under Actions.
• NYU Stream Tutorials
• MAXQDA Transcription Mode MAXQDA provides a built-in editor for manual transcription. This link will take you to the step-by-step instructions on how to use this feature.

• Transcription in ATLAS.ti 9 Learn more about preparing transcripts directly in ATLAS.ti 9 for ease of preparation and analysis.

ATLAS.ti 9 has incorporated new features that allow users to edit transcripts directly in the user interface.

Bibliographic Resources

Branley, D. (2004). 'Making and Managing Audio Recordings' in Clive Seale (ed) Researching Society and Culture (2nd edition), London: Sage, pp 207-223

Lapadat, J., & Lindsay, A. (1999). 'Transcription in Research and Practice : from standardisation of technique to interpretive positionings' Qualitative Inquiry 5(1) 64-86

Lewins, A. (1998). ' Transcribing Evaluation data ' in Harvey J. (Ed) Evaluation Cookbook Online , Learning Technology Dissemination Initiative, Herriot Watt Edinburgh.

Stockdale, A. (2003). An Approach to Recording, Transcribing, and Preparing Audio Data for Qualitative Data Analysis Education Development Center, Inc.

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• Last Updated: May 23, 2024 2:40 PM
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