How to Transcribe Video and Audio on Mac

Transcribing is a process of converting audio to text (or the contents of a video to text). Though far from creative, this job is often necessary. For instance, you are a journalist. You probably have an audio record of an interview, which you must turn into the text of the appropriate format. Or, you need to document the results of meetings, discussions, conferences, etc. Or, you have dictated some statements and ideas for yourself to work on them later.

Transcription jobs are far from the most exciting activities. Besides, when you do it manually, this routine can drive you crazy. You have to play your audio or video record and type what you hear simultaneously. If the quality of the record is not excellent, you’ll have to stop, listen to the phrase again, play backward, then forward, etc. This all demands time and concentration, which is really draining. Fortunately, there are specialized tools and other alternatives.

Types of available text transcription methods on Mac

The specificity of converting audio to text is dealing with both the audio or video source and text editors simultaneously. This requirement determines the usage of larger screens of PC or Macs and their keyboards to follow the processes.

Depending on the performance method, you may transcribe your audio manually or automatically, using the available technical means or support from specialized services like Transcriberry. Let us review the available opportunities in more detail.  

Manual transcribing on Mac

The available solutions for manual transcribing mostly aim to simplify the processes. The task of recognizing the speech in the source and turning the audio or video to text is still the human transcriptionist’s responsibility.

Mac works with many specialized software solutions that you can download and install on the computer. Also, there are web applications available through the browser. The latter option is even more popular, as it does not depend on the OS at all, and you can use it on Mac, Windows, Linux, or mobile devices if needed.

Whether you work with the installed software or online service on Mac, these solutions follow the same principle. You upload the file with the record to convert it to text. The system allows you to play the record and type the transcription in the working area. The tools locate the player and the text editor on the same screen, and the performer does not need to switch between tabs. The overall process becomes smoother and lets you focus on the task better.

In order to support the human transcriptionist, such software will offer lots of additional means. There are words auto replacement, auto-completion, text suggestions, the possibility to add time codes, etc. The job is still yours, but you can do it faster and synchronize the listening and typing activities. With proper typing skills and good quality of the source video or audio, it is similar to writing by dictation.

Among the many available solutions for manual transcribing on Mac, you’ll find the variants for both amateurs and professionals.

Automated transcribing on Mac

AI-based transcription solutions are on the rise as well. The quality depends on the voice recognition, and the AI capabilities become more advanced in this aspect continually.

Speaking of the Mac capabilities, we should mention its in-build Dictation and Speech utility. By enabling it, you can dictate any text and let your Mac transcribe it in real-time. Using the advanced settings, you can review the results immediately. One of the brightest advantages is that this option works offline as the transcription is performed locally on the machine. Your voice is accepted directly, without sending it through the Web.

Still, this convenient option is far from being a universal answer to all questions. It works with the data obtained through the microphone and won’t process the uploaded files. You might play your record to “dictate” it to the utility. As you know, the results depend on the quality of that material, like with all other tools.

There are other third-party solutions available for Mac. They all combine the speech-to-text AI algorithms and text editors for the human transcriptionists to revise and correct the results of the automated transcribing.

Even the best transcribers use automated transcription systems time after time. For instance, when they have a high-quality source file and need to speed up the initial analysis. Then they work on the recognized data personally, adjusting it to the English audio text.

However, no professional transcriptionist will rely on the automated system entirely. Most likely, you are interested in obtaining the highest quality when transcribing your audio. Then, the best option is to apply the manual approach. The alternative is delegating this job to specialists.

Professional online transcription services

As the number of users in need of transcribing services increases every day, the need gets the supply. Both the desktop and online solutions offer support for the do-it-yourself approach. On the other hand, there are professional companies such as Transcriberry that provide the targeted service.

You might prefer to do the job yourself. In this case, experts will consult you and provide our dedicated resources. They are online, so they are perfectly compatible with Mac. Or, they can take the entire task and ensure the best-quality converting audio to text for your needs.