Transcription involves the conversion of an oral file, primarily audio or a video, into text form. The transcription service industry is witnessing rapid growth. With technological advancements and the Internet, information is abundant in the oral form, which people want to have documented. Here comes in play the role of transcriptionists who fulfill the need for transcription services required by different clients and businesses. This is what you're going to find out in this article.

Who Need Transcription Services the Most

The following is an overview of some businesses and clients who need transcription services and why they need it:

  1. Law Firms, Paralegals, Court Reporters, and Attorneys

    Leading industries who use transcriptionists for legal transcription services are law firms, paralegals, court reporters, attorneys, and other legal professionals. Be it depositions or court hearings, presentation of audio or video footage as evidence, or witness statements; most legal activities are transcribed quite often to make them more accessible to lawyers, juries, and judges. When a transcript of a video or audio file is provided while the audio or video is played out in court, it ensures that there is no room for misinterpretation.

  2. Medical and Healthcare Providers

    Since the documentation of patient information is required in the patient's file, the recording and transcription of all procedures, notes, and related material are essential. Thus, transcription services are not just necessary, but imperative in the field of medicine.

  3. Students, Lecturers, and Doctorates

    The transcription of materials in the academic world benefits students and academicians alike. Examples include class lectures, seminars, videos or other source materials for research papers, and interviews. Many prestigious universities and colleges now offer their course content free online, which mostly includes lecture transcripts.

  4. Market Researchers

    As part of your market research, if you are going through the trouble of gathering feedback and other data by conducting interviews, focus groups, or other outreach, you can make the most of the data you collect by recording the accumulated material and getting it transcribed. This will ensure that you have an accurate and clean record of the exact responses from your participants, which can be carefully reviewed for the nuances of their observations and reactions, making your data as useful as possible.

  5. Events Individuals and Keynote Speakers

    When you conduct an event, getting the keynote speech transcribed is a great way to give it staying power. When a transcribed version of a keynote speech is available online, its outreach is hugely amplified; not only that, the transcribed format also becomes the perfect marketing tool for your company.

  6. Audio and Video Podcasters

    Offering a transcription of your podcast gives a choice to those who prefer reading information instead of listening to it. Podcast transcription is also an alternative format for your audience to absorb your material, increasing its reach.

  7. Entrepreneurs 

    The day to day life in business often involves situations where transcription can be useful for cataloging and storing information. That's why companies are increasingly turning to transcription for storing and archiving accurate recordings of interviews, meetings, and urgent phone calls.

  8. Video Production Firms

    Video production houses are increasingly turning to transcription so their audience can search their videos online.

  9. Publicity Coaches

    Publicity coaches need trained transcriptionists for their day-to-day business operations.

  10. Marketing Consultants

    Marketing consultants who provide marketing strategy and planning, email marketing, online marketing, and web development services, also use transcriptionists to help make it happen.

  11. Freelance Writers

    Freelance writers and editors also use transcriptionists to help with their writing process.

  12. SEO Experts

    SEO experts in digital marketing agencies use transcriptionists to convert podcasts and webinars into text for their clients' blog posts.

  13. Content Strategists

    Content strategists and writers for entertainment websites use transcriptionists to turn videos with actors into written transcripts that can be repurposed as content for such sites.

  14. Authors

    Authors who are busy and therefore, hard-pressed for time, also use transcriptionists to write books that may turn out to be best-sellers.

How Can Transcriptionists Specialize?

There are three broad categories of transcription: medical, legal and general. While legal transcription mostly relies on the experience of transcriptionists, medical transcription needs an AHDI approved certification, which is the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity.

All other forms of transcription fall within the ambit of general transcription, for which formal training is not required, but having a robust general awareness to catch specific words and phrases correctly is needed.

  1. Practice Transcription

    There are plenty of free transcription tools available online where you can practice transcription and improve your transcription skills.

  2. Transcription Training

    Although for general transcription, no formal training is required, you can improve your chances of getting a transcription job of your choice, by enrolling for an online general transcription training course. The Transcription Certification Institute or TCI offers such a course exactly tailored to your needs.

  3. Apply for Jobs

    To apply for transcription jobs, you can find various job boards online that regularly post job requirements from employers. TCI also has its own job board, where you can browse for transcription jobs posted by employers worldwide.

Further Reading