Transcription.
You’ve likely heard the word transcription before. That doesn’t mean you fully understand what it is, how it works, or what it means though. Transcription is a pretty broad term overall, because there are many different niches within the industry. For simplicity sake it’s a generalized tool that’s helped progress our society into what it is today. Everything you need to know to understand transcription actually starts back when the Egyptians ruled.
Without transcription, we wouldn’t have written records of history. We wouldn’t have the grasp on rhetoric or literature that we do (Ditto Transcripts certainly wouldn’t have the business that we have) – simply put, we wouldn’t have the advancements that we know today.
If you’re curious about what transcription is, how it works, and who it can benefit, then you’re in luck! We’ve laid out a brief description of what transcription is, and dive a little into the history of transcription to give you a better idea of where it came from. And why it’s an important part of history and many different businesses, individuals, and government agencies now use transcription services to help them.
Read on for more information about how transcription has evolved to where it is today.
What Exactly Is Transcription in Today’s World?
Transcription is generally described as a written or printed representation of an audio recording. To nail it down a little more thoroughly, we describe it as the process of creating a written document from a live recording or a previously recorded audio or video file.
In other words, transcription is the process of writing down (either physically or in an electronic format) things like interviews, voicemails, podcasts, lectures, speeches, sermons, notes, business or conference calls, market research, document-to-document, and more. This is taking an oral or recorded form of something and providing you with a written or typed transcribed copy.
Where did Transcription Come From?
It probably goes without saying that transcription is one of the oldest forms of documentation. It’s been a useful, and important tool throughout history and it’s likely fair to say that society as we know it would not have progressed at the rate it did without it.
Transcription dates as far back as 3400 BCE, when scribes would train in both scripts and hieroglyphics. If they could do both it would make them more employable. They were also some of the most educated people within their societies.
Pressing fast-forward on our timeline, we notice that decades later, students would transcribe ancient languages and notes into stone tablets. These would eventually morph into information and help technological advancements of all kinds thousands of years later.
When the printing press was invented in 1439, transcription took a back seat in the modern world, however, one of the absolute biggest boons to transcription came shortly after with the invention of the modern English language shorthand. This was developed by a British Physician in the 17th century.
Through advanced tools, we’ve been better able to develop technological advances that better our methods. From stone tools came pencils and pens, from whence came typewriters and computers, as well as recording devices, smart phones, and more. Want more transcription history? Check out our blog, the history of transcription, post here for a deeper look!
How Does Transcription Work?
Typically, the rule of thumb with transcription (at least ours is), if you can record it, we can transcribe it.
Transcription can be useful for almost any industry to help reduce waste, increase their turnaround time on projects, and run their business smoothly and effectively.
With our company, transcription is handled quickly and accurately. We’ll take your recordings of dictation, interviews, conference calls, and more. Transcribe it. Proof it, and then check it to ensure accuracy and quality. Our expertly trained, US-based transcription team will listen and transcribe your projects.
We do not depend on voice recognition technology because we don’t find it to be accurate enough. We can transcribe almost any audio file, be it a CD, digital file, or even a cassette or micro-cassette.
We can even help with document-to-document transcriptions, too. Have a handwritten note or memoir that you’d like in a cleaner, easier to read format? We’ll take care of that, too.
Who Can Benefit from Transcription?
Transcription is a generalized field that has the flexibility and usefulness to serve almost any industry. In other words, almost anyone can benefit from transcription. People in the medical field, the legal field, law enforcement, the business world, the religious sector, journalism, the possibilities are endless.
Industries can use our transcription services to better distribute information. They can also cut back on their administrative duties, and improve their turn-around time for projects.
Essentially, transcription can benefit anyone who’s looking to be more organized, more accurate, and run a smoother, more efficient business, company, or project.
Our Final Thoughts on Everything You Need to Know About Transcription
Suffice all that to say, without transcription, we wouldn’t have the technology, methods, or procedures that we do today. Obviously, as a general transcription company, we’re especially grateful for this ancient tool that’s seen several modifications and evolutions through time. Our field, both broad, and specialized, can provide you with the transcription services you need. Handwritten memoirs, and oral history, a church sermon, and more. From this ancient practice, with our high-tech twist, we’re best able to serve you and your transcription needs in today’s fast paced world where we need accurate data fast.
