Slowing down transcription files

Slowing Down Speech For Transcribing

Over quite a few other blog posts, I have talked about slowing down the speech or dialogue. I literally can’t stress enough how important this is for a magnitude of different reasons, and a large portion of what can make transcription easier, and help to make you want to do this job full time, and make money from home.

This blog post will cover:

  • Different ways to slow down the dialogue
  • A few reasons why it helps
  • How it could possibly cause problems

Different ways to slow down the dialogue

In a couple other posts I spoke about some software programs that are great to use for transcription, and also allow you to slow down the speed of the playback of the audio.

I also mentioned a couple that I personally use and suggest to new comers to transcription. The first is Express Scribe Transcription.

This program allows you to specifically pick the speed at which the audio plays, you can eliminate background noise, it also has the ability to automatically dictate files.

Though the program after a trial period does cost money, it is an all around great software program that I highly suggest and personally use.

The other program I like to use is called VLC Media Player. It is a program that is typically already downloaded on computers. It is the general audio playing program that is used on most computers.

This playback program also has the ability to slow down the speech, though you can’t specifically choose at what rate.

This program comes pre-determined at what speed percentage you can play the audio at.

It is a great feature to be able to slow it down, but with having set speeds, I have found that I often need the middle between two set percentages.

Which can sometimes be a little frustrating, but this is still a really great option if you don’t want to pay for a different program.

The important part is having the option to slow the speed of the audio playback.

A few reasons why it helps

Slowing the speed of your audio files can help you to complete files faster.

If you slow the speed down, you will not have to continuously rewind the file and repeat the audio 50 times to understand just one paragraph.

If you are able to just listen through one time without rewinding the file, you will get the file down faster. Increasing your turn around time (TAT as most clients abbreviate it) helping you to make more money, faster!

I personally slow down all of my files, or I play them at regular speed and use shorthand. But to be quite honest, I prefer to slow down the audio.

Slowing it down helps with accents of non-native English speakers, or if one of the speakers has some form of speech impediment.

Only a few times have I come across a file that has a speaker with a difficult to understand lisp, or other varying impediment.

Slowing the audio down helps me to continuously play the file without having to pause it at all. Since I have been using these programs, I have found myself finishing projects faster and in a more efficient manner.

Which is the exact reason why I always suggest this to every single transcriptionist looking to make a little more money, whether they be new or experienced.

How it could possibly cause problems

Like everything else in life, there is always a drawback with everything.

Thankfully, the drawback from slowing down the speech is next to nothing.

The only hindrance that I have seen over the last few years in my transcription career, is that sometimes slowing down the audio playback can cause some people to take longer on files than is necessary.

The only suggestion I have for this case is practicing your typing speed.

Some clients request you to send in your words per minute typing speed with your proposal.

There are quite a few sites that offer tests, and most of them are free.

These same sites offer practice tests to help you improve your typing speed. This helps just as much as slowing the speed of the playback.

Upping your typing speed, while slowing down the audio makes for the perfect combination to help you on your way to making your way into the world of transcription, whether your goal be full time or just some extra cash on the side.

As a rule, the golden rule, the first part is to always stay in contact with your client. That is number one, 90 percent of the time.

The other 10 percent that adds up to being a great transcriptionist is slowing down the audio.

Those two things are the most important things you can do.

Both of those tactics will help you get and keep more clients, and in return, make more money. Which in the end is our ultimate goal with transcription.

Slowing the speed is imperative, and I did not personally use these programs until about six months into when I first started transcribing.

Those first six months were brutal, and since my discovery of these programs and the benefits of slowing the audio, I have pumped out far more transcription files and jobs than I would have without using this tactic.