What to Do with Hard Copies of Audio in a Digital Age?

The transcription industry has undergone many changes in the past decades, and will likely continue to do so for the next coming years. Where there were first secretaries writing out shorthand notes, there were soon Dictaphones to capture everything. Now in some cases there is even voice recognition technology to replace or enhance transcription services altogether. As a result, there has been an undeniable trend in digitalization over the past years. This raises the question, what is going to happen with all those hard copies out there and how may they be used for transcription purposes?

Although most companies nowadays transcribe audio recordings of digital formats, some still hang on to their hard copies. Whether it is cassettes, tapes, or CDs, hard copies are in some cases still a preferred way of storing information. Their robust nature and easy storage make it convenient for companies to keep them and they will surely stick around for some time. Unfortunately their audio quality does leave much to be desired. Therefore if companies haven't thought of it yet, they should consider converting their hard copies to digital formats, instead of letting them gather more dust.

Companies use digital files for a multitude of reasons, but one clear benefit is the possibility of fine tuning audio to increase transcription quality. An audio recording transcription is strongly dependent on the quality of the delivered inputs. When the quality is insufficient, it is up to the transcriptionist to find a way around this. When dealing with digital formats, this may often involve using software and equipment to filter out as much background noise as possible. In cases where the recording is still unintelligible, the transcriptionist may link the transcribed document to the segment in question using ListenLink™

When you are considering transcribing your data but are still working with hard copies, you may opt for one of two options. First, you may send your hard copies directly to a professional transcriptionist, who at a minimal fee will convert your hard copy to the digital format that (s)he can work best with. Most transcription providers accept hard copies and will have no problem at all converting your documents. These documents then typically become available online and can be easily downloaded by the client. Alternatively, you may convert your hard copy to a digital format by yourself, using one of the many free digital recording options that can be found on the web. This may entail playing your audio recordings next to a digital recorder, to record your files once again. Unfortunately this may not yield the same high quality results a professional transcriptionist would provide, and may be of detriment to the transcription.

While hard copies are not entirely on their way out yet, digital files do present a clear advantage when it comes to quality. Transcription services benefit particularly from digital recordings as it allows for more tweaking and fine tuning of quality. Companies interested in transcribing and converting their hard copies can easily approach a professional transcriptionist, or resort to one of the free recording options available online.