These assume good quality audio, infrequent over talking and turn taking (since each turn adds time to demarcate and ideally timestamp each turn), and, if working off an existing transcript. Poor audio, more speakers, more turns, inconsistent auto caps slow it down

We encounter a lot of people who think that it’ll be easier to edit an existing transcript or produce a transcript than it is, and honestly, especially if you don’t do it often or the above conditions don’t hold, it takes a lot of work. Captions take more time bc of syncing too.

Those are also averages for timings. The closest analogue I can think of and use to explain to clients is that transcribing is like grading essays, in that when you start after a period of time off, you’re always much slower than after 10-20 papers/essays. Same deal.

People also need to remember that editing or transcribing audio or video, or making captions, is kind of posturally-demanding desk work, so people really need a good ergonomic set up, ideally w pedals & specialist software, and breaks every 50 mins. It’s harder than ppl think!

Which is to say, even while I know institutions often resist budgeting for professional transcription services, they really should, and leaving it to people who do it all the time is often much more cost effective than asking random students to do it or DIYing it yourself.

and if you’re using audio or visual materials to teach that lack transcripts — or even producing those materials without them bc you think they’re somehow optional — there’s a *lot* of people who’ll struggle to access that content, I promise.

obligatory link to said company (no there’s no website yet—we are disabled & busy transcribing! lots of info on Twitter & email auto responder w key policy docs w address in the company bio tho)

I wrote this thread late on a day when I’d been really quite poorly so have flubbed the odd bit here and there but you get the gist and I appreciate your interpretive generosity 😅

@zaranosaur @lecagle I remember the first time I transcribed a roughly 10-minute TV interview for work... took me an hour, and just before I hit send I noticed another co-worker beat me to it 🤣

@zpleat @lecagle It’s a lot, honestly! Especially if you’re not doing it often

@zaranosaur Great thread! People don’t know how much care & effort it takes

@SFdirewolf Thank you! Especially now, I think, though things are shifting a bit with the big digital move but still a loooong way to go

@zaranosaur And you have my eternal thanks for what you do.

@sonnic42 🙌🏻

@CreativeBinlord oh mate captioning especially, I had to bump the prices up well beyond what initially seemed reasonable after doing it a year and realising it was so much more demanding. Basically transcribe > edit > convert to caps > edit as caps + sync > quality control > publish.

@zaranosaur I 100% believe that. I’m not far enough up the hierarchy to be the one who chooses what resources we’re using; I just seem to be the only one who thinks making them accessible is important. I have lost SO MUCH TIME to this over the years.

@zaranosaur Had to do this multiple times from voice mails (usually not difficult) to various municipal meetings with both members of the board/council/committee & audience who most times did not identify themselves which was also at times needed for court case/public record disclosure.

@zaranosaur @bennessb May I ask how you got into the field? It’s something I’ve been looking into but am not really sure how one starts.