Transcribing Tape
"Tape? Um, do you mean scotch? Duct tape? The painter's tape I use to hang stuff on my walls so I don't lose my security deposit?"
NOPE, uh uh. "Tape" is just another name for recorded audio. As you move into the production phase of your audio story and start thinking more deeply about its structure, it can be helpful to create a transcript or tape log of your interview(s).
Getting to Know Your Tape: Transcripts & Tape Logs
A transcript is when you type out everything said in the interview, with periodic time signatures. This can be a time consuming process, but will provide you with an intimate knowledge of your material. A tape log is much more basic, with time signatures (the exact time something in your tape happens), key quotes, and notes on what topics you covered at different stages of the interview. It acts more as an index that will allow you to find relevant material quickly from your entire tape. Both transcripts and tape logs are very useful when editing your material into a narrative story structure, which will become the basis for your podcast. Transcripts are also important for accessibility reasons. Find out more about how to make your podcasts more accessible
The key components of a transcript or tape log are:
Detailed notes on the parts of the interview you want to use.
Some notes on the parts you probably won't use, and why.
Time signatures so you can find everything in your tape later
"Does this mean I have to TYPE everything? The thought makes me weary."
PRO TIP: It can actually be really useful to spend some intentional time listening to, thinking about, and typing out your tape. oTranscribe is a free service that makes this a lot easier—you can upload your audio file into the browser so you don't have to navigate back and forth while you type. If you really don't want to, try
Google Docs' speech-to-text feature (free, explained here)
Paid transcribing service Temi
Paid transcribing through Amazon Transcribe
Ways to Use Your Transcript:
As you begin to work towards story structure, it can be helpful to get physical with your transcript. This can include printing and annotating it, or cutting it up to try out different narrative sequences. For more on shaping your audio story, see Editing and Story Structure.
