Manual vs Automated Transcription: Pros And Cons

Would you choose the most accurate approach or the fastest?

It’s quite a muddle. However, the most rational answer would be that it depends on your needs. The world of transcription is no different, with companies and individual professionals exhausted from reaching a conclusion between the long-standing debate, i.e., manual vs automated transcription. With the advent of the digital age, the ease of manual transcription was overtaken by automated transcription services by an overwhelming margin. Ultimately, many industries hail automated transcription services as the ideal replacement for manual transcription. However, on the other hand, a few industries regard manual transcription as an irreplaceable tool that promises accuracy like no other. 

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It’s time we draw a line between these contrasting views to determine which approach would drive more productivity in your work. 

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What is Manual Transcription?

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As the name suggests, manual transcription is the process of converting audio or video into text using human transcribers, who are usually professionals at transcribing content. In this approach, trained professionals listen to the recordings and type out what they hear while prioritizing accuracy and meticulousness throughout the exercise. 

The era of transcription began with manual transcription as the only method. It is believed to be a time-tested approach and is still preferred by many companies for transcribing content that requires high precision.

Advantages of Manual Transcription

If you belong to those industries where accuracy is supreme, then the advantages of manual transcription below will surely pull you out of the manual vs automated transcription debate.

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Higher Accuracy for Complex Audio

The efficiency of automated transcription is totally reliant on the quality of the audio. Some audios have complex dialects, accents, and technical jargon, which are better navigated with human transcribers than software. Additionally, in the case of multilingualism, a manual approach bodes better results, which can even differentiate between homophones.

Better Handling of Accents & Multiple Speakers

Complex accents and the possibility of overlapping speeches can easily disarm automated tools' advanced abilities. However, human transcribers are skilled at adapting conveniently to these complexities, thereby delivering better results than software or tools.

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More Control Over Formatting & Nuances

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Perhaps this pointer could be a deal breaker for many who are pondering upon manual vs automated transcription. Manual transcription facilitates greater flexibility in formatting & attention to tone, emphasis, and other nuances. 

Disadvantages of Manual Transcription

It’s time we look at the other side of the coin. Currently, almost every industry prefers the boon of technology offered by automated tools over the manual approach, and below are a few of the reasons.

Time-Consuming

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Since this approach requires the activity of listening to the entire audio before transcribing, it may take days to transcribe manually. As a result, it stands as an ineffective option for businesses that operate in a fast-paced environment and may require multiple transcriptions in a single day. 

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Higher Cost

The accuracy promised by the manual approach comes at a high price. Compared to budget-friendly automated tools, the manual approach is known to cost more for companies as it involves the services of an expert. With audio becoming more complex and multilingual, the cost of manual transcription is bound to rise in the future.

Limited by Human Labor Availability

For projects that ring the bells of urgency and move in a high volume, the availability of skilled transcribers can pose as a challenge. A season of high demand for transcriptions may result in delays and waiting time.

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What is Automated Transcription?

Hopping onto the second approach, automated transcription is a method that relies on the advanced capabilities of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) to convert audio into text. Several automated tools can process recordings quickly and even offer multilingual transcription, thereby delivering transcripts within minutes or hours.

Advantages of Automated Transcription

While there are several upsides to using automated transcription for your audio; below are a few pointers that may help you to finally decide the winner of manual vs automated transcription. 

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Fast Turnaround

The birth of automated transcription tools was with the objective of transcribing large volumes of audio within minutes or hours. Ultimately, automated transcription is the go-to choice for many industries and businesses.

Lower Cost

Another cherry on the cake is the budget-friendly aspect possible with automated transcriptions. Since there is no involvement of a human transcriber, it becomes a cost-effective solution for industries that may need to transcribe multiple audios in a single day or on a consistent basis.

Scalable for Large Volumes of Content

With meetings, conferences, and loads of content everywhere, almost every company aims to transcribe audio in bulk. Unlike the limitations circling around the manual approach, AI tools can handle such projects with ease. 

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Disadvantages of Automated Transcription

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While technology has a lot to offer, there are certain restrictions and inaccuracies that have kept the debate of manual vs. automated transcription alive. Below are a few cons of automated transcription.

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Lower Accuracy With Poor Audio Quality

Although nothing can match the speed and effectiveness of technology, it can still struggle with audios that are unclear or contain distracting background noises. These hindrances can result in misunderstood or inaccurate text transcribed by AI.

Struggles with Accents & Background Noise

Many automated tools are known to fumble technologically when dealing with overlapping speeches, different accents, etc. Even with the most advanced AI, the levels of accuracy may drop, ultimately demanding a human eye for review and edits.

Less Control Over Formatting

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Some audios have a frequency of pauses, speaker changes, certain emphasis on regular intervals, etc., which may not be captured with automated tools. 

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Comparative Analysis of Manual vs Automated Transcription

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Still scuffling between manual vs automated transcription? Below are a few factors that you must bear in mind before making your final decision.

Accuracy

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It’s evident that manual transcriptions provide better accuracy than automated tools. However, with technology rising and only moving toward its peak, there are several expectations that automated tools will catch up.

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Cost Efficiency

This pointer is a no-brainer, as there’s no scope in the future of manual transcription costing less than automated tools. On the contrary, automated tools are bound to get cheaper than their present rate.

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Turnaround Time

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Another key takeaway is the difference between the turnaround time offered by manual transcription and automated transcription. Even with large volumes of audio, automated transcription stands as the best choice for a fast turnaround time. 

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Usability & Flexibility

Manual transcription provides usability and flexibility like no other when dealing with complex audio. Although the era of automated transcription is expected to be streamlined, it will always require post-editing activities. 

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When to Choose Transcription Between Manual & Automated

Based on the needs of your project and the complexity of the audio, you can keep switching between manual and automated transcription approaches. 

Manual Transcription

It’s the best approach for industries that require high precision, such as medical or legal fields. Here, the emphasis is on tone, accuracy, and context. It is also preferable in instances where there is technical jargon or the presence of multiple speakers. 

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Automated Transcription

It’s the ideal choice for industries working in a fast-paced environment, prioritizing speed and budget-friendly options. Several industries, such as the entertainment sector, advertisement industry, BFSI, etc., can make optimum use of automated transcription.

Conclusion

Both approaches, i.e., manual and automated transcriptions, have their own advantages and disadvantages. While manual transcription can deliver the highest accuracy, automated transcription provides a better turnaround time and greater efficiency. Ultimately, the key lies in identifying your needs and making the best of both these approaches from time to time. 

FAQs

1. Are there any industries that benefit more from manual transcription?
There are many industries, such as the legal, medical, and academic sectors that prefer manual transcriptions, typically for accuracy and the ability to have a greater attention to detail.

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2. What future advancements might improve automated transcription?
Certain projected improvements, specifically in the domain of machine learning and artificial intelligence, can lead to better tools or software accuracy.

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3. Can automated transcription handle multiple speakers effectively?
At present, many automated transcription tools lose their efficiency while handling multiple speakers. However, a few tools, such as Konch AI, can manage this feat. 

4. Is manual transcription suitable for all types of audio content?Manual transcription is deemed to be ideal for complex audio. However, it may turn out to be a costly choice when dealing with too many audios.