Microsoft provides a audio transcription function for the online version of Word that converts the audio (recorded or loaded from file) directly in text, and even separates the text according to the speaker. Then, explains how to use the function.
To transcribe audio with Word, must be a Microsoft premium subscriber 365. If you have the free version and try to use the feature, you will receive a message asking you to subscribe.
RELATED: Microsoft Introduces Audio Transcription Feature for Microsoft Subscribers 365
Record and transcribe live audio
You can have Word transcribe the audio you record directly in Word. Sign in to Microsoft 365, and open Word. In the tab “Beginning”, click the arrow next to “How to Dictate a Document in Microsoft Word” and then select “Transcribe” in the menu that appears.
If you are using the function for the first time, you must give Microsoft permission to access your microphone.
The panel “Transcribe” will open on the right side of the window. Please select “Start recording”.
Once selected, the timer will start. Now you want to start talking. You will not see the live transcript while speaking as Microsoft found this to be a bit distracting during testing.
Once i'm done, Click the button “Pause” and then select “Save and transcribe now”.
Word may take a few minutes to finish transcribing the audio recording and uploading it to OneDrive.
Once this is done, you will see that the transcript appears in the same panel in which you recorded the audio. Each section will have a timestamp, the name of the speaker and the transcribed text. Microsoft automatically separates text by speaker.
If Word detects multiple speakers, you will see “Speaker 1”, Speaker 2 “, etc. If Word cannot detect multiple speakers, you will only see “Speaker”.
You may notice that the transcript does not perfectly reflect the recorded audio accurately. You can edit a section of the transcript by hovering your mouse over the incorrect text and then selecting the pen icon.
You can now edit the transcript found in this section. You can also edit the name of the speaker, as well as all the cases in which the speaker appears (In other words, the prayer 1 or the speaker 2) checking the box next to “Change all speakers”. When it's over, click the check mark.
If required, you can use the playback controls to revisit the audio recording. This is necessary if the transcript is long and you cannot remember exactly who said what. Here is the function of each button, from left to right:
- Play speed
- Rewind
- Play pause
- Fast forward
- Volume
When you have finished editing the transcript, you can add it to the document by selecting the “Add all to document” at the bottom of the pane.
Once selected, the audio recording and the content of the transcript will appear in the document.
Load and transcribe an audio file
If you already have an audio file that you want to transcribe, you can upload it in word. Sign in to Microsoft 365, and open Word. In the tab “Beginning”, click the arrow next to “How to Dictate a Document in Microsoft Word” and then select “Transcribe” in the menu that appears.
The panel “Transcribe” will open on the right side of the window. Choose “Upload audio”. You can load these types of audio files:
File Explorer will open (Finder for Mac). Navigate to the location of the audio file, select it and then click “To open”.
Microsoft will start transcribing the audio file. Depending on the size of the file, this could take a long time.
Once Microsoft finishes transcribing the audio file, the text will appear on the panel.
If you have the same problem with your audio file, you can edit the text by hovering over the section and clicking the “Pencil”. If you need to listen to the audio again, you can do it using the audio controls.
Then, edit the speaker's name (and each time the speaker appears by checking the box “Change all speakers”) and the text of that section. When I finish, click on the “Checkmark”.
Once you have edited the content of the transcript, click on “Add all to document”.
The audio file and text of the transcription will be added to the Word document.
Although it is not perfect, this function can save you a lot of time, especially if the audio speaker speaks clearly.
