What Tools Do You Need For Transcribing?
As with any career, not only do you need to be skilled in your profession you also need to ensure that you have the right tools for the job. After all you wouldn’t be a mechanic without having your own set of tools to be able to fix a car.
So we have broken down the tools that a transcriber needs to do their job into two categories: Need to have and Nice to have.
Need to have:
- Headphones
- A keyboard
- A quiet space to work in, ideally an office or room where you are free from distractions
- Word processing software
- Good internet connection
- Transcription software
Nice to have:
- Noise-cancelling headphones, though not essential these can be costly which is why they are in the nice to have category
- A transcription pedal, this will help you navigate through audio files with your feet. However if you just starting out in this career it would be better to invest in it later once you have ensured it is the career for you
- Time tracking software, this will ensure accuracy of how long you spend on each audio file
How to select the right headphones?
Your headphones are probably one of the most important tools you will need, so it is important to select the right ones. If you have the budget for it then we would highly recommend noise cancelling ones as it will make a big difference.
- Comfort – As you will be wearing them for most of your working day, comfort is your number one priority
- Noise cancelling quality – Can you hear lots of noise from the rest of your environment, would the noise prevent or distract you from transcribing?
- USB Plug
Final thoughts
Remember, it is extremely important to have all the tools in place before you embark on you transcription career, after all you wouldn’t build a house without brick, concrete, sand, cement and all the tools that go with building.