Transcription Toolbox

It’s time to talk about what tools you’ll need to get started.

Please download our software guide here: Download Software Guide

Now, we’ll talk about what tools are essential for starting out, and tools you might want to invest in once you have a contract.

Remember, that in transcription, time can mean money. So, the trick to buying equipment is to invest in things that can help your productivity, so that you can earn more money.

Let’s start with the essential tools for starting out. These are all items that will be used in this course. The first thing you’ll need is a laptop or desktop computer. You may need an extra keyboard if you use a laptop or for ergonomic reasons. First, make sure you have a high-speed internet connection so that downloading files is quick and easy.

You’ll need to grab a pair of headphones for when you start practicing audio. Listening to audio from your computer speakers is more difficult than listening through headphones. You’ll also make more mistakes. Your first set doesn’t have to be a fancy-schmancy £100 pair. My first pair of headphones was a set of £10 earbuds from Walmart.

They worked fine until I was ready to upgrade. An audio player. You’ll need an audio player, such as Express Scribe.

We’ll have you download the free version of Express Scribe. There is also a paid version of Express Scribe. Other free audio players include FTW Transcriber and the FTR Player. We won’t be using them in this course. You’ll need a word processing program.

How To Download Express Scribe:

1. Open the following website

2. Download the free version of Express Scribe

3. Next, we will need to load our audio file into Express Scribe. Remember, you cannot upload an audio file that is inside a ZIP folder. This means, that when you get an audio file that has a .zip format, you will need to convert this into an mp3 file. To do this, locate your Audio file, right click on it and select “Extract All”.

This will create an unzipped version of the file, which you can then use to upload into Express Scribe.

Most transcription companies use Microsoft Word, and we’ll be working extensively within Microsoft Word in this course. There is a version of Microsoft Word available online for free, but be prepared to purchase Word when you are testing with companies or have landed a contract.

So, here are some tools to invest in once you’ve landed the contract. We’ll start with the hardware. A foot pedal is one of the first purchases you should make when you’ve landed a contract. Foot pedals help you type faster by keeping your hands on your keyboard. The faster that you are able to type, the more money you can make. Most audio players have built-in keyboard hotkeys which are handy but are still slower than a foot pedal.

Grab some mid-quality or high-quality headphones. After some time using my earbuds, we recommend investing in Koss PortaPro headphones. These are mid-quality headphones that are better than old earbuds. I know many transcriptionists that also like more expensive headphones, such as Bose headphones. An ergonomic keyboard.

Many transcribers mainly transcribe on a laptop but use an extra keyboard to make it easier on the wrists while you type. An extra monitor.

This one is optional, but having a second monitor is great. It’s very handy to jump back and forth between screens when researching terms online.

A backup. Many transcriptionists have backup keyboards, foot pedals, etc. so that if their equipment breaks down, they are able to still work. Create a plan for if your equipment, especially your computer, breaks down, and then purchase items using your plan.

Now, we’re ready to talk about software to invest in. At some point, especially if you’re doing any video files, you’ll need to upgrade to the Professional version of Express Scribe or another audio player, such as Transcription Buddy.

A text expander. Text expanders let you use shortcuts for words and phrases so that you type fewer keystrokes. When you’re getting started, you can use Microsoft Word’s built-in AutoCorrect, which we’ll go over in this course.

If you want to expand your capabilities, you can use paid expander programs like ShortKeys, PhraseExpress, or Instant Text.

Some tools I have used and some I have not. Remember to do your own research on everything you buy so that it’s something that fits your needs and budget.

Also, typing for hours and hours can take its toll on your body, so invest in chairs, desks, keyboards, etc. that are ergonomic, even if they cost a bit more upfront. Your body will thank you. So, there are the basic tools in your transcriptionist toolbox. Let’s get ready to start practicing with some audio