Efficient Transcription Practice Methods (with Recommended Exercises)

How do you improve your transcription skills?

If you're asking yourself that question, this article will explain how to practice transcription (and audio transcription).

• I want to train my transcription skills.
• I'm thinking of starting transcription as a side hustle, but I have no idea where to begin learning.
• Tell me tips for efficient practice and recommended texts/websites!

This content is perfect for people with these questions.

When people hear "transcription training," many can't visualize the actual job details and tend to think, "I just need to improve my typing speed."

However, if you blindly try to improve only your typing skills without understanding the actual workflow and detailed rules, your learning efficiency will be poor, and you'll never acquire "usable know-how."

Therefore, this article explains efficient practice methods to acquire marketable transcription skills step-by-step.

We'll also introduce recommended texts (books, courses) and useful websites for each step, so by reading this article, you should be able to efficiently acquire the necessary knowledge and skills and start earning in a short period. Please read to the end.

Transcription (Audio Transcription) Practice Methods: 3 Steps

Efficient transcription practice involves these three steps:

1. Learn the transcription workflow
2. Improve typing skills
3. Repeated practical exercises

Let's explain each in detail.

[STEP 1] Learn the Transcription Workflow

Before improving your transcription skills, first gain basic knowledge about the job of "transcription (audio transcription)."

Specifically, if you can't clearly explain the meaning and differences of:

• Verbatim transcription
• "Kebatori" (removing filler words)
• Text regularization

then you should learn the fundamentals of transcription before trying to hone your skills.

Even if you're already doing transcription work as a side job, you should review it, including your workflow.

The most comprehensive source for this know-how is qualification exam reference books and practice questions. (Though it costs a bit) Dedicated correspondence courses for audio transcription are also recommended for efficient learning.

[STEP 2] Improve Typing Skills

It goes without saying that typing skills contribute the most to efficient transcription work.

If you can type at the same speed as the audio playback, you won't need to constantly pause or rewind. And if you make fewer typos, you'll save time on corrections.

Recently, more typing tools have emerged that make learning feel like a game, and many free tools are available, so try to find one that suits you.

As a tip for improvement, focus on "accuracy" rather than "speed" initially, aiming to type without mistakes.

[STEP 3] Repeated Practical Exercises

Once you've acquired basic transcription knowledge, understood the workflow, and developed a certain level of typing skill, it's all about practical application.

The quickest way is to immediately start taking jobs on crowdsourcing sites, but if you're still a bit unsure, it's recommended to prepare audio data for practice and simulate transcription work.

If you look around a bit, you'll find plenty of usable audio sources, such as video sites, audiobooks, narration software, and Zoom recordings.

Once you're comfortable with transcription work and feel confident, gradually start challenging yourself with actual jobs.

5 Recommended Transcription (Audio Transcription) Books & Courses [with Practice Questions]

Transcription Skills Test Official Textbook Revised Edition

This is the official textbook for the dedicated transcription exam, the "Transcription Skills Test."

It not only teaches specialized knowledge useful for actual work but also includes two mock exams.

Audio data can also be downloaded, so you should acquire a comprehensive set of skills with just this one book.

Transcription Skills Test Official Textbook Revised Edition

Audio Transcription Skills Test Past Question Collection

This question collection contains three past exam questions and answers from the Transcription Skills Test (formerly: Audio Transcription Skills Test).

The answers and explanations are fully compatible with both newspaper and shorthand notation, making it a very useful textbook.

The ability to download and use audio data for practice, allowing for a realistic test experience, is also an attractive feature.

Audio Transcription Skills Test Past Question Collection 1

Transcription & Audio Transcription Immediate Skill Drill

This book is perfect for anyone who wants to start transcription (audio transcription) as a side job!

The advice, backed by the author's 10 years of experience working as a home-based audio transcriber, is very engaging as a read and motivates learning.

As the title "Drill" suggests, this book also includes practice questions. It has a different flavor from official question collections, so it's recommended to combine them for learning.

Start Home-Based Work/Side Job Utilizing Your Love for Language: Transcription & Audio Transcription Immediate Skill Drill

Tanomana Audio Transcription Course

This is a specialized audio transcription course operated by Human Academy, a major correspondence education provider.

The estimated study period is 60-80 hours. The curriculum is aligned with the "Audio Transcriber Qualification Examination," and obtaining the qualification serves as a learning motivation.

A key point is that a certificate is issued after completing the course, and employment support is also provided.

For Home-Based Work and Side Jobs! Audio Transcription Course | Tanomana Correspondence Courses

Gakubun Tape Writer Training Course

This is Gakubun's tape transcription technician training course, from a major correspondence course provider.

The seven practical assignments include one-on-one feedback from a dedicated instructor. Of course, employment support is also provided.

The price is a bit higher than Tanomana's course, but Gakubun's courses allow for cancellation (return) if the materials don't suit you, even after they arrive, so feel free to apply.

Tape Writer (Audio Transcriber) Training Course ≪Correspondence Education and Courses from Gakubun≫

3 Recommended Typing Training Tools [Websites/Software]

e-typing

This is Japan's largest typing practice site, with over 1 million registered members.

It's characterized by categorizing content by genre, such as "Business," "Study," and "Life." You can learn business etiquette and life hacks while training your typing skills.

There's also a page for English typing, so why not challenge yourself if you have time?

e-typing

Sushida

If you want a more game-like typing training experience, this site is recommended.

The mechanism involves quickly typing words to match the revolving sushi plates and competing to see "how much you can eat." Rankings are displayed, which helps maintain motivation.

The same site offers other unique games like "Prefecture Capital Typing" and "Fish Typing," so if you get bored, try those too.

Sushida

Tokucha Heroes Detective Conan

While the number of PC typing software has decreased compared to before, this one boasts enduring popularity.

This software offers 11 types of typing games inspired by "Detective Conan," such as "Code Breaking" and "Skateboard." The difficulty can be adjusted, making it enjoyable for Conan fans of all ages without getting bored.

Since it's an installable type, it's convenient to use even without an internet connection (internet is required for license activation).

Typing Software "Tokucha Heroes Detective Conan"

3 Sites to Get Transcription (Audio Transcription) Practice Audio Material [Free/Paid]

YouTube

YouTube hosts numerous videos perfect for transcription practice, including talks, seminars, lectures, and interviews.

Recently, the demand for transcribing YouTube videos has also increased, making it ideal for training with that in mind. Playback speed can also be adjusted, so even beginners can give it a try.

※Caution: Do not unauthorizedly create videos or upload transcribed text to blogs.

YouTube

Udemy

If you want to learn something new while practicing transcription, this site is recommended.

Udemy is one of the world's largest online learning platforms, where you can purchase video courses on various topics like programming and business know-how. Choosing a video course in a genre you want to learn kills two birds with one stone.

Most are paid, but some free courses are available. There's also a 30-day money-back guarantee, so feel free to give it a try.

Udemy

Aozora Roudoku

If you love literature, this is also recommended.

This amazing site offers free audio readings of over 800 works uploaded to Aozora Bunko. Since the original text is available on Aozora Bunko, it's easy to check your answers.

There are also smartphone/tablet apps. Even if it's not related to transcription, if you're a novel lover, you should definitely download it.

Aozora Roudoku

Consider Using AI Transcription

So far, we've introduced efficient practice methods for transcription (audio transcription).

While practice makes transcription faster and faster, there's actually an even easier and quicker method.

That's automatic transcription services using the latest AI.

With AI transcription, you just upload audio or video files, and it automatically transcribes them, eliminating the need to type everything out yourself.

If you want even more efficient transcription, why not try an AI transcription service like 'Mojiokoshi-san'?

Summary

This time, we explained efficient practice methods for transcription (audio transcription).

Not just for transcription, but for any learning or training, you should always combine "theory" and "practice."

The reasons are as follows:

• Theory alone leads to being overly theoretical, and you won't acquire truly usable skills.
• Conversely, practice alone results in poor learning efficiency due to a lack of underlying knowledge.
• Above all, doing the same thing repeatedly gets boring.

Even if self-study hasn't lasted for you before, try combining the books and websites introduced in this article to efficiently learn new skills.

With the side hustle boom, more and more people are entering the transcription field every day. If you procrastinate, you might fall behind!

■ AI transcription service "Mr. Transscription"

"Mr. Transcription" is an online transcription tool that can be used from zero initial cost and 1,000 yen per month (* free version available).

• Supports more than 20 file formats such as audio, video, and images
• Can be used from both PC and smartphone
• Supports technical terms such as medical care, IT, and long-term care
• Supports creation of subtitle files and speaker separation
• Supports transcription in approximately 100 languages ​​including English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, French, Italian, etc.

To use it, just upload the audio file from the site. Transcription text is available in seconds to tens of minutes.
You can use it for free if you transcribe it for up to 10 minutes, so please try it once.

It is "Mr. Transcription" who can easily transcribe from audio, video, and images. Transcription allows you to transcribe for up to 10 minutes for free. You can copy, download, search, delete, etc. the transcribed text. You can also create subtitle files, which is ideal for transcription of interview videos.

HP: mojiokoshi3.com
Email: mojiokoshi3.com@gmail.com