Remember when we didn’t know what Zoom was? Way back in 2019? Now it’s a pretty common part of most of everyone’s life, whether they are having a book club get together or a business meeting. But people often forget about Zoom transcription, and this is an important component of your meeting. So read on and make sure to include transcription for your next Zoom meeting.
This post has been updated in September 2021.
We have to ask – What is Zoom?
Ok, we know this is a silly question, but we have to. So what is Zoom? As we mentioned, just a couple of years ago, you remember in that pre-pandemic world when we all wore pants with buttons and zippers, most of us had never heard of Zoom, much less used it. Now it’s a common practice in everyday life, from school to dates to collaborations. And at this point, it’s a staple on our phones and laptops for most of us. “Let’s schedule a Zoom” is as common a phrase as “let’s do lunch” once was.
Zoom is a video communication platform that has become the go-to for most businesses. Businesses and schools use it regularly, as do families, friends, and even people on first dates. According to Business Insider, Zoom is a cloud-based video communications app where you can set up virtual video and audio conferencing and webinars, screen-sharing, live chats, along with other collaborative possibilities. We’d be amiss not to mention that its popularity soared during the coronavirus pandemic, but we see bet it’s going to stick around long after this pandemic is behind us.
The basics of Zoom are quite easy to master, like logging on or setting up a call. You can mute yourself or not even be onscreen if you don’t want to. As you need more, the platform offers more advanced options, as well as things you can apply on your own, like waiting rooms and passwords. Due to numerous accounts of Zoom bombing, most calls are invite-only/password protected now.
So whether you are connected to a corporation, a small business, just a great group of friends, or simply your grandma, you’re probably already on Zoom. If not, you probably should be. Sure, the pandemic is winding down in some areas, but video conferencing seems to be just winding up.
Zoom is convenient, accessible, and easy to navigate. And when you include a Zoom transcription, you’ll be all set. So wherever you are, as long as you have a device with Zoom capability, you can connect with your people. With a transcription of the meeting, you’ll be able to refer to long after you say your goodbyes.
Now let’s talk about transcription
Transcription, simply put, is taking audio and putting it into written text. We know that sounds simple, and sure, it is. But it’s also way more than this. As we see in the article, Transcription Outsourcing: A Guide to Getting What You Deserve, from our own Bunny Library, transcription shouldn’t really be quite that simple. Yes, it’s taking audio and putting it into written text. But a lot more goes with that. For instance,
- Formatting – A good transcription pro will make sure the work is in an appropriate format. With Zoom transcription, there may be a number of different people talking, so the format has to be clear and deliberate so when looking at it, it’s easy to determine who is speaking.
- Proofreading – Again, a good transcriptionist will take the time to proofread their work. This isn’t to say they’ll make grammatical corrections and change the way things are said, but they’ll make sure the transcription is clear and easy to follow, with no mistakes of its own. Proofreading should include spacing, spelling, punctuation, you know, all the good stuff.
- Neat, clean copies – Because transcripts are written works, they need to look good. That goes with formatting but it also goes with presentation and attachment to other integral pieces.
The importance of Zoom transcription
Are you wondering why it’s so important to transcribe a Zoom meeting? After all, there is a built-in record mode. So why not just share the recorded meeting for anyone interested? Sure, you could, but it’s not going to hit like a transcription will. And here’s why:
- Many people retain material much better when they see it, rather than hear it. You know, the visual learners. When they have a Zoom transcription, they can go back and refer to parts of the meeting. Maybe they’ll do this for clarification or for reminders or even for reactions. It’s easy enough to have a written document to quickly look through or to sit down and study.
- A transcription makes it easy to search and refer to specific parts. People can skip what’s not relevant to them and find what is. They can take out certain parts to use in other material, as well, while referencing the meeting itself.
- You can also choose a clean or a verbatim transcript. These two types of transcripts may be used for different purposes, but when you work with a translation service, you can request one over the other. A verbatim transcript is going to include every word. Every Word. This means stutters and umms and hmms, as well as greetings and goodbyes. But it gives you a complete image of the Zoom call. A clean transcription, on the other hand, is well, cleaned up. The extraneous words and verbal filler are removed to leave a clean, concise, yet thorough and complete transcript. A professional transcriptionist can make these determinations while creating your Zoom transcription.
- A transcription can work with other documents pertaining to the topic. Perhaps you have a Zoom call to discuss the new plans for a landscape project. The Zoom transcription can go along with the design plans for the landscaping. You can include other written documents like budgets, proposals, and lists of materials. With the Zoom meeting in written format, it will all be easily accessible to the entire team.
Hiring a professional transcriber for your Zoom meetings
It’s awesome that Zoom has a record button, but that really isn’t enough when you want a written document. With all the above reasons, you can see why it’s important to have that written material. But who is going to do the transcribing, you may be asking yourself. The good news is that you can hire a professional transcriber and even someone who specializes in Zoom meetings.
Why hire a professional?
A professional Zoom transcription pro can get your transcription just how you want it. Think formatting, delivery, verbatim or clean…a pro can do it all. You’re also not taking one of your employees, or yourself for that matter, away from other work they specialize in. Transcription can be much more difficult and intense than people realize, so a professional is a great idea.
But what about the transcription software, doesn’t that work? Sure, it works. But let’s call that a relative term. A professional will get all the nuances right regarding your Zoom meeting. They’ll format the document and deliver it in a professional sense. They’ll know when to make adjustments and know when to leave words just as they are. So if you are looking for a strong Zoom transcription, in just the right format and free of mistakes, look to a professional Zoom transcription pro.
Some skills to look for in your pro
When searching for that Zoom transcriber, you should keep your eye out for certain skills and professional attributes. Here is what we recommend:
- Look for a Zoom transcription expert with proven experience. Don’t just go with your friend’s college kid who says they’re great at taking notes in lectures. You want a pro who has specific Zoom transcription experience and a background in transcription.
- Check out references or client reviews. These are great ways to how well the pro worked with previous clients. Make sure to look into that they meet deadlines, act professionally, and adhere to guidelines and client parameters.
- Detail-oriented is a great thing. Attention to detail leads to smart and thorough proofreading. Even if the transcription is word for word, spelling or punctuation errors can ruin it. A thorough proofread with great grammatical and spelling skills to catch any mistake is always necessary for the best transcription.
- Professionalism is all-important. Professionalism means listening to what you need and giving you that. The pro should take into account everything from how you want it formatted to when you want the deliverable, and how you want it transcribed. They should also be amenable to reasonable revisions as long as they were agreed upon beforehand.
We can help!
Check out our transcription pros at Bunny Studio. We have just the pros for your Zoom transcription needs, and we only work with top-rated, top-notch professionals. You can choose from our experts or we can help the best one for you. We’ll set a team up for you to follow along every step of the way.
The takeaway on Zoom transcription
Zoom transcription is a beneficial way to record and share your meeting notes, agenda, and the meeting itself. By hiring a professional Zoom transcriber, you’ll get the job done right. Once you have the transcription, you can share it with your team, your clients, or anyone else who needs it. When you work with a Bunny pro, the job will be done right and done quickly. Because Zoom has the record feature, it’s easy enough to get the job done, your part is to make sure the job is done right.
All you have to do regarding that is reach out to us at Bunny Studio to hire a transcriber. Let’s get this done the right way.
After all, though the pandemic may be on its way out, we’re pretty sure that Zoom is here to stay.
