How to transcribe live conversations or recorded audio in Microsoft Word

(Pocket-lint) - Microsoft offers a transcription diagnostic successful Word for the web, providing an casual mode to automatically transcribe audio.

What is Transcribe successful Word?

Transcribe successful Word enables transcriptions of pre-recorded oregon unrecorded audio. It appears successful the online mentation of Word for Microsoft 365 subscribers.

The diagnostic supports existing audio and video files oregon the quality to straight grounds conversations and person them automatically transcribed. Microsoft’s AI volition adjacent abstracted speakers and organise the speech into sections that you tin easy edit and insert into a Word document.

How does Transcribe successful Word work?

Transcribe successful Word tin seizure immoderate audio from your PC, which means you tin usage it to transcribe everything from Zoom meetings to YouTube videos. Word volition besides seizure your ain audio from your PC’s mic. Keep successful mind, erstwhile capturing unrecorded audio, you tin dictate things similar “smiley face” oregon “heart emoji” to person those accurately transcribed. (See this article for a database of each the dependable commands.)

If you privation to transcribe audio oregon video that you’ve pre-recorded elsewhere, Transcribe successful Word volition enactment up to 200MB of MP3, WAV, M4A, oregon MP4 files. Processing clip for the transcription volition vary, of course. You volition besides beryllium constricted to 5 hours per period for uploaded audio.

For audio recorded wrong Word connected the web, determination is nary transcription limit.

Transcribe unrecorded audio

You tin grounds and transcribe unrecorded audio straight successful Word for web portion taking notes successful the canvas. Word transcribes successful the inheritance arsenic you record; you won't spot substance connected the leafage arsenic you would erstwhile dictating. You'll spot the transcript aft you prevention and transcribe the recording.

1. Make definite you’re signed successful to Microsoft 365, utilizing Microsoft Edge oregon Chrome.
2. Go to Home > Dictate dropdown > Transcribe.
3. Select Start recording.
4. If it’s your archetypal clip transcribing, springiness the browser support to usage your mic.
5. Look for the intermission icon to beryllium outlined successful bluish and the timestamp to fto you cognize signaling has begun.
6. Start talking oregon statesman a speech with different person. Speak clearly.
   • Leave the Transcribe pane unfastened portion recording.
   • Pause signaling by selecting the intermission icon.
   • Resume signaling by selecting the microphone icon.
7. When finished, prime  Save and transcribe now to prevention your signaling to OneDrive.
   • The transcription process volition commencement and whitethorn instrumentality a while.
   • Keep the Transcribe pane unfastened portion the transcription is being made.
8. The recordings volition beryllium stored successful the Transcribed Files folder connected OneDrive.

Transcribe pre-recorded audio

You tin upload a pre-recorded audio record and past transcribe the recording.

1. Make definite you’re signed successful to Microsoft 365, utilizing Microsoft Edge oregon Chrome.
2. Go to Home > Dictate dropdown > Transcribe.
3. Select Upload audio.
4. Choose an audio record from the record picker.
   • Transcription whitethorn instrumentality a portion depending connected your net speed.
   • Be definite to support the Transcribe pane unfastened portion the transcription is happening.

Edit your transcript

Your transcript volition look alongside the Word document, implicit with the recording. If you privation to pull, for instance, a punctuation from it, click the positive icon connected immoderate enactment of the transcript and the nonstop punctuation volition beryllium inserted. Alternatively, if you privation to nonstop the full transcript to someone, you tin simply click “add each to document” and past your afloat transcript volition beryllium laid retired successful Word.

For much ways connected however you tin edit and interact with your transcript, cheque retired Microsoft's enactment leafage here.

Do you request a Microsoft 365 subscription?

Yes. Microsoft is limiting Transcription successful Word to Microsoft 365 subscribers.

Which languages are supported?

English is the lone supported connection astatine launch.

Want to cognize more?

Check retired Microsoft's blog post astir Transcribe successful Word.

Writing by Maggie Tillman. Originally published connected 27 August 2020.