Improving Audio Quality

In this article, we talk about how to improve the audio quality of your videos and recordings, so that you can get the best possible results from CaptionSync.

The quality and accuracy of your transcripts and captions depend mostly on the quality of the audio you submit to us. Poor audio quality can cause poor transcription results and sync issues in the captions. But improving your recording circumstances can be really easy, for example, by simply using lapel mics which can capture in a clear way what the speaker says. On the other hand, you want the equipment to capture what a speaker says, but not the background noise, the echo, and other sound effects. So, when choosing your equipment and location, be mindful of how you can capture what each speaker says, while trying to reduce the background noise and extraneous sounds.

Improving the recording conditions:

Here are some tips on how to improve your equipment and recording conditions:

• Have the speakers use lapel mics, or other near-field microphones. These microphones allow you to capture what the speaker says in a clear way, while reducing the background noise that is recorded.
• Ensure all speakers are mic'ed. A lapel mic will not capture what the audience is saying. Have a portable microphone for audience members to use when asking questions, or ask the primary speaker to repeat their questions or comments.
• Don't rely on ceiling microphones. If you can't use near-field microphones, the Acoustic Magic Voice Tracker I is recommended by customers as a good alternative. 
• If you need to record audio for an outdoors event, consider having all the speakers use lapel mics or hand-held wireless mics. If the recording can take place indoors instead, consider relocating the speakers to a building or a place where the background noise is less prevalent.
• If your recording has a lot of background and extraneous noise, consider using an audio editing tool to remove it, as much as possible.

Improving the final transcription and captioning results:

CaptionSync has several tools and features that allow you to improve the transcription and captioning results, at submission time or after results are generated:

• If you have technical or specific content, you can select a Transcription Preference for your submissions, so that the requests are routed to transcribers with expertise in the subject. For such content, we also recommend submitting the video asset, instead of just an audio version of the media file.

• You can provide the transcribers with guidance, or add a Persistent Note to your account, and supply them with a glossary of terms, foreign names, or a link to relevant material (like the course webpage, a movie, or a .pptx file).

• You can select the "Customer Reviews Transcript Before Captioning" option, saved as default under the Advanced Settings, in your CaptionSync account. This means you can review and approve each transcript before captions are generated.

• You can use our free editing tools to make small corrections to existing submissions and generate new results: the Online Caption Editor or the Redo feature.

• If you have a lot of material that has poor quality audio, you can purchase our Result Review service. This service focuses mainly on the synchronization of the captions, and it employs trained reviewers to add extra sync markers and ensure captions are synchronized with your media file.

What if I need to submit Audio of poor Quality?

If you have to submit audio of poor quality, whether due to poor recording conditions, or significant background noise, we'll still going to make every possible effort to transcribe it. But note that difficult audio takes longer and requires more resources to transcribe. When we receive poor-quality audio, and the transcriber is unable to provide a transcript that meets our quality specifications, the submission will be rejected and you will be notified.

Our transcription manager will then assess the audio content and try multiple transcribers, to see if a transcript can be generated. If this process fails, then a Difficult Audio option will be presented to you. We have a pool of transcribers who are capable of transcribing more difficult recordings, but this takes considerably more time and cost. If you approve the additional costs of routing the submission to this specialty pool, we will re-attempt to get the content transcribed. If you don't approve, the submission will stay as rejected and you will not be billed for any services. You can always resubmit a media file with improved audio using, for example, an audio editing tool.