How to Transcribe Interviews Efficiently in 2025: Tools, Tips & Real Examples

Remember those painful hours spent typing out recorded conversations word-by-word, rewinding constantly to catch what someone said? Those days are now ancient history thanks to remarkable advances in transcription technology. What used to eat up your entire afternoon can now be completed during a coffee break, without the wrist pain or eye strain that made transcription such a dreaded task.

This article covers everything from AI-powered tools that automatically identify speakers to smart devices that generate instant summaries across 112+ languages, completely transforming how we turn spoken conversations into written documents.

What is an interview transcript?

An interview transcript is a written document that captures every word spoken in an interview conversation. It takes spoken words and puts them into written form, along with questions, answers, pauses, and sometimes non-verbal communication. The main purpose of transcription is to create a permanent, searchable document that enables easier analysis of information, precise quoting, and content sharing with others who were not involved in the original conversation.

4 Types of interview transcription

There are several methods of transcribing an interview, each of which serves different purposes:

• Verbatim transcription captures everything word-for-word, including filler words ("um," "uh"), false starts, repetitions, and non-verbal sounds like laughter or sighs. It is used in legal settings or in precise research where all subtleties matter.
• Clean verbatim (or "intelligent verbatim") removes most of the filler words and repetitions without changing the speaker's exact meaning and personal speaking style. This more readable version is the norm for business and journalism.
• Edited transcription further refines the text by correcting grammar and removing tangents while maintaining accuracy. This is a standard approach for content that will be published or widely distributed.
• Summary transcription provides the summary of the interview in points rather than taking down each and every word, which is useful in getting the overall ideas when verbatim is not required.

Both are useful according to your needs - whether you need legal preciseness, research details, publishing content, or merely the overview ideas of a conversation.

When and why you need to transcribe interviews？

Interview transcription serves many different purposes across many disciplines, and it continues to be an important aid for those practitioners who rely on accurate documentation of interviews.

Academic research

Researchers transcribe interviews to create permanent records of their qualitative data. Transcription allows them to analyze patterns, code responses, and extract quotes for publications. It also enables research teams to share interview content with colleagues who weren't present during data collection. Most importantly, transcripts provide a verifiable trail of evidence that supports research conclusions.

Journalism and media

Reporters utilize transcripts to help them get accuracy in quoting sources within stories or broadcasts. With a complete transcript, there is no misquoting, and reporters can refer back to discussions to extract more material for future stories. Podcasters and content creators utilize transcripts to make audio content searchable and accessible.

Legal and medical fields

In the legal field, transcripts of interviews for depositions, witnesses, and clients are critical documents in case preparation. Physicians tape-record patient interviews in order to maintain complete files, such as clinical notes, for treatment processes and also to refer to other treating doctors. For both professions, accuracy is significant, as these transcripts may affect crucial decisions.

Business and human resources

Companies tape-record job interviews in order to compare candidates objectively and to protect themselves against discrimination claims. Marketing departments tape-record customer interviews to gather feedback for product development. Executive teams use transcripts of strategic meetings to ensure that all stakeholders have the same understanding of decisions and action items. These business applications improve communication clarity and ensure accountability.

How to transcribe an interview manually in 4 steps？

1. Preparation: organizing files and expectations

Before you start transcribing, get yourself ready for success. Create a folder for your audio file and transcript document. Label them clearly with the date and interviewee. Decide what type of transcription you need (verbatim, clean, or edited) based on your use. Be realistic—professional transcribers typically take 4-5 hours to transcribe one hour of good-quality audio, so be gentle with yourself.

2. Listening techniques and shortcut keys

Use good headphones to listen clearly to each word. Play audio in short segments of 5-10 seconds, and then stop to note down what you heard. Learn handy keyboard shortcuts like play/pause (often the space bar), a rapid rewind of a few seconds (often Alt+left arrow), and slow down (software-dependent). Transcription software like Express Scribe or oTranscribe can make this step easier with foot pedal functionality and automatic short rewinds.

3. Editing, speaker tags, and time stamps

Label each speaker distinctly throughout your transcript—e.g., "Interviewer:" and "Respondent:" or by initials. Add timestamps every few minutes (e.g., [05:23]), so it is simple to find specific points in the audio later. For longer interviews, add paragraph breaks where topics change to make it easier to read.

4. Final formatting and QA checklist

Once you've completed the first draft, conduct a quality check. Play your audio again at regular speed and compare it with your transcript. Correct any mistakes, double-check names and technical phrases for spelling, and verify that your speaker indicators are uniform. Print your document using a clear, readable font, good space between speakers, and a heading including interview information (date, participants, reason). Save your file in various formats (DOCX and PDF) and back it up to avoid losing all your efforts.

Modern tools that make transcription faster & smarter

Why manual transcription is inefficient?

Manual transcription is painfully time-consuming - typing out a one-hour interview often takes 4-6 hours of work. This process leads to sore wrists, eye strain, and frustration when you mishear words or struggle with background noise. Not to mention the tedious task of rewinding repeatedly to catch unclear phrases. When you're facing tight deadlines or multiple interviews, the manual approach simply doesn't scale.

How PLAUD saves time and boosts accuracy？

PLAUD's recording and transcription tools transform this outdated process with smart technology:

1. Hands-free recording via Plaud Note & Plaud NotePin: The credit card-sized Plaud Note and wearable NotePin capture crystal-clear audio without requiring you to manage recording apps. The Plaud Note features dual-pickup technology for precise recording, while the lightweight NotePin can be worn as a necklace, wristband, clip, or pin - perfect for on-the-go professionals.
2. AI speaker detection and summary: The PLAUD device identifies different speakers in your recording and labels them in the transcript. Powered by GPT-4o and Claude 3.7 Sonnet, it not only transcribes your audio but also generates summaries to help you quickly grasp the key points without reading the entire transcript.
3. Custom templates: The PLAUD device offers professional templates designed for different interview scenarios, whether you're conducting academic research, a job interview, or a podcast recording. These templates help organize your transcripts consistently and professionally across all your projects.

With 112 supported languages and 64GB of storage on the Plaud Note, these tools handle everything from quick one-on-one conversations to day-long interview sessions without breaking a sweat.

How to transcribe interviews with PLAUD: a quick guide?

Now, it is quicker than ever before to obtain error-free transcripts with PLAUD. The process consumes just minutes, not hours, and does not require technical skill or expensive software.

Step 1: Set up PLAUD app & device

Download the PLAUD app from your application store and create an account. Turn on your Plaud Note or NotePin device and connect it to your phone using the app. You will have the setup wizard guide you to attach your device and set recording preferences to accommodate your needs.

Step 2: Record your interview

For in-person interviews, place your PLAUD device between you and the interviewee or clip your NotePin on for easier access. Press the record button once to start recording audio. For remote interviews, place your PLAUD device near your phone's speaker or computer audio port. The device is offline, so no internet connection is required during recording.

Step 3: Auto-transcription + AI summary

After recording, connect your PLAUD device to the app, and your audio files will transfer automatically. Enable PLAUD Private Cloud Sync to sync your data across app and web platforms for multi-device access. Select your interview recording and choose from various summary templates designed for different scenarios, including interview-specific options.

The speaker identification is performed by the AI system, and a summary of the key points is compiled. For longer interviews, you'll see these highlights organized by subject.

Step 4: Customize output

Review your transcript in the app and edit anything required. Include speaker names if they weren't automatically detected. You can edit both the summary and the transcribed text after recording.

FAQs About interview transcription

Do I need consent to transcribe interviews?

Yes, interview transcription permission is typically needed both legally and ethically. The requirements vary by jurisdiction:

• In one-party consent jurisdictions/countries (e.g., some US states), only one party to the conversation needs to agree to the record. However, in jurisdictions involving two-party or all-party consent, all the participants need to be notified and agree to the record.
• In workplace settings, the best practice is to ask interviewees to sign a consent form detailing how the recording and transcription will be used. This protects both parties and ensures transparency.
• Consent conditions are in place to fulfill legal requirements, protect participant rights, and maintain ethical standards in research and workplace settings.
• Federal law typically requires one-party consent under FCC rules in the US, but state law occasionally requires all-party consent, so corporations must comply with stricter requirements.

Can AI accurately identify speakers?

Speaker recognition technology using AI has improved enormously but is still not perfect:

• State-of-the-art AI transcription technology can deliver up to 99% accuracy on good audio using proprietary speech recognition models, though this typically equates to word accuracy rather than specifically speaker identification.
• Good speaker identification remains challenging for AI. The technology can track who says what in conversation with good reliability, but it is not yet perfect and occasionally misidentifies speakers, especially in complex audio situations.
• For research purposes, conversation intelligence systems now incorporate more sophisticated speaker identification capabilities that work across various accents and qualities of audio, though manual verification remains recommended for high-risk uses.
• By 2025, researchers can expect more sophisticated tools with greater accuracy and speed, but infallible speaker identification remains an emerging technology challenge.
  

What's the best format for storing transcripts?

The optimal format for storing interview transcripts depends on your specific needs:

• PDF is generally considered more user-friendly than audio or video files for long-term storage and sharing, offering a balance between accessibility and preservation of formatting.
• For formatting consistency, experts recommend choosing a standard font and size (such as Arial or Times New Roman, 12pt) with 1.5 or double line spacing for better readability.
• Best practices include clear speaker identification (usually "I:" for interviewer, "R:" for respondent, or using actual names) and including a header with date, time, and participant information.
• When creating transcripts, ensure accuracy, maintain clarity, use consistent formatting throughout, include appropriate speaker tags, and pay attention to non-verbal cues when relevant to the research context.

Upgrade your interview transcription today - save hours, not minutes

Interview transcription has completely transformed. What used to take hours of typing is now accomplished in minutes with the help of AI tools like PLAUD. Such emerging tools are actually very precise, can identify different speakers, and even provide instant summaries of your conversations.

Whether you're researching, interviewing for articles, or recording business conferences, these new transcription methods will make your work much easier. Say goodbye to time-consuming hand-typing! You'll get more done, your fingers won't protest, and meeting deadlines will be much less stressful. Try an AI transcription tool today and see the difference for yourself.