Audio and Video Transcripts
Adding a transcript makes your audio and video content accessible to a wider audience of people who cannot, or choose not to, listen to the audio.
In This Article
What is a Transcript?
A transcript provides a text version of the content in an audio or video file.
Primary Audience
People who are deaf, are hard of hearing, or prefer to read a written transcript instead of listening to the audio (e.g., people who have difficulty processing information at a prescribed pace or people who cannot watch a video in their current environment). For people who are both deaf and blind and use a Braille reader, descriptive transcripts are the only way to experience video content.
Experience
In the audio or video player, you can tap the Transcript button to read the transcript in a new screen in addition to or instead of listening to the audio.
For more on the importance of including transcripts for accessibility, see W3C: Transcripts.
Transcript Tips
- Break long chunks of text into short paragraphs of 2-3 sentences.
- Transcribe all speech verbatim.
- Don’t correct the speaker's use of language, paraphrase, add extra detail, or introduce abbreviations. You can cut excessive interjections (like “um”) if they’re distracting.
- Use rich text formatting, like bold or italics, to indicate spoken emphasis or different speakers.
- Spell-check and check names of key people, places, artworks, etc.
- Look for and correct grammatical errors like extra spaces between sentences, punctuation, italicizing titles of artworks, etc.
- Remove time stamps from transcripts since they distract from a reader’s enjoyment of the content.
Transcripts for Videos Without Speech
Transcripts are useful even for videos without speech or dialog. Noting relevant non-speech sounds like music, nature sounds, or other ambient information can help more visitors enjoy the breadth of your content.
In a transcript, non-speech sounds can be indicated in brackets to distinguish them from speech. For example, "[background laughter]...[birds chirping]...[car starting]...."
You can indicate the presence of music by referencing the title of the piece or by providing a brief description. For example, [Song: Beethoven's Fifth Symphony] or [Soft classical music coming through an open window].
Creating a Transcript on Rev.com
Bloomberg Connects has partnered with Rev.com to offer professional human transcription services at no cost to you.
Rev.com only provides human transcripts for English audio and video files. If your file includes dialogue in another language, you can order AI transcripts instead; just make sure to review the file for accuracy! Reach out to your relationship manager with any questions.
Steps
Log in to the Bloomberg Connects Rev.com workspace using the instructions provided by your relationship manager during onboarding.
Can’t find the instructions? Reach out at support@bloombergconnects.org.
Click Place New Order, then select Human Transcripts.
On the Rev.com order page, select Upload files from your computer or drag and drop.
Upload or drag in your file(s), then click Upload.
The order summary page appears.
Review the order and select any add-ons (for example, you can select Rush My Order for expedited delivery), then click Checkout.
The payment details screen appears.
Make sure your order is billed to the Bloomberg Connects account, then click Order Transcript.
The billing address should populate automatically. However, if you are prompted to add the address manually, use: Bloomberg Philanthropies Support, 25 E 78th St, New York, NY 10075, United States. Save the address for use in future orders.
When your transcript is complete, you’ll receive an update from Rev.com in your email. You can then copy and paste your transcript into the CMS.
Watch a brief how-to video on ordering transcripts with Rev.com.