Focus Groups: Transcribing Multiple Voices Effectively

 

Have you ever wondered how transcriptionists capture the chaos of multiple people talking? Whether it be a podcast with three or more people or a business meeting, a lot of times people will talk over each other and interrupt. It's hard to understand! Sometimes it's impossible to understand what is being said when there are multiple people talking over each other. However, there are some techniques that are used to capture the chaos of multiple voices. 

Here are some techniques that I use:

1. Listen carefully.

I know this is an obvious one. It's important to listen carefully no matter what you're transcribing. I do follow one rule though, and that is: Do not rewind and listen to the same thing any more than three times. If I can't understand what is being said after three listens, I move on and either put my best guess in or put in an [indiscernible]. After I finish the audio, I go back and listen again while proofreading.

2. Focus on the primary speaker if people are talking over each other or interrupting.

When the speech gets chaotic because people are interrupting and talking over one another, I usually try and focus in on the voice that was speaking first. Then, when there is a break, I will move on to whoever is speaking next. It is definitely difficult to navigate interruptions and overlapping speech, but it just takes practice. 

3. Memorize voices.

This technique I am still working on. Sometimes there will be a couple of people that sound so similar I get mixed up on who is who when they speak. Try and memorize the voices that are speaking so you know how to label them. If you need to, go back and re-listen. 

These are the techniques that I have used in the past when transcribing groups of people. I am pretty new to transcription. So, if you are a more experienced transcriptionist, feel free to comment below your techniques for transcribing multiple speakers.