How to Transcribe Interviews Like a Pro: Hard-Earned Lessons from 10,000+ Interviews

My worst interview transcription disaster happened in 2012.

I was transcribing a crucial investor pitch interview for a documentary filmmaker. Two hours of pure gold—the investor shared never-before-told stories about early Facebook, detailed cap tables, insider drama. The filmmaker was ecstatic.

Then I listened to the recording. The investor was wearing a microphone on his collar. Every time he turned his head, the fabric rustled. Every. Single. Word. was buried under SHHHHH-SHHHHH-SHHHHH.

Result:

The lesson? Perfect transcription isn't about typing fast or having great software. It's about knowing what to do before you press record.

After 20 years and 10,000+ interviews transcribed (journalism, legal depositions, academic research, podcasts, documentaries), I've learned that the difference between amateur and professional transcription isn't talent. It's systems.

Here's everything I wish someone had told me on day one.

What's Inside

Part 1: Before Recording (15 Minutes That Save 5 Hours)

Most transcription disasters happen before you hit record. Here's what pros do that amateurs skip:

The 15-Minute Pre-Interview Checklist

1. Equipment Test (3 minutes)

Don't just check if the recorder turns on. Actually test the full setup:

The amateur way:

The pro way:

- Background noise (AC, traffic, hum)

- Echo or reverb

- Microphone rustling

- Volume level (too quiet/too loud)

Real disaster avoided:

I once did a full equipment test and discovered the wireless mic battery was at 10%. Would've died 20 minutes into a 2-hour interview. Test saved the day.

2. Location Scout (5 minutes)

Walk around the interview space:

Pro tip: Record 10 seconds in different spots. Play back. Pick the quietest.

Real example:

I once moved an interview 15 feet from a window. Noise level dropped from unusable to perfect. That 15 feet = the difference between 2 hours of transcription or 12 hours of struggling.

3. Microphone Positioning (2 minutes)

The golden rule: 6-12 inches from mouth, slightly off-axis to avoid plosives (P, T, K sounds).

Test this:

Positioning mistakes I've seen:

The fix: Boom mic above and slightly in front, or lavalier on sternum (not collar).

4. Backup Recording System (2 minutes)

Always. Record. Backup.

I've had:

My system:

Cost of backup: $0 (use phone you already have)

Cost of no backup: Entire interview lost

5. Interview Prep Sheet (3 minutes)

Create a one-page document with:

Subject information:

Technical terms:

Why this matters:

When transcribing, you'll spend 30 seconds every time you encounter "Kubernetes" trying to remember if it's "Communities," "Coober-netes," or what. Having it pre-written saves hours.

Template:

Interview Prep Sheet

Date: January 15, 2025

Subject: Dr. Sarah Krishnamurthy (krish-nah-MUR-thee)

Title: Chief Medical Officer, BioGenTech

Duration: 60 minutes estimated

Expected Terms:

- Immunotherapy (im-yoo-no-THER-a-pee)

- PD-1 inhibitors

- BioGenTech (their company)

- Phase II trials

- FDA approval process

Technical Setup:

- Zoom H5 recorder (Primary)

- iPhone backup

- Lavalier mic on sternum

- Quiet conference room, door closed

Part 2: During the Interview (What Pros Do Differently)

Real-Time Quality Monitoring

Amateur approach: Start recording, forget about it, interview, stop recording.

Pro approach: Active monitoring throughout.

What to monitor:

1. Visual checks (every 5 minutes):

2. Audio checks (headphone monitoring):

Some pros wear one earbud to monitor in real-time. I don't recommend this for interviews (too distracting), but for multi-camera shoots, it's essential.

3. Level checks:

Glance at audio meters. Should be:

The disaster this prevents:

I once interviewed someone who started quiet, then got excited and YELLED. The levels were fine at first, then clipped terribly. Because I was monitoring, I caught it at minute 8 and adjusted gain. Saved the rest of the interview.

Managing Difficult Interview Situations

1. Overlapping Speech

The problem: Two people talking at once = transcription nightmare.

Amateur approach: Let it happen, suffer later.

Pro approach: Gentle intervention.

What to say:

When NOT to interrupt:

The compromise: Note the timestamp and mark it for extra attention during transcription.

2. Background Noise

Mid-interview noise disasters I've handled:

Pro technique: The pause-and-resume

If loud noise happens:

1. Stop mid-sentence

2. Wait for noise to end (don't talk over it)

3. Say "Let's pick that up from..." and restart the sentence

Why? Because it's easier to delete 10 seconds of silence than to salvage audio with a garbage truck backing up through it.

3. Technical Jargon

The moment: Subject uses term you've never heard.

Amateur approach: Ignore it, struggle later.

Pro approach: Spell it out in the moment.

What to say:

Real example:

Interviewing a developer:

Subject: "We use PostgreSQL for the backend."

Me: "That's P-O-S-T-G-R-E-S-Q-L, correct?"

Subject: "Yes, exactly."

That 5-second exchange saved me 5 minutes of Googling during transcription.

The Speaker Introduction Technique

The problem: 20 minutes in, you can't remember who said what.

The solution: Have speakers introduce themselves at the start.

What to say:

"For the recording, could you each introduce yourself with your full name and title?"

Why this works:

1. You hear their voice + name together

2. It's on the recording (reference point)

3. Establishes professional tone

4. Helps with pronunciation

Advanced technique: If interviewing multiple people, have them state their name before their first major point.

"Thanks everyone. [Name], I'll start with you. Could you tell us your thoughts on..."

This creates natural speaker markers throughout.

Part 3: The Professional 3-Pass Transcription Workflow

Here's the system I developed after transcribing thousands of interviews. It's 3x faster than trying to get everything perfect in one pass.

Pass 1: Speed Draft (25% of total time)

Goal: Get words on page, don't worry about perfection.

Process:

1. Upload to AI transcription (compare AI vs human accuracy)

- Cost: $9-15 for 60 minutes

- Time: 8-10 minutes processing

2. Quick scan (5 minutes)

- Is it mostly accurate?

- Any major speaker confusion?

- Sections that need heavy work?

Don't fix anything yet. Just identify problem areas.

Mark problem areas with tags:

Pass 2: Critical Corrections (50% of total time)

Goal: Fix things that change meaning or look unprofessional.

Priority order:

1. Names (highest priority - 10 minutes)

Why first? Because getting someone's name wrong is the most embarrassing error.

2. Numbers and facts (10 minutes)

Real disaster:

AI transcribed "We raised $4 million" as "We raised four billion." Investors reading the transcript were very confused. Always verify numbers.

3. Technical terminology (15 minutes)

Technique: Use your prep sheet. Cross-reference every technical term.

4. Speaker attribution (10 minutes)

How to check:

5. Critical quotes (15 minutes)

What counts as critical:

Pass 3: Polish and Format (25% of total time)

Goal: Make it readable and professional.

1. Remove filler words (10 minutes)

The decision: Verbatim or clean read?

Verbatim (keep everything):

Clean read (remove fillers):

What to remove:

What to keep:

2. Add punctuation (8 minutes)

AI transcription often has terrible punctuation.

Fixes:

3. Add timestamps (5 minutes)

Where to add:

Format: [00:23:47] or (23:47)

Why timestamps matter:

4. Format for readability (7 minutes)

Speaker labels:

Bad:

speaker one okay so the main thing is...

Good:

Dr. Sarah Chen: The main thing is...

Paragraph breaks:

Every 3-4 sentences, or when topic shifts.

Headings (optional but helpful):

[Introduction - 00:00]

[Early Career - 05:32]

[Major Breakthrough - 18:45]

[Future Plans - 42:10]

Part 4: Handling Difficult Scenarios

Heavy Accents

The reality: AI struggles. You'll struggle. Here's how to make it manageable.

Technique 1: Context Clues

When you can't understand a word:

1. Listen to the whole sentence

2. What would make sense in context?

3. Re-listen with that hypothesis

4. Verify against other mentions

Example:

Heard: "The profjy lactic antibiotic regimen..."

Context: Medical conference

Hypothesis: "Prophylactic"

Verification: Yes, that makes sense

Result: Correct

Technique 2: Slow Playback

Most transcription software lets you slow audio to 0.75x or 0.5x.

When to use:

The trick: Don't just slow down. Also increase volume and use good headphones.

Technique 3: Repeated Listening

Sometimes you need to hear something 5-10 times.

Process:

1. Listen at normal speed (get gist)

2. Slow to 0.75x (hear more detail)

3. Isolate problem word (loop just that 2-second section)

4. Play 5-10 times

5. Usually clicks on attempt 6-7

When to give up: If after 10 tries you can't get it, mark [UNCLEAR] and move on. Don't waste 5 minutes on one word.

Background Noise

The scenario: Traffic, construction, cafe ambiance, air conditioning.

Solutions by noise type:

1. Constant noise (AC, traffic):

2. Intermittent noise (doors, phones):

3. Reverb/echo:

Prevention: This is why pre-interview location scouting matters.

Overlapping Speech / Crosstalk

The nightmare scenario: Two people talking at once.

Solutions:

1. Separate with timestamps:

[23:45 - OVERLAPPING]

Dr. Chen: I think we need to consider—

Dr. Wilson: The data clearly shows—

[Both speaking simultaneously]

2. Transcribe both:

[CROSSTALK]

Speaker 1: "...more research is needed..."

Speaker 2: "...the results are conclusive..."

3. Choose the clearer speaker:

If one voice is dominant, transcribe that one and note the other.

4. Mark and move on:

[CROSSTALK - unable to separate clearly]

Pro tip: For really important crosstalk, ask the subject to clarify in follow-up email. "In the interview around minute 24, you and Dr. Wilson both spoke—could you clarify your point about..."

Part 5: The Professional's Toolkit

After 20 years, here's what actually works:

Recording Equipment

Budget: $0-50

Budget: $50-150

Budget: $150-300

Budget: $300+

My recommendation: Start with Zoom H1n. Upgrade to H5 when you're doing this professionally.

Microphones

For sit-down interviews:

For lavalier (clip-on):

For multiple people:

Transcription Software

AI Transcription Services:

Editing Software:

Express Scribe (Free)

Descript ($12/mo)

Transcription-specific keyboard:

Infinity USB-2 foot pedal ($80)

My Setup (The Sweet Spot)

Recording:

Transcription:

Speed:

For comparison:

Part 6: Creating Your Style Guide

Consistency separates amateur from professional transcripts. Here's your template:

Speaker Identification

Choose one format:

Option 1: Full names

Sarah Chen: The main finding was...

James Wilson: I disagree because...

Option 2: Role/title

Interviewer: What led to that decision?

CEO: We saw an opportunity...

Option 3: Initials (only if approved)

SC: The main finding was...

JW: I disagree because...

Be consistent throughout.

Timestamp Format

Choose one:

Placement:

Verbatim vs. Clean Read

Verbatim (word-for-word):

Interviewer: So, um, could you, you know, tell me about, like, the process?

Subject: Yeah, uh, so the main thing is, um, we started by, you know, researching...

Clean Read (edited for clarity):

Interviewer: Could you tell me about the process?

Subject: The main thing is we started by researching...

When to use verbatim:

When to use clean read:

Unclear Audio

Standard markers:

Example:

Subject: The company was founded in [unclear] by three engineers from [inaudible].

Non-Verbal Elements

Include when relevant:

Don't overdo it. Only include when it adds meaning or context.

Part 7: Common Disasters (And How I Learned to Avoid Them)

Disaster #1: Not Backing Up the Original Audio

What happened:

Lesson: Keep original audio for at least 90 days. Storage is cheap. Regret is expensive.

System:

Disaster #2: Trusting AI Transcription Without Review

What happened:

AI transcribed "We need to hire 50 people" as "We need to fire 50 people."

Client published it in company newsletter.

HR crisis ensued.

Lesson: ALWAYS review AI transcripts, especially numbers and critical statements.

5-minute safety check:

Disaster #3: Inconsistent Speaker Labels

What happened:

Long interview with 3 people. Started with:

Halfway through, switched to:

Client received transcript. Had no idea who Speaker 1 was.

Lesson: Pick format at start. Stick with it. Never change mid-transcript.

My system: Full names throughout, established in first utterance.

Disaster #4: Not Clarifying Unusual Terms

What happened:

Subject mentioned "Kubernetes" 47 times.

AI transcribed it as:

Spent 2 hours fixing.

Lesson: Ask for spelling in the interview. Save hours later.

Disaster #5: Poor File Naming

What happened:

Transcribed 50 interviews over 2 months.

Named them:

Client asked for "the Johnson interview from early December."

Spent 45 minutes opening files to find it.

Lesson: Systematic naming from day one.

Template:

YYYYMMDD_LastName_FirstName_Topic_Version.docx

Example:

20250115_Chen_Sarah_Biotech_V1.docx

Part 8: Advanced Speed Techniques (3x Faster)

The Keyboard Shortcut System

Set up these shortcuts in your transcription software:

Playback control:

Insertion shortcuts:

Speaker shortcuts (Text Expander):

Time saved: 30% reduction in editing time.

The Two-Monitor Setup

Left monitor: Transcription software / audio player

Right monitor: Google Docs / editing

Why this works:

Budget option: Use iPad as second screen (Sidecar on Mac, Duet Display on PC)

The Speed Scaling Technique

The concept: Listen faster, type faster, finish faster.

How to train:

Week 1: Transcribe at 1.0x speed (normal)

Week 2: Transcribe at 1.1x speed

Week 3: Transcribe at 1.25x speed

Week 4: Transcribe at 1.5x speed

The sweet spot: 1.25x-1.5x

At 1.5x:

Limitation: Heavy accents, technical content, or poor audio may require normal speed.

The Batch Processing Method

Instead of:

Transcribe one interview start to finish. Repeat.

Do this:

1. Upload 5 interviews to AI transcription (10 min)

2. While they process, organize files (10 min)

3. Download all 5 transcripts (5 min)

4. Do Pass 1 on all 5 (quick scan) (25 min)

5. Do Pass 2 on all 5 (corrections) (2.5 hours)

6. Do Pass 3 on all 5 (polish) (1.5 hours)

Why this works:

The Ultimate Interview Transcription Checklist

Print this and use it every time:

Bottom Line: The Professional Mindset

After 20 years and 10,000+ interviews, here's what I've learned:

Perfect transcription isn't about:

Perfect transcription IS about:

The 80/20 rule:

Start here:

1. Today: Implement the pre-interview checklist

2. This week: Set up AI transcription (TranscribeNext free tier)

3. This month: Build your 3-pass workflow

4. This quarter: Master the speed techniques

The goal isn't perfection. It's delivering professional-quality transcripts efficiently.

And now you have the exact system to do it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to transcribe a 1-hour interview?

With AI transcription plus the 3-pass review system, a 1-hour interview takes about 53 minutes total: 8 minutes for AI processing, plus 45 minutes for editing. Manual transcription without AI takes 4-6 hours for the same content.

What equipment do I need for professional interview transcription?

Start with your smartphone for audio capture in quiet spaces. For professional work, a Zoom H1n recorder ($120) handles most situations. Add a lavalier mic ($80-100) for noisy environments.

Should I use verbatim or clean-read transcription?

Use verbatim for legal depositions and academic research. Use clean-read (filler words removed) for journalism, blog content, podcasts, and marketing. Most interview transcription uses clean-read.

How do I handle heavy accents or multiple speakers?

For accents: slow playback to 0.75x speed and loop difficult sections 5-10 times. For multiple speakers: have each person introduce themselves at the start and use separate microphones when possible.

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