Treat the recording as the reference
An automatic transcript is a useful draft. Before publishing it, compare important passages with the original recording. Start with the parts most likely to affect meaning: names, numerical claims, dates, technical vocabulary, speaker changes, and sentences with a negation such as “not.” A fluent-looking sentence can still be an incorrect transcription.
Decide whether you are publishing a close transcript or an edited reading version. If you remove filler words or reorganize sentences for readability, label the result accordingly. Keep an unedited source copy so a later correction can be checked against the recording.
Review a first pass systematically
| Pass | What to check |
|---|---|
| Speaker labels | Use stable names or neutral labels; check each handover |
| Names and terms | Confirm spellings from a reliable source or the speaker |
| Numbers and dates | Replay the recording; avoid guessing from context |
| Meaning | Check qualifications, negations, and interrupted sentences |
| Timestamps | Confirm a link lands close to the intended passage |
| Unclear audio | Mark uncertainty instead of inventing missing words |
Listen to the opening, several transitions, and the closing even when the transcript looks consistent. If those checks reveal repeated errors, expand the review. A sample can reveal a problem; it cannot prove every unreviewed sentence is correct.
Handle uncertainty visibly
If a phrase cannot be heard clearly, mark it as unclear with a timestamp and ask another reviewer to listen. Do not silently replace it with a plausible statement. If a speaker’s name is unknown, a neutral label is better than a guessed identity.
For sensitive or personally identifying passages, confirm that the material is appropriate to publish under your recording and publication arrangements. Avoid uploading confidential recordings to a tool without understanding the account’s data handling and permissions.
Prepare the published version
Add an accurate episode title, publication date, speaker information, and a link to the recording. Make the transcript available as readable text rather than only as a screenshot or inaccessible file. Keep a short correction record: passage, issue, correction, date, and reviewer.
Use the corrected transcript when creating captions and excerpts, then run the podcast clip review checklist. Corrections should carry through to every published version of the same passage. Open AudioSage to work with the transcription and analysis features available in your account.
Put the guide to work
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