How to record and transcribe a lecture

There are so many benefits to recording and transcribing a lecture. Having a transcript gives you a complete set of class notes. Not only that, your notes are searchable and can provide a comprehensive study aid.

But what are the best practices for recording a lecture?

The following steps provide a simple way for you to record and transcribe a lecture:

Step 1: Get Permission

Not all professors will allow recording of their lectures. The main reason is that many don’t want distribution of their intellectual property. So it’s a good idea to check to see if your institution has any regulations with regards to recording lectures. If you have a disability that warrants you having a full transcript, make sure to communicate this with your professor. Many educational institutions already have transcripts in place for those with disabilities.

Step 2: Record the lecture

Educational institutions will have some video player or lecture player they use to publish their online lectures. More and more we are seeing the use of Zoom video conferencing to publish their lectures. The process is fairly similar for recording across most video players, but in the case of Zoom, by default, only the host can create a “Local Recording.” If you want a recording, you’ll need to ask the host to give you permission.

Step 3: Use automated transcription

Now that you have a recording of the lecture, you can easily upload to an automated transcription service like Sonix. 

1. Simply log into Sonix (if you don’t have a Sonix account you can create a new Sonix account here)
2. Click “Upload” and “Select file from my computer” and locate the lecture you recorded
3. Click transcribe

That’s it! Using these three simple steps will ensure that you get the most from recording and transcribing your lecture.

*Note that you can also set up a direct integration with Sonix so that all your lectures are automatically transcribed! 🎉