Glossary

Transcription

Transcription is the process of converting spoken language from audio or video recordings into written text. In localization and media workflows, transcription provides the foundation for subtitling, AI dubbing, translation and accessibility services.

Description

In multilingual media production, transcription bridges the gap between speech and text. It allows organizations to make audiovisual content accessible, searchable and ready for translation.

RWS transcription services use a combination of human linguists and intelligent speech technologies to deliver fast, accurate transcriptions in any language. Professional transcribers ensure that time codes, speaker identification and contextual cues are all correctly captured – essential for subtitling and AI dubbing workflows. Transcription also plays a key role in accessibility by supporting the creation of closed captions, descriptive transcripts and sign language video overlays. When managed as part of a unified localization process, transcription ensures consistency, compliance and cultural accuracy across all language versions.

Example use cases

  • Subtitling: Create accurate source text for timed subtitles and captions.
  • Dubbing: Generate scripts for voice replacement or synthetic speech production.
  • Localization: Transcribe training videos for translation and accessibility.
  • Communication: Produce multilingual transcripts for webinars, interviews or events.
  • Repurposing: Convert recorded audio into searchable text for blogs or documentation.

Key benefits

Accuracy
Preserve meaning and timing through precise transcription and review.
Efficiency
Simplify downstream localization and subtitling workflows.
Accessibility
Support inclusion with transcripts, captions and alternative formats.
Scalability
Handle large volumes of multilingual media content quickly.
Scalability
Enable text indexing and metadata tagging for digital archives.

RWS perspective

At RWS, transcription is a key step in our video and audio translation and media localization workflows. Our linguists, transcribers and engineers work together to ensure that every spoken element is captured faithfully and prepared for translation or dubbing.

We combine human precision with AI-powered speech recognition and language quality assessment tools to accelerate turnaround while maintaining accuracy and tone. This Human + Technology model ensures that every transcript supports seamless, high-quality localization – across languages, platforms and media formats.