How to Record and Transcribe Audio in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is one of the oldest yet massively popular word processing application. It comes with a lot of features. There is a notable feature that allows...

Swayam Prakash

Last updated on September 26, 2023

Swayam Prakash

Author

Swayam is a professional tech blogger with Masters Degree in Computer Applications and also has experience with Android development. He is a staunch admirer of Stock Android OS.Apart from tech blogging, he loves gaming, traveling and playing/teaching guitar.

Microsoft Word is one of the oldest yet massively popular word processing application. It comes with a lot of features. There is a notable feature that allows the user to record and transcribe the audio in MS Word. In simple words, this feature will convert a live audio recording or a pre-recorded sample into text on the go. In this guide, I will explain how this feature and its associated attributes work.

The audio transcribe feature is only accessible to premium users of the Microsoft 365 suite. Interestingly, multiple speakers can record their speech in audio format. The program will easily differentiate between the various people that are recording the speech. Let’s dive into the guide and check out the whole process in detail.

Recording the Audio

Note

Make sure that before recording the application has access to the Microphone. Normally, it will seek your permission the first time you want to use it to record the audio. When you see the permission pop-up, simply click on Allow.

Start by logging in to Microsoft 365 (premium subscription)
Launch MS Word
Under the Home tab, expand Dictate.
from the drop-down 2 option menu, select Transcribe. [You can click Upload Audio if you wish to transcribe a pre-recorded audio sample present on your PC]
Next click on Start recording
The timer will start now with a pause button in your sight.
You can speak and record all that you wish.
Once finished, click the Pause button
Then click Save and Transcribe Now

After the transcription finishes which takes a few minutes, the content will be uploaded to OneDrive. You can also see the transcription of your audio now in the text format. It will also have a timestamp for better clarity.

What if the Text Output of Audio Transcribe is Incorrect

If at all you see any discrepancy in the text output which may happen due to incorrect transcribing, you can manually edit the same. Just hover over the piece of text that is incorrect and you will see a pencil symbol. Click on it to edit and replace the wrong text with the correct one. Secondly, you can edit the name of the speaker as well.

Adding Transcript to Document

After you finish editing the transcript, click on Add all to Document. This option will be at the bottom of the editing pane. This will put the audio recording and the textual transcript in a single document.

So, this is how you can transcribe audio and convert it into text form and save it in a document. It’s a great way to prepare a quick document where you do not need to type anything. Use your microphone to speak up and record. Then let the application do its part. Super easy isn’t it.? Try it out and let me know how it worked for you.

How to Record and Transcribe Audio in Microsoft Word