How to Get a Timestamp With Express Scribe

Use headphones to better hear audio played using Express Scribe.

People, businesses and other organizations use transcripts of audio and video for official, typed documentation of what the speakers stated. Adding time stamps increases the usefulness for a transcript, because a listener can quickly and precisely recall the point in the audio where the speaker made her statements -- to hear and verify the spoken words. However, many people transcribe in a separate word-processing program while playing the audio in Express Scribe on the computer. Express Scribe generates the time stamps within its application interface, but you can easily redirect that time data into a secondary, word-processed document.

Instructions

1. Open Express Scribe. Move the slider to the time point in the audio file that will be stamped into the document.

2. Open the "Notes" menu at the top of Express Scribe. Select "Copy to Clipboard." Choose "Time."

3. Move the cursor to the area of the word-processed document that will display the time stamp. Press the "Ctrl" and "V" keys to paste the time into the document.

4. Repeat these steps for every time stamp instance that needs capturing.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are transcribing directly into the Express Scribe application using Notes feature, then click on the "Notes" menu. Choose "Insert" and then "Time" to time stamp within the Notes window.

• Create a shortcut key that uses the "Copy Time" command. Access these settings by opening the "Options" menu. Select "System-Wide Hot-Keys." Assign an "F" key, such as F9, to the "Copy Time" command. Press this shortcut key while typing in a document, then press the "Ctrl" and "V" keys to paste the time stamp from Express Scribe.

References

• NCH Software: How Do I Timestamp Part of the File?

Resources

• General Transcription Business Guide: Time Stamping
• NCH Software: Express Scribe Screenshots (Presales)