When you edit and produce videos, audio is a key part of the process. When you use an app like DaVinci Resolve, you’ll enjoy a full suite of audio editing tools. One of these is audio transcription.
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to use DaVinci Resolve audio transcription features. In moments, you can transform spoken dialogue into written words. You won’t have to perform the tedious task manually.
DaVinci Resolve comes in two tiers. First is the powerful free version. But to use audio transcription in DaVinci Resolve, you’ll need to upgrade. This feature requires a license for the premium DaVinci Resolve Studio version. At the time of writing, it’s available for $295 USD as a one-time purchase.
Let’s learn how to use DaVinci Resolve auto transcription!
Why Transcribe Audio in DaVinci Resolve?
DaVinci Resolve transcription features are easy to use. But what are the benefits? As a video editor, transcribing audio is amazingly useful. Keep these key advantages in mind:
- You can edit more efficiently. Transcribing audio by hand can take forever. That’s especially true if you have longer videos. Audio transcription in DaVinci Resolve takes care of the task automatically.
- It helps you create subtitles more quickly. Subtitles are helpful to include in many videos. You can develop them faster when you use transcription.
- You can make your videos more accessible. Accessibility is key to connecting with and supporting your audience. By providing a transcribed copy of the audio, you can help those who are deaf or have difficulty hearing.
- Transcripts help you share video content in other mediums. Want a quick blog post or article to complement your video? Let transcribed audio form the basis - automatically.
As you can see, DaVinci Resolve transcription is a must-have skill. Below, we will work through the process step by step.
How to Use DaVinci Resolve Auto Transcription: Step-by-Step
Using DaVinci Resolve transcription only takes a few quick steps. It works with any dialogue audio that you’ve inserted in your project.
Now, let’s dive in!
1. Select Audio to Transcribe in DaVinci Resolve
Imagine now that you’re working in DaVinci Resolve. You’ve added an audio track to your Timeline. The Timeline is found in the lower third of your DaVinci Resolve screen. Think of it as the “control center” for all of the clips (both audio and video) in your project.
In this example, I’ve added recorded audio from an educational tutorial video that I produced. What I’d like to do is transcribe this audio automatically, into written form. Notice in the screenshot above that the audio clip is shown in green on the Timeline.
In the upper left corner of your DaVinci Resolve Studio screen, find the Master panel. Here, you can see all of the content that you have imported into DaVinci Resolve Studio. We’ll use the Audio Narration clip to demonstrate DaVinci Resolve transcription features.
2. Activate Speaker Detection in DaVinci Resolve
One of the most powerful DaVinci Resolve transcription tools is Speaker Detection. This is extraordinarily useful to you as an editor and video producer. It's most valuable in cases where you have an audio source with more than one speaker. This feature comes as part of Fairlight, which is the audio editing suite found within DaVinci Resolve Studio 19.
With Speaker Detection, artificial intelligence (AI) analyzes your audio in real time. It identifies individual speakers by their vocal tones. When you pair Speaker Detection with DaVinci Resolve audio transcription, the results are impressive.
You’ll see each section of dialogue labeled, based upon who is speaking! Imagine the possibilities: in moments, you can enjoy an annotated transcript of a filmed panel discussion, for example.
Before using DaVinci Resolve audio transcription, you’ll want to activate Speaker Detection. To do that, find the clip that you want to transcribe on the Master panel. Right-click on the clip’s icon. You’ll see a list of options appear.
From this list, hover your cursor over the Audio Transcription group. From the selections that appear, click Speaker Detection.
This enables speaker detection in DaVinci Resolve Studio 19. You won’t see anything happen on-screen. The results make themselves obvious when your transcription finishes up. In the next step below, you will learn how to get transcription started in Resolve.
3. Launch DaVinci Resolve Auto Transcription
You’ve just activated Speaker Detection in DaVinci Resolve Studio 19. Now, it’s time to start the auto transcription process.
Again, DaVinci Resolve transcription works automatically. You’ll get it started, and the app will do the rest. To start DaVinci Resolve audio transcription, return to the Master panel. Once more, right-click on the audio track that you want to transcribe. Choose Audio Transcription, and from the listed options, click on Transcribe.
When you click Transcribe, a progress menu will appear in the center of your screen. DaVinci Resolve will spend a few minutes analyzing the audio contained in the track. Then, the transcription process itself will get underway.
Keep in mind: this can take several minutes. It all depends on the speed of your system, and the length of the audio track that you have chosen to transcribe.
When the transcription finishes, you’ll see the text appear in a popup menu! As you can see, DaVinci Resolve auto transcription saves you precious time.
Transcribing audio is a time-consuming and tedious task. Thanks to the power of Fairlight AI, it’s no longer something you need to focus on. Let the app do the hard work for you.
4. Add Speaker Names and More
On the popup menu, scroll through your transcribed audio. Notice that it’s grouped into sections based on who was speaking. By default, speakers are labeled Speaker 1, Speaker 2, and so forth. You can edit these labels to name your speakers.
To do that, go ahead and click on the first Speaker 1 label. Select the text, and then type over it with your keyboard. When you finish typing, press Enter.
When you do, watch what happens below. Every instance of Speaker 1 will change to the name you’ve typed in. Repeat this step with any other speakers to ensure they’re properly labeled and named.
5. Use Your Transcribed Audio to Share With an Audience
When you’ve labeled speakers, you’re ready to unlock the potential of DaVinci Resolve transcription. As you learned at the beginning of the tutorial, the uses are many. For example, you can use your transcribed audio to export subtitles.
To do that, find the three-dots menu in the upper right corner of the Transcription panel. Click it, then choose Export Subtitles. This is how to easily convert your spoken words into visual subtitles to overlay your video.
You can also export the text in whole form. Why do that? With exported text, you can easily create articles, blog posts, written transcripts, and so much more. To export DaVinci Resolve audio transcription, find the Share button. It’s at the top of the Transcription panel. Click Share, and a Save As menu will appear.
Your transcribed audio is packaged as an easy-to-edit .txt file. Optionally, you can rename it. Then, click Save. You now have a text file containing the transcribed words spoken in your video! From there, you can print, email, copy to your social media pages, and so much more.
That’s a Wrap!
Today, you learned how to use DaVinci Resolve auto transcription features. As you can tell, it only takes a few clicks. DaVinci Resolve leverages the power of AI to create transcripts for all of your videos. You’ll soon find yourself incorporating these tools into your daily editing workflow.
It’s always a helpful idea to provide a transcript to your audience. Whether you’re posting it or printing in handout form, DaVinci Resolve Studio 19 makes audio transcription a breeze.
More Great DaVinci Resolve Tips & Tricks
DaVinci Resolve audio transcription is an amazing feature that you’ve just learned how to use. But it’s only one of many possibilities found within the app. Want to elevate your video editing skills? Here are several handy Envato Tuts+ tutorials to learn even more about DaVinci Resolve in 2024 and beyond:
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