FREE FIELD NOTES / 01

The creator’s software checklist

Use this worksheet before choosing a transcription or caption tool. It is an original editorial checklist, not a hands-on product score or a guarantee of performance.

Your browser’s print window lets you choose a printer or Save as PDF. Check marks stay in this page only; nothing is uploaded.

1. Define the job before the tool

Write down the final deliverable: transcript, subtitle file, captioned video or edited recording. List the languages, speakers and approximate recording length. Check which file format your publishing platform or client accepts. Decide who will review the output and when it must be ready.

2. Check the real commitment

Check the current official plan: usage allowance, export restrictions and renewal terms. Estimate the cost for your actual monthly workload, including correction time. Test a short, representative recording before committing to a paid workflow. Read retention, deletion and data-use terms before uploading sensitive material. Confirm you have permission to upload the recording and share its contents.

3. Keep a human in the review

Listen back to names, numbers, specialist terms and unclear speech. Verify speaker labels and check that corrections preserve the original meaning. Play captions alongside the final video to check timing and readability. Flag unresolved words instead of inventing an answer.

4. Make the handoff reliable

Export the required format and test it in the destination player. Match captions to the final video version, not an earlier edit. Name files clearly with language and version, and keep a reviewed master copy.

Your decision in one sentence

“I need ______ for ______, in ______ format. My budget is ______. Before publishing, ______ will review the output.”

Next: Understand SRT files · Review a transcript · Browse software