Google isn’t “hearing” words in audio and video just yet. Transcribing your podcasts or other audio or video you’ve produced is still the best way to get the words in a format the search engines can understand.
It’s also a darned good way to increase the value of an audio/video product to have transcriptions accompanying such products.
Having the need recently, I had staff put together some information on transcription services.
You can find transcription services for many different formats. Whether you want someone to do audio transcription of interviews, data, legal information, online books, seminars, conference calls, or any other recordings, a transcriptionist can get you the text you need from the audio format.
Most transcriptionists can type data simultaneously while hearing audio transcripts, making quick work of even lengthy projects. You can even find transcription services that are able to do translation from another language, such as Spanish, Chinese, German, Greek, or Indian dialects. Transcription is a valuable service for many industries. How can you choose which transcription service will be best for you to use?
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Accuracy: A transcription service should provide a product that is completely accurate and error-free. Guaranteed work is important, even small errors can affect the final product significantly.
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Complete: The transcription should be complete. Whether you need verbatim transcription or you want someone to edit the project, finding someone that will provide a complete product is critical.
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Timeliness: Deadlines can be very important, the transcription service should be able to deliver the final product within the specified timeframe or deadline.
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References: Check references carefully; you want to find a reputable transcription service to use, one with plenty of experience, especially if you are having any sensitive or confidential information transcribed.
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Cost: This can vary widely. Find out if the transcription services you are considering are billed by the hour, or the line, or the keystroke, or the job, and get estimates in advance of the final cost. Just remember that, as with anything, you will get what you pay for, so cut corners carefully! Often a transcription service will charge between $3.00-5.00 per minute of recorded audio. Others will charge by line. Most don’t publish their rates online, so ask around and comparison shop.
Depending on what type of transcription service you are looking for, there are several options.
Try out these sites to find what you need:
Story Type: Affordable, accurate, and flexible transcription service for all types of media. If you need transcription services for interviews, conference calls, speeches, or books, then they can do the job.
Franklin Square: Specializing in interviews, but capable of many other types of transcription, this service ranks high. Experienced transcriptionists, guaranteed results, and quick turnaround time sets this transcription service apart from the mediocre ones. Pay for keystrokes they type, regardless of how long the document is or what format you require.
NYC Transcription: Get any type of transcription you need, quickly and at a competitive rate. Volume discounts are offered, as well as rush service for those pressing projects.
Escriptionist: Reliable, quick, and experienced, this transcription service offers all types of transcription at affordable rates.
Finding the perfect transcription service to meet your needs means you have another tool in your toolbox to get your business going more quickly. A quality transcription service can help you streamline some of the tedious work that can be outsourced, if you find a transcription service that you can trust!
Do you use a transcription service above or anyone else that you’d recommend? Leave your feedback below and let’s build a great list of transcription services recommended by FTR readers!
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Thanks for the tips, as well as the specific recommendations. Looking for a service for the first time and having no point of reference can be a daunting task.
Melanies last blog post..Jesus Is My Friend by Sonseed
There’s also the DIY option if you have time. There’s free software available called Express Scribe. It takes the audio and slows it down - you can put the speed at what you need for transcription. I used it for a recent interview, and it worked like a champ!
Look here for the free download: http://www.nch.com.au/scribe/
Carmens last blog post..Get Organized: Household Routines Improve Your Happiness
Regarding Best Transcription Services: One of the best I have used for more than five years is Pioneer Transcription Services. They are quick in turnover of verbatim audio statements and accurate to a “t”. I highly recommend Pioneer. They can be reached at (530) 432-8306
info@pioneer-transcription-services.com
http://www.pioneer-transcription-services.com
On a budget?
I read my content into voice recognition software (viavoice or dragon naturally speaking) which posts to Word or text doc, the transcription. I then read and record that text into my computer using Soundforge ( or free Audacity) as an mp3 file. I end up with audio and a transcript immediately.
Bill
Bill Urells last blog post..Addiction Recovery Video
A friend told me about this blog post http://waxy.org/2008/09/audio_transcription_with_mechanical_turk/ describing how to use MTurk for low cost transcription. I tried it out and it worked great!
It cost me $20 for 40 minutes and I got the whole job back in 12 hours. You do have to be fairly tech savvy or at least willing to learn how to use free audio software and MTurk but if you’re going to transcribe stuff on a regular basis, it’s a great way to go.
Elge
Hi Jack,
I have used 2 seperate services and found the former much better.
The one I liked (and will use again) is Casting Words - http://www.castingwords.com - a service that charges per minute of audio transcribed (which is HEAPS cheaper for me than the charge per keystroke alternative).
My first job to them was about half an hour of content, which cost me approx US$23.00 which was a major bargain.
To use an Australian firm that comes recommended would have probably cost me AU$100-$120 because they charge by the minute - but for how long it takes them to do the work, not how long the audio is.
As for accuracy and quality, they weren’t 100% perfect on either, but darn close enough to keep me happy, and I’m a real stickler for quality in this dept!
So, my advice is to check out Casting Words. From as little as 75 cents per recorded minute, they’re well worth the money.
Now if I could only get Dragon Dictate to be as accurate as them, I would be laughing!
Thanks for the reviews.
Eran Malloch
Eran Malloch - No B.S. SEM Blogs last blog post..The Sky is Falling - Recession - Depression - We’re all Doomed!
I’ve had tape-recorded notes done by the Tape Transcription Center ( http://www.ttctranscriptions.com/ ) and was pretty happy with the results. They’re a bit expensive, thirty bucks per hour of work, and that comes out to about $150 an hour of audio. But the transcript I got back was almost perfect, and they caught a lot of terms I didn’t expect ‘em to. They saved me a lot of time editing!
MTurk is nice for some stuff, but I’m NEVER using it again for anything with more than a fifth-grade vocabulary. :p
Hey Jack, no idea why, but my last attempt to leave a full comment on this post seems to have failed - only my name & link came thru, no comments…
So, 2nd time lucky eh?
I have had experience with 2 transcription services. One a lady Jim Edwards recommended who was OK, but a bit pricey for the quality. Certainly better than a lot of alternatives though. I don’t have her name handy right here & now.
However, the much better experience I had was with Casting Words.com. I love several things about these folks:
1) They only charge per audio minute and if you’re not in a hurry, it’s dirt cheap (75 cents). So, that means a 33 minute audio will cost you $24.75! A bargain if you ask me, compared to many of the alternatives.
Secondly, they give you 3 different price ranges, depending on the speed with which you need the work finished, and their quality seems very reasonable.
I didn’t have to do much editing or fixing at all, and considering how long it would have taken me to do the transcription (days!), it was a bargain!
You just upload the mp3 audio to their site, pay for it with paypal, and you’re off and running.
My vote for a good service definitely goes to Casting Words. Try them, you just might like them.
Eran
Eran Malloch - No B.S. Search Engine Marketing blogs last blog post..The Sky is Falling - Recession - Depression - We’re all Doomed!
I’m reading the posts here and looking at the rates that some of you are paying for transcription work and/or are looking for companies to do the work. I’m an independent that currently transcribes for four different companies.
My partner and I transcribe everything from earnings calls, interviews, focus groups, triads, diads, etc. ranging from 3 minutes of audio to three hours of audio.
We would be willing to discuss your needs and a price range that is affordable for you. We do rush work, 24, 48 hour turnaround and do all the research of terms, etc.
We would love to hear from you. We are experienced in all fields and produce quality transcripts. If you are interested, please email either myself at stephaniebower@insightbb.com or lkbrutscher@insightbb.com.
Hello Everybody,
I’m reading the posts here and looking at the rates that some of you are paying for transcription work and/or are looking for companies to do the work. I’m representing a company, Rely services inc., based at Hoffman estates, IL and also has presence in Michigan and Ohio.
We provide all kind of transcription services viz medical, business, general, and legal for different companies as well as individuals.
We can take up any volume of yours, ranging from an hour to 100 hours and giving it back as per your requirements.
We would be willing to discuss your needs and a price range that is affordable for you. We do rush work, 24, 48 hour turnaround and do all the research of terms, etc.
References can be provided on request but in the mean time, you can always check our website, http://www.relyservices.com.
We would love to hear from you. We have 10 years of experience in all fields and produce quality transcripts. If you are interested, please email me either myself at rajneesh@gmail.com or on my official id at sales@relyservices.com.
Looking forward to hear from you,
regards
Raaz
I tried transcribing my own podcasts and seminars with express scribe, but gave up after it seemed like I wasn’t getting anywhere! LOL. I also heard about Mturk/Casting Words from a friend of mine, but although the price was decent, I thought they should have done a better job with researching some of the terms. Most really weren’t that hard to find with Google. Luckily, I found OmegaTranscripts.com and had a free trial done. Did a great job with researching (only left two blanks), and I didn’t find any grammar or punctuation errors either. Prices are by audio minute and start at $1.25 min. Of course, it gets more expensive if you want it done in one day. Payment is by PayPal and you can upload your mp3s, wav files, etc. through the website. I’d highly suggest this service. I’ve used it more than once.
I’ve always been confused with the rates that transcription services put out there - per minute vs. per keystroke vs. per page. Most charge per audio minute but one company charges per page - Ace Transcription Service - http://www.acetranscription.com, which seems pretty straightforward. The website has a rate page and it even has an FAQ page for those who wants to know what they’re getting into before calling. But if you call, they’re pretty helpful - they’ll give you an estimate and help you out with your needs, including audio - how to upload, what type of audio, turnaround time, etc. They still transcribe from cassette tapes (yes, for those who still use those) but otherwise any type of digital audio. Their client list is pretty extensive - from think tanks to someone who wants their memoirs transcribed. The rate ranges from $2.50 per page for a single speaker to $4.00 per page for a meeting (with 3 or more speakers). If you have a need for a transcript of someone with an accent (besides American), give Ace a try, they’re pretty good with “foreign” accents. The transcripts are accurate - they’ll even google names, places or events for accuracy!
I have utilised Transcription & Translation Services for the past 3 years because they give consistently good service. Their accuracy is excellent, their turnaround times are very competitive and they also offer competitive rates.
I was wary of home-based businesses before I dealt with Lynda Jones who works from home and has a tight-knit group of transcription typists, proofreaders and translators. I have never before experienced consistent quality like this from any of the transcription companies i have used in the past. Their website is http://geniesolver.bravehost.com/