What Digital Audio File Types do Transcriptionists Prefer to Accept for Transcription Projects?

In the case of Sara Haley, she generally prefers the standard audio files. These files include, but are not limited to, MP3, MP4, and WAV files, as well as most WMA/WMV file types. Other file types my be sent as well, but there will be a longer process in order to transfer them to more acceptable formats for transcription.

Sara will not handle proprietary file formats, which are file formats that are made specifically for certain software or brands of recording equipment. Most of these formats come with installable software to convert the format to an MP3 or WAV file, which is more easily accepted.

If you have a question as to what file format Sara will accept, go ahead and contact her--she'll be happy to answer any of your podcast transcription questions immediately!

I Need Digital Audio Transcribed--What Format Will my Finished Transcripts Be Presented In?

Sometimes, you need a finished transcript to send to a particular client. In this case, you may want a PDF file back from the transcriptionist. But other times, you may need a digital audio transcription to be editable or in a format in which you can change or copy the text. In this particular case, you may want an .RTF file or a .DOC or .DOCX Microsoft Word file.

Most podcast transcriptionists will accomodate whatever format you need your final transcript delivered as. The standards, though, fall in the categories of .PDF, .DOC, .DOCX and .RTF files.

Sara is a digital audio transcriptionist that can provide fast turnaround times for podcasts, lectures, and other digital audio files you may need transcribed. She can produce them in many formats. Feel free to contact her for a rate quote on your digital audio file transcription project!

Factors to Take Into Consideration When Requesting a Cost Quote for Audio Transcription Services

When you submit a digital audio file for transcription to a transcriptionist, you will first want to get an initial quote from the transcription service. This will give the transcriptionist a feel for the audio and allows them to determine the difficulty that may be involved in transcribing the audio. This will generally determine the price per audio minute that you will pay to have the transcripts completed.

There are a number of factors that will affect the cost per audio minute when it comes to having your audio files transcribed. Here are just a few of the barriers that you might face when trying to get inexpensive audio transcription work done:

Number of Speakers

It is a lot easier for a transcriptionist to transcribe a one-on-one interview or a one person podcast than it is an eight person focus group. Also, you have to remember that if you have digital audio of, say, a university lecture, if there are people nearby talking, the transcriptionist will have a little more difficulty transcribing the lecturer because of the overtalk from nearby students. All of this is taken into consideration when a transcription service gives you a quote for audio transcription.

Fast and Slow Talkers

If your audio has a fast talker, it will be considerably difficult for a transcriptionist to transcribe the audio than if it is a slow talker speaking on the audio file. The faster the speaker talks, the more it will cost to have your transcription job completed.

Interruptions in Audio (Applause, Talk-over, Etc)

A speech at a local meeting may be a little more costly to transcribe if there is a lot of applause from the audience, or a lot of nearby talkover by other attendees. These kinds of situations will raise the price of your transcription, as it can sometimes be difficult for a transcriptionist to hear what is being said by the speaker when applause or the voices of other attendees is blocking the audio.

Quality of Audio

Of course, the more crisp and clear the audio is, the easier it will be to transcribe. Clear audio of a speaker right at the microphone (like a podcast) will be a lot cheaper to transcribe than a community meeting with the speaker across the room and lots of attendees clapping and talking around the microphone. Be sure that when you are recording your audio, you get the recording device as close as possible to the speaker you want transcribed. This will lower your overall cost of transcription.

Expected Turnaround Time

If you needed the audio yesterday, you may end up paying a little more to have it transcribed if you want it done as soon as possible. Of course, some transcriptionists, like Sara, work with individuals on an irregular basis and generally can turn around audio within 24 hours. But of course, it depends on the workload of the transcription provider. If the transcriptionist has other files that they are working on, they will probably end up having to charge more if you want your transcription returned as soon as possible. But if you are in no hurry, you will pay a lot less if the transcriptionist is able to work on the file at their leisure.

These are just a few of the factors that affect the cost of your audio transcriptions. It's best to contact a transcription provider service and give them a snippet of the audio you are wanting transcribed and get a direct quote with an expected turnaround time. This way, you can shop around for the best service, and pay the lowest price around!

If you're looking to have a digital audio file transcribed, contact Sara--she is generally able to provide turnaround times of less than 24 hours on most digital audio files. She is an individual that will work on your file--not a business outsourcing the work to oversea individuals, thus lessening the confidentiality of your files.

What Does TAT (Turnaround Time) Mean When it Comes to Digital Audio Transcription Services?

You may hear transcription services and providers talk about the TAT that you are expecting. But was is TAT?

TAT stands for "Turnaround Time" in the transcription industry. This is the amount of time from the minute the transcriptionist receives the digital audio file to the time that a finished transcript is provided to the individual or company that supplied the file.

Sometimes, the price of the audio transcription service depends upon the turnaround time expected by the company. The faster you need the transcript, the more you may end up paying.

Some companies take weeks to provide a finished, written transcript for your audio files, but transcription service providers like Sara can turnaround digital audio transcripts within 24 hours in most cases. She handles every file personally and provides individual services for her clients. She can do verbatim transcripts and summarized transcripts, whichever fits your needs, and transcribes everything from podcasts to focus groups.

Verbatim Transcripts vs. Summarized Transcripts

What do you say when your audio transcription provider asks you whether you want your finished transcripts to be verbatim transcripts or summarized transcripts?

It's important to know the difference--many transcriptionists will determine the cost of their provided services depending on whether you want your work verbatim or summarized.

It's a good idea to read up with the following articles, "What is a Summarized Transcript for Audio Transcription?" and "What is a Verbatim Transcript for Audio Transcription?" by Sara Haley. These articles will explain the difference between the two, and which one may be more important for your needs.

Whichever you choose, if you need audio transcription services, feel free to contact Sara--she's an individual that specializes in audio transcription and can provide fast turnaround times and excellent accuracy when transcribing your personal or business digital audio files. She has years of experience transcribing and will handle your task personally.

What is a Summarized Transcript for Audio Transcriptions?

Whenever you are having digital audio transcribed by a transcription provider, you will generally be asked whether you want the returned transcript document to be a verbatim transcript or a summarized transcript. These are two totally different kinds of transcripts, so be prepared to know what you're talking about and exactly what you are requesting, as this will generally determine the cost of your transcription service as well.

A summarized transcript is a transcript that eliminates audio that is not necessary to the final transcript. For example, it will eliminate stutters, "uhs" and "ums," and incomplete, cut-off sentences by one or more of the speakers in the audio.

The other option is to have a verbatim transcript, which includes every single word spoken and sound made throughout the audio file. You can learn more about verbatim transcripts on this blog post.

Whether you need a verbatim or summarized transcript, you can contact Sara--she'll provide you personalized, one-on-one service and professionalism, along with accurate transcription services of podcasts, conference meetings, and other digital audio files that you may need transcribed for yourself or your business. Sara is a native English speaker and handles all files herself, unlike larger transcription services that pass the file on to numerous people, eliminating the confidentiality of a personal or company file. Contact Sara for prices and turnaround times.

What is a Verbatim Transcript for Audio Transcriptions?

When it comes to having digital audio transcribed into a written transcript, you may be faced with a question from your transcription service provider: Do you want verbatim transcriptions?

Whether it's a podcast, focus group for market research, or a class lecture, you'll want to consider your options for the type of transcript you would like from your transcriptionist. A verbatim transcription is a transcript that is extremely thorough. Verbatim transcriptions include stutters, incomplete sentences, and words like, "uh," "um," etcetra.

There is generally not a need for a verbatim transcript, but sometimes, it is necessary, especially if dealing with something in the legal system or court recordings. For most instances though, verbatim transcription is generally not necessary for most transcription situations.

Most transcripts are summarized--they are generally a transcript of the audio without stutters, incomplete sentences, and other unnecessary words that do not add to the value of the transcript itself.

Whether you need a verbatim transcription done, or even a summarized transcription, you may consider using the transcription service provided by Sara--she is an independant transcriptionist--your work will be handled by one person and one person only--not sent through various people or oversea individuals working in a language that is not native to them. Contact Sara if you're looking for podcast transcription services, or any other audio transcription.