Do you need to read through an interview record or share some content of a meeting? Transcription services will be a god way of turning your audio material into readable text. Instead of labouring by listening to long audio records, why not turn them into a readable text that you can go through briefly. Transcribers have the ability to transcribe recorded phone calls, audio recorded during a meeting, court hearings and many other audios. There are various transcription services out there and this review will guide you through what you need to know about such services.
What is a Transcription Service?
A transcription service is basically an online business that offers the services of converting live or recorded speech into a readable text. The converted text can be written or an electronic text document. Transcription services can be offered to people looking to convert speeches, seminars, interviews or even court sessions into a readable version.
There is a wide variety of transcription services out there nowadays, so you have to be keen in order to get the best services. You have to narrow down the list until you remain with the service that suits your needs and budget.
Why Use Transcription Services?
There are so many reasons as to why you would require transcription services. First, it saves you the time you would take trying to do the transcription of audios by yourself. Professional transcribers are well-trained in their job, so they deliver quality work in a short period of time. Again, well transcribed material will help you remember all the details from calls, meetings and webinars. It also offers a way of converting already existing content into different formats.
What Should I Look for in a Transcription Service?
When looking for a transcription service, there are several factors you should be on the lookout for. A good transcription service should have most of the abilities and features discussed below. Here are a few of the things that you should check before hiring any transcription service:
Readability
Readability is actually the most important aspect of any transcription service. What’s the essence of having a written text that is unreadable or difficult to read? The final copy should be readable, without spelling or grammatical errors. Even punctuation should be correct because it determines the flow and intonation of conversations. It’s important you get the best transcription services so that you can get a final document that’s as readable as possible. Transcribers are known to get a 99% or higher readability rate, which is perfect.
Pricing
Another aspect that’s at the top of the list is the cost charged for the service. You first have to know the quality of work being offered and what you’re needed to pay. You have to find a cost-effective service that will give you high-quality work, great features and functionality within your budget. Although prices keep changing, currently the standard charges stand at £2.00 per minute of audio.
Delivery Time
You also have to consider the turnaround time that the service will take to deliver your job. Some services are much faster than others and still you’ll get quality texts. You should also be extremely keen because you wouldn’t want a rushed transcript because it can be full of errors and some confusion. On the other hand, you wouldn’t want to wait for days or a week to receive your order back. Just make sure you are aware of the turnaround time before picking any transcription service. This will save you a lot from poorly done work due to rush or waiting for so long to get your order done.
User Interface
Remember, online transcription service is offered on a website, so the user interface is very important. As a client, you need a user interface that’s friendly, smooth and easy-to-navigate. That’s because you’ll need to log into your account, communicate with the company, give instructions or use customer support. An unfriendly user interface is a complete turnoff and many clients don’t like websites like that. Such services are no good and there is no need of using them. Just stick to a website that’s easy to use and stress-free in terms of navigation.
Complicated Audio Support
Some audio files that need transcribing come from phone calls and other recordings. Most of these audios will have some background noise, accents or mumbling. A good transcription service should handle all that and capture what’s important without missing any details. Some of the services around will offer multiple language transcription. So, it really depends on what you want but bottom line is, the transcription service should be able to work on complicated audios efficiently.
Security and Privacy
Last, you have to consider the level of security and privacy the service offers. It’s recommended that you avoid uploading any sensitive files to transcriptions services. However, if need be, you should only work with a service that has strict security and privacy policies. You can also go ahead to check whether the service offers a Non-disclosure agreement or not.
The Best Transcription Service
Trying to find the best transcription service is not an easy task especially since there are so many services around. However, as you have seen in the review, it’s all about blending accuracy, cost, turnaround time, and security. As long as a service has all these features then you’re good to go. GoTranscript is one of the largest and best online transcription service agencies in the world. The brand lives by the principles of hustle, adapt and listen. The brand focuses on audio transcription and has built a system that does quality checks and balances the process. They can handle any type of audio and you don’t have to worry about the turnaround time or cost.
Hopefully this review will help you as you find transcription services for your business. Remember to be in the lookout for the aspects mentioned above and you won’t be disappointed. All the best!
