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Transcription Q&A

Do you have questions about Digital and Cassette Transcribing?

· How long will it take to transcribe a 30-minute cassette or digital file?

· A good rule of thumb is 3 to 5 times the length of material to be transcribed.

· In other words, if you have a 30-minute tape of conversation, it will take 1-1/2 to 2-hours depending on the quality of tape, background noise, speaker’s diction, etc.

· Why does it take so long to transcribe?

· Many factors enter into the length of time it takes to transcribe, for instance

Sound quality

Voice speed and clarity of the speaker/speakers

Accents and pronunciation of words and phases

Topic and field of expertise required

· What other areas influence the time it takes to transcribe, and also the price of your copy?

· Number of different voices/speakers/participants

· Special area of expertise or experience in a particular field

· Verbatim transcription

· Punctuation and grammatical editing requirements

· What’s the difference between Cassette Tapes, Video, and Digital Files?

· Medium

· What kinds of tapes are there?

· Standard Cassette

· Mini Cassette

· Micro Cassette

· What kinds of digital files are there?

· Many, some are AIF, AU, MID, MIDI, MP, RA, RAM, EM, WAV, VOX

· Check with your transcriber to ensure the type of digital/sound file you have is compatible with the transcriber’s equipment.

 

What kind of turnaround time can I expect?

· PLAN AHEAD, reserve time with the transcriber and save those RUSH charges.  Your project doesn’t need to be ready to schedule time, but if you don’t meet your schedule and don’t notify the transcriber, you may be required to pay for the lost time of your transcriber.

· It is best to reserve time with your transcriber, but stay in contact with him/her in case you have to move the time or date  you’ve reserved.  If you know your going to have a project that is going to require fast turnaround, definitely schedule time, this will help you avoid any RUSH charge, or find your transcriber is already booked and can’t assist you. 

 

How is my project charged?

· The $ rate of the transcriber x the amount of time it took to transcribe your mater = cost.

· Pitch, margins, headers/footer space, and any other formatting attribute you choose.

· You will receive varied per page pricing related to your format requirements.  Cost savings would be NOT to request a special format, such as an elaborate page setup with indents, special parentheses request, and special bolds and color text requests.

· Another way is by the word.  The charge for ‘by-the-word’ is generally $0.02 up to $0.07 per work depending on your relationship with the transcriber, (steady customer or a one-time customer).  Per word charge will also depend on how many participants are involved in the interview or meeting.

· Advantages of being charged by the word is you can get a word count through MSWord.  Check it against your billing… by running a word count on the finished document you received from the transcriber and you will have the cost received from the transcriber, give or take .20 or .30 cents as some software counters vary slightly, but nothing so dramatic you would want to argue over the cost.

 

How can I save money?

· Plan ahead, don’t turn your project into an expensive RUSH project where you’ll move your project into the premium pricing category.

· I cannot iterate this enough, but sometimes scheduling your project ahead of time will give you a price break.

· Be specific regarding your layout, information you want extracted from the recording, and all other expectations you may have regarding this transcription.

· DO NOT REQUEST VERBATIM if you don’t need it!  This adds time and cost to your project. 

· Remember a FAST PAY rapport with your transcriber gets you little extras added to your document, such as page numbering, headers and footers to identify every aspect of your project; and other attributes at no additional cost.

· Building a long-term relationship with your transcriber may create a discount… talk to your transcriber about this incentive.

· Check to see if the transcriber will give you a sample.  Send him/her a small voice file, layout instructions and receive a sample for your review and a written estimate.

· Lastly, transcription isn’t just a matter of typing, and isn’t as easy as it appears, because the transcriber can only get out of a recording what was put into the recording…

· Quality… Quality… Quality… We all remember this from our first computer course… Garbage In—Garbage Out!

 

Things to think about prior to hiring someone to transcribe your material.

· What do I want the end product to look like?

· Generally you’ll receive 1” margins or the Standard Format of MSWord

· Title Centered on the page and in Bold Text

· Page numbering in the footnote area

· If you want something different, just make a plan

 

You might want to factor these items into your plan.

· Special text phases or technical words I should not down for the transcriber?

· Provide a paragraph or so of background information on the subject to assist the transcriber and possibly save me some money.  Names in speakers, copy of the meeting or presentation agenda, etc.

· A realistic time to expect my completed project?

· If you can, schedule time with your transcriber

· Send an email with a ‘heads-up’ to have your transcriber schedule time for your project.

· What format do I want to receive the end product?

· Include this information in your ‘heads-up’ message to your transcriber

· Specify the standard format or special format and preferred application