Transcription Services
I offer professional document preparation services, including transcription (corporate, legal, medical, academic), timecoding, word processing, copyediting, and proofreading.
What is transcription? Transcription is making a typewritten copy of audio recordings, but it’s not just data entry. I have been professionally trained to provide transcription services. Not only do I have extensive knowledge of technical terminology, I can also provide light editing for the most accurate and coherent transcript possible. In cases where every word matters – like, for instance, for legal proceedings – I can provide a verbatim transcript.
Please note that I am only qualified to transcribe in English.
Hier ist meine Website auf Deutsch: Englische Transkription
As Easy As ABC
A. Upload your media file
For secure transfer of files under 4 GB, please access my SendThisFile FileBox to send all audio/video files and reference documents. For larger files or entire folders, you can use my WeTransfer Plus profile or email me so I can provide access to my Dropbox folder.
B. I do all the work
And you receive a quality transcript as soon as possible via email.
C. You pay 2.50 € per audio minute*
And you receive a quality transcript as soon as possible via email.
Services
I also offer other document preparation services. Please contact me directly for any of the following:
data entry.
text-to-text (handwritten, typewritten, or image files to digital text) – 2.50 € per 1000 characters.
copyediting/proofreading – 0.02 € per word (or 5 € per manuscript page = 250 words/page).
LaTex copyediting – 0.03 € per word (or 7.50 € per manuscript page = 250 words/page).
technical typesetting (math equations, tables, statements, spreadsheets).
timecoding (for video editing – 01:23:45) – additional 0.50 € per audio minute.
NVivo-compatible transcripts for qualitative research, synchronized with timecodes, or formatted with headings – additional 0.50 € per audio minute.
verbatim or expanded Dresing/Pehl notation, includes every utterance, filler words like "um" and "uh", pauses, nonverbal signs like (laughs), with F4 timecodes after every speaker change – 3.50 € per audio minute.
for import into MAXQDA (audio track directly connected to the transcript) – 3.50 € per audio minute.
I no longer offer conversational analysis with Jeffersonian notation or Gesprächsanalytisches Transkriptionssystem (GAT).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Turnaround time: How long does it take?
Typically, for 1 hour of audio, the final document will be ready in 2 to 3 days. Please contact me in advance about availability if rush/same day or 24-hour turnaround is required.
What type of media formats can you accept?
The most common file formats I receive are MP3, WMA, and WAV files, but I can also transcribe AudioNote, AIFF, AMR, AVI, CAF, DCT, DS2, DSS, DVF, MSV, MP2, MOV, RA, VOX, and WMV files directly. Otherwise, I may be able to convert your media file into a usable format. If you have a live or online event, I can record your audio/video teleconference, Webcast, WebEx, or YouTube. Just notify me of the event and give me the phone number and passcode or the URL.
What types of things do you transcribe?
Some examples of the types of transcripts I provide are: Podcasts, YouTube videos, Webcasts, quarterly and annual earnings reports, conference calls, board meetings, investor conferences, speeches, company presentations, analyst road shows, sales meetings, trainings, Q&As, 911 calls, phone logs, court proceedings, depositions, insurance claims, police interrogations, undercover operations, Congressional hearings, press conferences, advisory board meetings, medical documents, dictations, conventions, interview footage, documentary video footage, commercial advertisements, television episodes, DVDs, broadcast news, focus groups, marketing surveys, research projects, informational interviews, lectures and classroom presentations, publishing.
Will my information or content be shared with third parties?
All material submitted for document processing will be kept strictly confidential in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG). Further information on the processing of your personal data can be found in the Terms and Conditions. Nondisclosure agreements are available if necessary.
All client data (audio, documentation, and transcripts) are physically secure in locked home office to which unauthorized people cannot gain access.
The workstation is password protected against unauthorized access with an automatic timeout, as well as with an encrypted hard drive.
Files are created, processed, and stored in separate directories (folders).
Data can be transferred with AES-256 encryption (zipped), and the password can be transmitted separately via SMS.
All data will be deleted after delivery of transcripts and payment is received.
What will the final transcript look like? I have a specific format I need my transcripts to conform to. Can you do that?
Documents are typically delivered as Microsoft Word files via email. If you have a preferred template, style, or format, you can submit your instructions or reference documents along with your media files. To get an idea of what the finished product will look like, here is a sample transcript (click the following JPG to see it full size in another window):
Recording tips
How do you ensure the best transcript? Record the best quality audio. Transcriptionists can only type what they hear. In some cases, an expert transcriptionist may be able to piece together inaudible or unintelligible portions of the audio from context, but they are not supposed to just "make it up". You want a true verbatim representation of what was said, not what the transcriptionist thinks she heard.
The better the audio quality, the faster the transcript. That's because the transcriptionist will listen to difficult audio again and again to try to discern it. If she can't hear it, you will receive a transcript full of (inaudible) markings, which may not even be useful for your end purposes. Your transcript will only be as good as your audio.
The best quality audio is always recorded at the fastest speed and highest quality possible. Radio quality is 128 kbps. For an mp3, in most cases, 44.1 kHz, 32 kbps should be sufficient quality and not produce a huge file. Uncompressed audio formats are always better because compressing audio files while recording greatly decreases audio quality. If files must be compressed because smaller files are easier to transfer, it is best to zip them after the recording is finished. The original larger file is always preferable to a file that is converted to a smaller size or format.
Audio quality is very difficult to restore and extremely easy to distort with audio editing. So it's best to reduce as much background noise as possible during the recording process because commercial editing software does not "fix" the file. It can only really filter out defined noise tracks or act as a sort of equalizer (increasing the treble or the bass).
When there are multiple speakers being recorded, you will get the best audio quality when each speaker has their own microphone and each person speaks one at a time. When people interrupt or speak over each other, it is very difficult for a transcriptionist to differentiate what is said or who said it. A good facilitator can direct questions to specific people and ask participants not to interrupt as well as insist that they speak in a loud, clear voice.
Another option is, if it's a teleconference, anybody who's not speaking should be muted to cut down on background noise, and if at all possible, please speak directly into the phone or handset and never use speaker phone, as ambient and environmental noise will be picked up as well, which muffles voices or makes them fuzzy.
The worst quality audio is when someone records a room full of people with an iPhone in the middle of the table. Maybe the person closest to the iPhone will be recorded well enough, but anyone who is further away from the microphone may be "muddy" or completely inaudible. If you must use a smartphone to record audio, please turn on airplane mode to reduce feedback and noise from incoming messages, calls, or other nearby devices.
The best audio quality is recorded in a quiet environment with no background noise, like a closed office. There is nothing worse for a transcriptionist than an interview in a loud café or with an air conditioner or wind that is constantly blowing on the microphone. Hidden microphones under the clothes always produce terrible audio because of clothing brushing against the mike or muffling the sound. The best quality audio is always when all of the participants speak directly into the microphone.
When there are many people speaking, referring to speakers by name or having each person introduce themselves is always best. Otherwise, the transcriptionist can only refer to speakers as unidentified. When references such as meeting agendas, slide presentations, or participant lists are available, please provide them. Also, when there are lots of names or specific terms used, such as pharmaceuticals or corporate jargon, word lists for context are very much appreciated. Also, spelling out names or uncommon terms is fantastic.
When interviewing someone, the best quality audio has no backchanneling. Use nonverbal prompts like nodding or smiling, rather than interjecting every second with "mm-hmm", "yeah", "sure", "okay", "absolutely". Sometimes even one word can obscure what the respondent was saying.
In the end, the transcript is only as good as the audio quality. Bad audio quality is difficult to work with, takes longer to transcribe, and may even produce an unusable transcript.
Contact
Need a transcript? Simply send your inquiry/order using the contact form.
You are also welcome to submit your audio file directly via my SendThisFile FileBox, Dropbox, my WeTransfer Plus Profile, or an alternative file transfer method. Please enter your complete contact information so I can handle the request.