Category: Integrated Editor

9 Transcription Productivity Tips from Scribie Professionals

Allan CaegLeave a comment
9 Transcription Productivity Tips from Scribie Professionals

At Scribie, we believe in the importance of quality transcription. This is why we developed our signature 4-step process.

Let me note that our quality transcripts are made possible by our network of talented transcriptionists. We asked some of our pros to share some tips that help produce consistent, high-quality transcripts. Scribie pros, Martin, Danijela, Betty, and Sarah, share insights for how to be a transcriptionist and produce excellent transcripts at Scribie.

You may be a rookie transcriptionist or an experienced pro. Either way, you’ll benefit from these insider transcription hacks from Scribie pros themselves.

How To Begin Your Transcription Journey

1. Focus On What You’re Hearing

Betty suggests that you focus on the content.

Looking back I can see that I was hyper focused on punctuation and capitalization. I spent a lot of unnecessary time on those aspects. After a couple of years doing this it seems like those aspects are now much more intuitive and I focus more on what I am actually hearing.

2. Start Slowly

Sarah advises beginning Scribie transcribers to take their time to avoid mistakes and missing important key guidelines. She says,

Learn everything you can about the guidelines and how the process works. Study the changes made to your work by the QC and learn how to improve. Starting out slowly will likely help with gaining experience and enable a better and easier path to promotion.

3. Quality Over Quantity

If you’re planning a long-term career with Scribie, Danijela and Martin also recommend taking your time focusing on producing quality content.

Danijela:

It can get tempting to start producing quantity over quality in order to make some extra money fast, but in the long term, it really doesn’t pay off. Take the time to get familiar with the program, check for words you’re unsure about online, and make sure you’re submitting your best work.

Martin:

Do not compromise the accuracy of a file for speed, there is usually more than enough time to work on a file. Double-check the file if you have to. If you can’t catch a word or a phrase at first, listen to it again, or come back to it later once you’ve reached the end of the file.

Pro tip: Martin adds, if a word feels incorrect, it probably is. Identify that which you’ll consider background conversation because transcribing this is unnecessary and almost impossible.

4. Bookmark the “Guidelines” Page

If you’re constantly referring to the “Transcription Guidelines” page, you’re not alone. Betty shares,

I was constantly referring to the guidelines on the Scribie web page which were a big help.

Ways to Select Your File for Transcription

What are some tips and tricks for choosing a file in Scribie’s transcription portal? Check out our transcribers’ responses below.

5. Assess Your Time and Energy

Betty assesses the time she has available, her schedule for the day, energy level, and file difficulty.

I have made the mistake of underestimating the time it would take me to finish a file. After hours of work I have had to cancel a file because of other obligations. I now have a pretty good idea of what I can attempt on low energy days vs. higher energy days.

6. Sort Files by Date or Length First

When Sarah gets ready to work on files at Scribie she usually sorts and samples them by date first to check for more urgent files.

Sarah:

I try to get an idea of how long the file is and how much time I have to devote to it right then. If everything sounds good, then I select it based on that criteria. If I don’t find any of the more urgent files to be a good fit for me right then, I change the sort order to length so I can try to work on something that better fits my available time, and then repeat the process of sampling before selecting the file I’ll be working on.

Transcription Tactics

These transcription tips based on what Scribie’s transcribers have learned make the process faster and easier.

7. Google for Context

Knowing the context of a recording makes it easier. Danijela suggests that you do a quick search on Google to help identify words you don’t recognize.

Martin says,

Learn to recognize the context of a conversation and the background of the speakers, which helps identify words that sound foreign.

8. Find What Works for You

Many transcribers have their own style when working on a file. While Scribie provides you with built-in tools to make it easier, it’s important that you find a process that works for you.

Once you’ve landed on something that consistently produces good quality transcripts, which you’re comfortable with, you’re free to do your own thing!

Martin:

I understand that [the built-in editor] has many tools to help transcribers, I personally do not use most of them

In other words, you’ll want to personalize your workflow and use the right tools depending on what you’re currently comfortable with.

9. Keep at It, You’ll Get Better

Many aspiring transcriptionists struggle in the beginning. This was also the case for Danijela, Martin, Betty, and Sarah. Eventually, you’ll improve and even learn new skills.

Martin:

Now, as a QC, I know what to expect from a file just by listening to snippets of it (a feature I greatly appreciate), and can therefore pick and complete a project, even from transcription all the way to QC, without much hassle.

Danijela:

Even after working at Scribie for more than a year, I am still learning so much, whether it be new expressions, dialects, or simply an interesting new topic being discussed on the recordings.

We’re a Bunch of Friendly People

Danijela wants to urge fellow transcribers to not be afraid to ask questions, while Betty finds Scribie’s live chat feature “invaluable”. Danijela says,

Ask questions. Join the Slack community or write emails to the staff. If you’re unsure about anything, it’s much better to ask than to try and make sense of something on your own and risk making some major mistakes. Trust me, nobody will laugh at you for asking questions on Slack. I like to believe we’re a bunch of friendly people. Don’t forget, we were all rookies at one point!

She continues,

I’ve learned a lot in this year, but I love the fact that I’m still learning and that the Slack community is constantly updating us with various tips and tricks on how to become even better.

Interested in a freelance transcription job online? Join our community of Scribie pros!

A Step-by-Step Guide: How to Write a Transcript Fast

Allan Caeg1 Comment
A Step-by-Step Guide: How to Write a Transcript Fast

So, you’re supposed to transcribe an audio or video file.

Your work may need you to do a steady stream of transcriptions, or you’ve never transcribed a word in your life.

Best practices and guidelines ensure that transcripts adhere to industry standards. How do you keep your transcripts high quality with minimal effort? It helps to establish a process for things to stay organized and smooth.

If you happen to be a seasoned transcriber, there may be transcription tips and tricks that you haven’t considered before. Can you improve your current transcription process?

We’ve created this checklist covering all the essential bases to optimize the transcription process, from start to finish. Check out the necessary steps to get you on your way to completing that transcription task efficiently.

Step 1. Prepare Your Tools and Equipment

Make sure you’ve prepared all the necessary tools and equipment before you begin to transcribe.

A comfortable or ergonomic chair creates a huge difference in keeping your body relaxed during hours of transcription work. It supports your lower back, promotes good posture, and ensures proper blood circulation. Adjust the seat to your preferred position.

Use good quality, noise-canceling headphones. Over-ear headsets are the most comfortable as they encase your entire ear and isolate distracting noise. Human voice frequencies lie between 250 Hz and 2000 Hz, the midrange of sound. We recommend headphones that have a pronounced yet smooth midrange.

Keep your essential every day carry items close. Eyeglasses, a bottle of water, a cup of coffee, or mobile phone should have already been placed on your desk to reduce distractions while doing transcription work.

An online reference such as soft copies of a dictionary or Google helps you quickly search for unfamiliar terms and the context to its meaning.

A foot pedal lets you control dictation playback with your toes. You can play, rewind, and fast forward by tapping sections of the pedal with your foot. You can setup your foot pedal to work with Scribie’s transcription software.

Step 2. Find a Good Transcription Software

There are web-based transcription tools that let you upload and transcribe your entire recordings online. These are your best friends in getting transcripts done–fast.

Scribie’s all-in-one transcription software has built-in tools and shortcuts to make everything easier from start to finish. You can even automatically transcribe your file to cut down time spent on transcription.

Basically, you can transcribe on Scribie in three simple steps:

  1. Upload your file.
  2. Scribie transcribes automatically.
  3. Check and edit the transcript.

Step 3. Amplify Volume and Increase the Audio Quality

Not all recordings are made equal. If you have a difficult file with plenty of background noise, there are ways you can increase its audio quality.

Scribie has a built-in dynamic range compressor that automatically increases the audio quality of your file for transcription. It reduces the volume of unnecessary loud sounds and amplifies sections that are difficult to hear. As we’ve been mastering transcription for about a decade, we continuously optimize tools like these.

Step 4. Familiarize Yourself with the Tools

Make the most out of your transcription software. Buckle up for your transcription journey by getting to know your tools.

Scribie has a timestamped audio player and fully-featured integrated text editor–everything you need for transcription. There are built-in tools, keyboard shortcuts, and a control panel that you can customize to fit your work process.

Scribie’s tools and shortcuts:

The word expander saves time by predicting and expanding the word you’re typing. Frequently used words allow an overview of what words to expect in your recording. This saves you from guessing a vague term.

Spellcheck provides you with suggestions to autocorrect any potential spelling mistakes.

Slow down or speed up audio to catch every word.

Use keyboard shortcuts to pause, skip, forward, or rewind to a certain time in the recording.

Identify mistakes with a blue underline through Scribie’s AI tool.

For recordings with heavy accents, you can dictate and transcribe the file using our voice recognition software.

If you happen to have little idea of your recording’s content, you have the option to automatically transcribe your file. This gives you a nice overview of what to expect and speeds up transcription.

Step 5. During Transcription

Here’s a pro tip: Many transcribers put speech to text by matching the transcript and audio word-for-word. We actually recommend against that. Instead, listen to the entire conversation and use context to interpret and identify the correct words.

During transcription, you may come across unfamiliar content such as technical or medical terms. Do a Google search for context or install soft copies of an online dictionary for a quick definition.

Don’t get hung up on a difficult word, though. There may be certain terms or words that are difficult to catch where you end up pausing and rewinding multiple times. Skip them. Leave a blank in the meantime and get back to those words you missed later to avoid breaking your flow.

Avoid context switching and juggling different tasks at the same time. Alternating between transcribing and editing becomes tiresome. Instead, do one thing at a time.

Begin the task by putting on your transcription hat and focusing on the transcription task ahead. The first draft doesn’t have to be perfect. Once you’ve completely transcribed the entire recording, whether manually or automatically, you can pivot your attention to editing and refining the transcript.

Step 6. Edit the Transcript

Re-play the audio, go over your draft, and zoom in on the ff:

  • Areas left blank or missed
  • Misheard words, terms, or expressions
  • Misspelled words
  • Punctuation
  • Formatting

Use Scribie’s spellcheck and AI tool to identify any misspellings or mistakes that may have slipped through.

Over to You

Transcription work can be rewarding for those with an eye for detail and quality content.

Breaking the transcription process down into step-by-step increments makes long hours seem easy and do-able. While a great transcription software saves time and effort.

We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to make transcription as easy as possible for our transcribers.

Scribie offers online transcription jobs for beginners and seasoned professionals. Learn more about how you can join Scribie as a freelancer.

Why Scribie Is The Top Transcription Service

Becca Thomas2 Comments
Scribie Top Transcription Service

What A Top Transcription Service Offers

If you’ve ever found yourself in need of a transcription service, you know that by doing a Google search, you will see a lot of results. Just because there are many transcription services out there, doesn’t mean that they all match up to each other. Continue reading “Why Scribie Is The Top Transcription Service” →

Default Format That Scribie Offers For Transcription

Yukti YatishLeave a comment

Know what’s the first thing that chases potential clients away in the online world? UI complexity. Why? Because things online are supposed to make life easier. Plus, no one has the time or the energy to spend in figuring out how a convoluted system works. The result? They switch to a better, easier website. We, at Scribie understand it too well. And we know how important it is to make the whole process simple for our customers. That is why we use the default format while transcribing all the files that you upload on our website.

But wait, what’s the default format? Nothing too complicated, I promise. Here’s a quick look at what you can expect out of this format.

default transcript format

Speaker Tracking: In case there are a number of speakers in your audio file, we will identify each one. If the audio identifies each speaker by his/ her name, our transcription will do that too. But what if it doesn’t? Don’t worry. We make a good use of our ears and distinguish each speaker as Speaker 1, Speaker 2, and so on according to the order of their ‘appearance’ in the audio. And what happens when there is only one speaker? Say, if the audio file is a monologue? No problem. We use the name of the speaker (if that’s available) or identify the person as Speaker 1 throughout the transcription. If it sounds too complicated, check out one of our sample files available on the website.

To enhance the ease of understanding, we begin a new paragraph with every change of speaker or every three minutes, whichever is earlier. You even have the option to name the speakers in the audio file while placing an order. You can change it later on, even after the transcription, with the help of our Integrated Editor.

Timestamps: Timestamps, also known as time coding, is yet another feature that we offer as a default. This means, we put the running time of the audio file at which a particular speaker begins talking. You can expect an accuracy of +/- 1 second for timestamps. We also add the running time at the beginning of each new paragraph.

Non-strict verbatim: Our transcription follows the non-verbatim format as a default. This means the ‘fillers’ such ‘ummm’, ‘uh-huh’, and the likes are omitted from the transcribed file unless such words are indispensable. However, if you want a strict verbatim format, you can specify that too while placing the order.

You can trust our default format for an impeccable transcribed file turned around within the specified deadline. However, if you want to modify the requirements, you can do that too. Upload your files now and let our superb team of transcriptionists work their magic.

Career In Transcription Industry

Yukti YatishLeave a comment
career in transcription
Career In Transcription Industry

Introduction to General Transcription:

General Transcription could either be of an interview or a conference call or just a conversation or discussion on a certain topic. The topics can be varied and there is usually more than one speakers. Unlike medical transcription it does not require a formal training or a certification for the company.

Skills required:

The basic skill required for general transcription is a good typing speed of around 40-50 wpm and excellent english comprehension. In addition, you should be able to comprehend different accents native (American, British, Australian) and non native ( Spanish, Italian, French etc). By excellent comprehension, we mean ability to get the context right and understand the usability/difference between similar sounding words as per the context etc. Of course, for some, the comprehension skills are inherent. However, there are many ways to improve you comprehension skills for e.g watching all kinds of English movies or series and try to understand whats spoken without looking at the subtitles.

Work Content:

While the work involves listening to the audio and typing it out, there are cases where some words are unheard of and some research is required to get it right. Google search is most widely used for this purpose. The more files you do, the better it gets in terms of comprehension and vocabulary. On an average, a person can do 2 audio hours of transcription/Verification and 3- 4 hours of QA (which involves going through around 50% of the file) in a day. If a person tries to stretch beyond this, it might affect the quality of the file.

Tools:

There are various tools (hardware/software) available for transcription in general. While many companies, like Scribie.com, have their own Integrated editor, there are other who use tools like Express scribe. Many are used to foot pedal, which can be configured to play/pause etc using your foot while your hands can do the typing.

Career Growth:

The work flow that we follow here in Scribie is as follows:

1. Raw Transcription: In this step, the audio for each part file is played back and transcribed as accurately and cleanly as possible. The incomprehensible parts are marked with blanks.
2. Review: During Review, the Raw Transcript is checked for correctness and quality. The audio file is played back again and each transcribed word is checked against the audio. The blanks are filled, if possible. Timestamps and speaker tracking are also added at this stage.
3. Verification: During verification each part files is checked once again to correct mistakes and address inconsistencies among them. At the end, all part files are collated together and the final transcript is prepared.
4. Quality Analyst( delivery): In the last step, the final transcript is quality checked and delivered to the customer.

The experience required as well as the responsibility and remuneration given to people in each phase increases as one goes from doing Raw Transcription to Delivery. The role of QA is very important as he/she is the interface to the customer and lot of business depends on his abilities to do his/her job well.

The good news is, you could do all this from comforts of your home by joining our freelance transcription program. If you really think this career is for you, then Apply here now and become a certified freelancer with Scribie.com .

How to Know You Have Chosen the Best Online Transcription Service

Yukti Yatish1 Comment
Scribie_Transcription

Don’t Take Chances On Transcription

There are many ways to hire a good online transcription service provider. Taking a chance on one should not be one of them. This is because of the nature of work that is involved. The files to be transcribed are often crucial information that has an important role to play in terms of research, business, and more.

So, how do you know that you have found the best online transcription service provider? There are some sure-shot ways to know.

Top Transcription Must-Haves

1. User-friendly interface

A clean and easy-to-navigate website is a pre-requisite. You should be able to move between the pages, check out the services that the company offers and place your order without much hassle. A clean website is a basic element any good service provider should have. It is also important because it gives you an idea of how serious the company is about their job. Most organizations know that a website is the first impression that they have on a prospective client’s mind. If they are not careful about doing their best in this area, chances are they won’t be mindful of doing a flawless job for you as well.

Clean UI

2. Secure and trusted payment

Scribie_PricingWhen you are placing an order online, you need to provide the details of your credit or debit card information. Needless to say that you should feel comfortable doing so. A trustworthy service provider will always be careful to make its website safe and secure. You should also be able to see all pricing details before you place any order. At Scribie, we provide a very detailed break-up of the rates and the pricing options so that there are no surprises later on and you have a very clear idea of the service you want to avail.
Secure_Scribie_Braintree

3. Relevant review tools

Wouldn’t it be great if you could check the progress of your transcription and ensure that it meets great quality standards? Nobody wants to feel as if the uploaded file has been sucked into a nameless black hole so that all you can do is wait eagerly until the final transcribed file arrives. We at Scribie understand that too well. That is why we offer the unique Integrated Editor (pictured below.) Our clients can use the various tools of this free editor to check the quality of the transcription whenever they want.

Scribie_Editor

 


4. Free Re-reviews

A good transcription service provider will always have enough room to accommodate your suggestions. In other words, you re-reviewshould be able to ask for a re-review if you find the final transcribed file is lacking in quality. We at Scribie offer you one free re-review if you are not happy with the final file. You can also offer inputs and suggestions while asking for this re-review, which we will try our best to incorporate during the proofreading phase.

 

5. Testimonials and reviews

Client testimonials are one of the best parameters by which you can judge a company. Look for online reviews before you make up your mind. You can find the ones about us on Scribie’s homepage itself.

Scribie_Testimonials

 

A good transcription service is an important first step that can have a far-reaching impact on your business. We at Scribie assure you of quality transcription delivered within the deadline. Start uploading your files now.

 

How to Review or Check the Quality of Transcripts

Becca ThomasLeave a comment

As a business professional, student, teacher, or whatever reason you may have for using a transcription service, you want to know that the service you used has done their job and done it well. You want your work or project to be up to the highest standards.

student-849822_640

With that in mind, did you know that Scribie offers you a simple approach to check and review the quality of your transcripts? It’s a few steps that can be done with the use of a tool that only Scribie offers, their free Integrated Editor.

The Integrated Editor provides a variety of tools at your disposal including a full feature text editor, unified interface, auto-capitalization, auto-correct, text analysis, and variable speed playback, just to name a few. With the editor, you’ll want to analyze your transcript, check for underlines and blanks, and do random spot checks. Let’s get started.

You can analyze your document by simply click ‘Analysis’ at the top of the Integrated Editor. It will underline words that either are not recognized by the editor or words and phrases that are not common. Scan the underlines and play those portions to ensure that things are correct. If you want to analyze any word or phrase further, you can right click on the word for a list of options.

If you see blanks in your transcript it’s due to transcribers not being fully sure what was said in your audio. Easily find those blank spots using the editor by holding down CTRL+B. It’ll play the audio just prior to the blank and you can fill it in with the appropriate word or phrase.

Scribie recommends that you randomly check portions of your transcript instead of going through the entire document. If you find key mistakes in your spot checks, then check the entire paragraph for any further issues. To check a paragraph, click in any part of the paragraph and hold down CTRL+ALT+N.

qualification-692088_640

By doing these few things, you can ensure that the transcription is all that you need it to be. Scribie strives to provide you with no less than 98% accuracy and by providing this service, we want to show you we take that guarantee seriously.

So start uploading you files on Scribie now!!

Educational Transcription Service

Yukti YatishLeave a comment

educational transcriptionWhen you think of transcription services, who typically comes to mind as using their services? Doctors, assistants, researchers, but what about students? As a student, you may need to have lectures, notes, academic or research interviews, meetings, speeches, dissertations and a list of other things that need to be transcribed.

Students who are working on dissertations spend hours gathering information, working on interviews, doing research and jotting down their own thoughts. That’s a lot of your time and effort put in over the course of the year and now it comes down to one dissertation.

Add in the varying ways and formats you may have your interviews and research and all of a sudden, the thought of putting it all into an understandable and useable format can be daunting. You’ve put hundreds of hours of work in and now you need to understand all of those interviews.

Imagine writing your dissertation and you remember something that an individual or yourself said that you want to put in your dissertation, but you can’t remember exactly what was said or where in all of your hours of notes it could be located. It could take a while just to find that information if you had to transcribe it all by yourself.

Why spend so much time trying to interpret your research and interview transcription when you could outsource it to a transcription service? Time you could be using studying, putting in finishing touches or even just taking a much needed and well deserved break!

By using a transcription service, you can have your dissertation notes and interviews in a format of your choosing with a quick turnaround. When you use Scribie’s transcription service, you get multiple and accented speakers included in our already low price. Plus, when you upload more than 20 hours, you get a 10% discount on your order. Perfect for students who are low on funds, but have a lot of data that needs to be sifted through.

With Scribie, you can keep tracker of speakers and utilise our one-of-a-kind Integrated Editor, just to name a few. Scribie lets you choose your turnaround time, your price and with 98% accuracy guarantee, you know that all of your treasured and valuable data is in safe hands. Consider using Scribie’s transcription service for your dissertation needs or any of your student needs and spend the time where it really matters.

Start uploading you files now and order!

Free Audio/Video Transcription Software

Yukti Yatish1 Comment
Online Audio Transcription Editor
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/07/prweb12039977.htm

In the last couple of posts, we have discussed the Integrated  Editor the one of a kind audio transcription tool provided only by Scribie. In this post, we’ll tackle the last few features of the Integrated Editor.

First up is the variable speed playback. This feature allows you to speed up or slow down the audio so that it’s easier to follow along with the audio as you type. Speed can be adjusted by clicking on the box and entering in the desired speed. The higher the number entered, the faster the speed. The opposite is true; the lower the number entered, the slower the speed.

The next features are the amplifier and dynamic compressor. The amplifier allows you to amplify the audio to make it easier to hear. This can be done with the drop down menu on the top right hand corner of the editor. A window appears that allows you to adjust to your desired setting. With the dynamic compressor, you can get greater control over your audio level. It’s important to note that both of these features are only available in Chrome.

With all of these great features you can get the most out of your editing with the Integrated Editor. Once you are satisfied with your finished product, the only thing left to do is download a copy for yourself. The last feature, word conversion, makes this easy for you. There are a variety of options for your finished product including a Word document, PDF file, ODT or TXT. The choice is up to you.

We hope you have enjoyed this in depth look into all the features that the Integrated Editor from Scribie has to offer. For more information or a look at some of the other features, click here. If you loved what you’ve seen here, don’t hesitate to contact Scribie for all of your transcription needs. At Scribie, you get one of a kind products with one of a kind service.

For the press release on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/07/prweb12039977.htm

Online Audio Transcription

Yukti YatishLeave a comment

The Integrated Editor is a one of a kind online transcription tool that only Scribie has to offer. We’ve touched on a few of its features in a previous blog and now we’ll continue to talk about more features that the Integrated Editor has to offer.

The Integrated Editor comes with a featured packed text editor that helps you while going over your files. You can click on a line in the text editor and it’ll take you to that point in the audio or vice versa.

The Integrated Editor also supports a variety of audio and video formats. Some the formats supported are mp3, wav, m4a, avi, flv, mp4, wmv, and mov. You don’t have to worry about whether your file will be supported as there are many types supported in the editor.

A fun feature included in the Integrated Editor is the multi-cursor. This allows you to select a word and change all occurrences of that word to another word. All you do is select a word, press CTL+ALT+G, which highlights all occurrences of that word, and simply type what change you want to make. It’ll change all occurrences to that new word.

Another feature that you’ll find in the Integrated Editor is text analysis. You can utilize this feature by clicking ‘Analysis’ at the top of the editor and the least common words and phrases or words not recognized by the editor in the document will be underlined. This allows you to go through your document for accuracy and cohesion. For further analysis, simply right click on a word to provide you with more options.

Want to learn more about the Integrated Editor? Simply click here to see all the features. Next time, we’ll discuss the last few features of the Integrated Editor in more detail.