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”
Some of you out there may utilize conference calls for work, business, or school. Depending on which program and company you use, it can be a little time consuming to record the calls, convert them into a format that is compatible for transcription and then upload them to be transcribed. That’s true with WebEx as well. If you have used WebEx, you will know that they use their own proprietary format to save calls, which you then have to download, convert and upload once again for transcription. In this busy and fast-paced world we live in, that’s just too much time and work for you to get the things done in the time you need it done.
Did you know that with Scribie, you can easily record and transcribe your conference calls, while still using WebEx? Scribie provides a solution for one on one calls that will automatically record the call for you and order the transcription of the call once that call is complete.
Once you have booked a conference call with WebEx, you will have a conference call number and PIN. You can now log-in or sign up with Scribie to get started. Once you’ve signed in, you’ll locate the Calls tab and click on One-on-One Call on the right hand side. This will pull up a prompt for you to enter Participant 1 and 2.
NOTE: It’s important that YOU are listed as Participant 1 and the WebEx conference call number is Participant 2.
Now, just click Start Call.
Scribie will now call YOUR number first and then the WebEx conference call number, where you will be prompted for to enter WebEx conference call PIN. Once this is complete, you’ll be connected to the conference call. Recording starts automatically and once the call is complete, your call will be sent for transcription.
With Scribie, your conference call transcription just got a whole lot easier. Now if only you knew what to do with that extra time…
So, how is Siri doing on your iPhone. Would you happily replace her with your secretary?
Personally, I won’t, because there are just too many ‘misses’ and ‘trouble spots’ that I wouldn’t want in my business.
The case is almost the same when you count upon software to transcribe your audio files instead of their ‘time-consuming’ human counterparts. Unfortunately, despite several attempts, science has not yet come up with a software solution that would act like Aladdin’s magic lamp. And from what it seems, the genie isn’t coming out any time soon. Why? The reasons are many.
The English language can be very tricky and hence very difficult to master especially when the learner in question is a transcription-software. Homophones pose a problem that most software find impossible to overcome. For instance, will it be sale or sail, no or know, fair, or fare? The list continues. Unlike us humans who are blest with critical analyzing skills, software cannot comprehend the difference. Plus, making these finer differentiations may be very difficult without a context, which might not appear until further into the conversation.
The problem aggravates when the software needs to transcribe an interview or a dialogue involving many speakers. It is easy to guess why. Each of us has a unique style of speaking. This speech distinction becomes far complex as this personal style of speaking is influenced and shaped heavily by our geographical location, our culture, and our upbringing, to name a few. It is impossible to ‘teach’ so accurate a speech recognition to any software.
Audio quality is yet another issue. And a very important one. Any speech recognition and transcription software would need a clear piece of audio. Anyone in the transcription business would know that an impeccable audio file is a rare phenomenon.
Talking about the accuracy rate of a human transcriptionist versus a software-driven one, Xuedong Huang, a senior scientist at Microsoft says, “If you have people transcribe conversational speech over the telephone, the error rate is around 4 percent. If you put all the systems together—IBM and Google and Microsoft and all the best combined—amazingly the error rate will be around 8 percent.”
Now the real question is, would you settle for something that is twice as bad as humans? We know the answer. That is why we offer transcription service that is among the best in the industry. Start uploading your files now!
Nobody wants the words ‘inaudible’ interspersing the final transcribed script. Unfortunately, you will get a lot of it if the audio quality is not good enough. The good news is, this is easily preventable if you can ensure a good quality audio file. How? That’s pretty simple too! The first step is to have the desired result in mind and work towards it. The rest will follow. Here are some quick tips to help you on your way:
Face to face interview
While virtual calls are fast routing out this system from the good old world, by no chance is a face to face recording extinct. Here are a few things you need to keep in mind the next time you go for it:
Take care of the background noise: Yes, complete soundproofing is not possible. However, keep the background noise to the minimum. This includes anything from a noisy air conditioner to a creaky chair. Even your location matters. For instance, is there a school or a playground just beside your recording room? In short, you need to take a complete stock of the situation before you begin.
Prepare the participants: One of the best ideas is to let the participants know what is expected. Tell them to speak slowly but clearly. Ask them to refrain from shuffling papers or talking among themselves. If someone starts coughing, sneezing or laughing, ask the others to wait for it to pass. Introduce each participant at the beginning of the interview.
Look where you place the microphone: If your interview involves many people, place the microphone at equal distant from all of them. Moving it around is not a good idea as it will introduce a deafening sound, which will drown your words. Choose an external recorder over a built-in option for better sound quality. Using a limiter-equipped recorder is a good idea. It limits the level at which a sound is recorded. This means, any sudden outburst, such as laughter or a loud horn, won’t be recorded.
Virtual interview
Recording a conversation over the phone or a computer is all the rage now, and for obvious reasons. In order to make the most of the flexibility that this arrangement provides, you need to ensure that the quality of the recording is top-class. The basic things such as a quiet environment and clear voice are mandatory here as well. Here are the added ones:
Use your smartphone: A smartphone’s in-built recorder is generally of a good quality and works great. You can even count upon the various free and paid recording apps for the purpose. However, some apps work in specific geographical locations only. Make sure your area is covered by the app, before you plan to use it.
External Recorder: If recording is done through external recorder for a call through computer, then ensure the computer speakers are of best quality as well as the sensitivity of the recorder is good since recorder usually catches 2-3 notches lower than what we can actually hear during calls.
Use Skype: Opting for Skype is a good choice. Pair it up with a high-performing microphone and you will get a recording that’s almost as good as a studio.
Third party conference call: There are many third party con-call services that you can utilize to record the call. You can use Scribie’s teleconferencing option for a great quality audio file that will be automatically recorded and transcribed
Contact Scribie today for the best quality audio transcription. Upload your file here.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 .
High quality and low cost don’t always go hand in hand. The rule is hardly different when you are looking for a transcription company. However, if you are working within a limited budget, you cannot overlook the cost factor. Since transcription is a high accuracy requirement, quality is of utmost importance too. Thankfully, not all affordable services raise a red flag. Companies like Scribie have consistently delivered superior quality transcription service at an affordable cost. Since students make up a huge part of Scribie’s transcription customer base, marrying quality with cost has become the norm with us. When you are looking for a cost-effective transcription service, look for the following few things:
The first step is understanding the kind of files that you would want to get transcribed, and then choosing the transcription service accordingly. If you are looking for medical transcription, you should look for a company that specializes in it. Scribie, for instance, offers excellent service when it comes to transcribing research, interviews, and conversations that involve more than one speaker and a variety of accents.
A quick online research will reveal the company’s reputation. Often the company website will give you a good deal of customer feedback. Including case studies in the website is also very common. Scribie’s website lists a number of satisfied customers who have used the company’s service.
Affordable cost does not mean cheap quality. Check for companies that have a record of delivering high-quality content. At Scribie we have a strict policy to maintain 98% accuracy. No file is delivered until this level is achieved. We also follow a 4-step process that ensures maximum transcription accuracy.
A good transcription service provider will let you review the files and will accommodate your inputs. Even if you are opting for an affordable service, this is a crucial aspect to consider so that you are not stuck with a file that’s of no use. With Scribie, you can check the work-in-progress any time. You can even request re-reviews if you are not satisfied with the quality.
Confidentiality is also crucial when choosing a transcription service company because an audio often includes sensitive data. We at Scribie understand this too well. All our transcribers abide by a strict NDA policy. Unlike many other affordable service providers we also have an efficient customer care service that can provide support 24/7. For greater convenience, you can use Scribie for teleconferencing recording service along with audio transcription.
Start uploading your files and enjoy superior service with just a click!
When 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!
Verbatim transcription is an in-depth and accurate transcription of an audio file. This means the transcription takes into account not only the spoken words, but also the various sounds, the non-verbal communications, and the likes. Needless to say that this type of transcription needs a keen ear and an immense attention to detail. Depending upon how intensive a transcription is it may be classified as verbatim and true verbatim. Each type is important and serves very specific purpose and business needs.
Verbatim Transcription
Between the two transcription types mentioned above, verbatim transcription is less intensive. The transcriptionist catches every word, but leaves out the fillers (words like umm, er, etc.). The transcriptionist also edits out the ambient sounds and the non-verbal communication. This kind of ‘intelligent transcription’ is generally preferred by authors, bloggers, and reporters who need to know about the subject but are not really in need of the extreme detail.
True Verbatim Transcription
This is the next level of verbatim transcription where the final transcribed material takes into account all the details of the audio file. This includes all the ambient sounds, all the pauses, laughter, and the likes. This kind of transcription is ideal for market research interviews, movie scripts, PhD interviews, or any other research. In other words, true verbatim transcription is important in situations where the ‘what’ of a subject is as important as the ‘how’.
If you are looking for a strict verbatim transcription, look no further than Scribie. We offer such service on demand. All you have to do is specify it when placing an order. Upload your file today and enjoy flawless strict verbatim transcription delivered within deadline.
It is true that every word we transcribe here at Scribie has our heart and soul into it. However, it is not every day that we get to serve a greater cause through our work. But that did happen a few days back when we got to transcribe a documentary film for one of our clients that addressed a very important issue of our planet.
Blonde + Co., one of our clients, recently interviewed Will Tuttle, the American writer, speaker, musician, and co-founder of the Circle of Compassion and the Worldwide Prayer Circle For Animals. This interview was a part of a documentary film that the organisation is making to enlighten the world about the brutality that animals face worldwide. In his interview Will Tuttle highlighted the issue of ‘commodification’ of animals. He believes that we as a society live by the principle of commodification where animals are perceived as a thing that can be bought, sold, and killed. He also believes that while hurting animals we are also inflicting wounds on ourselves and our planet. These ‘wounds’ are on a far deeper level than just the ones on the body because the process is causing devastation slowly but surely.
Animal cruelty barely needs any introduction. Every year more than 70 million animals succumb to human greed. Although much has been spoken about the issue, the problem is still persistent and begs attention. So, when the opportunity of associating ourselves with such a noble cause showed up, we gladly accepted. We were very happy to provide free transcription service to Blonde +C for this purpose and look forward to associating ourselves with many such causes in the future. This is our way of making a difference and we are ready to go the extra mile.
Please send a mail to support@scribie.com if you have any questions or you can chat with us directly.
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