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”
If you’re reading this, you may be asking yourself why should I bother to add subtitles to my videos? They are just videos after all; a visual aid. It’s simple to just watch the video, get the information or content in that manner and go about your merry way. Well, it isn’t that simple. In this day and age, it’s vital to add subtitles to your videos. Let’s discuss a few reasons why. Continue reading “Adding Subtitles to Your Videos is No Longer Optional”
Times are changing… As you’ve noticed, the world is becoming more digital. This is especially apparent in the business world. Instead of software, now a lot of the biggest applications are accessed through websites.
This can be daunting for a business owner who isn’t constantly keeping up with the times. Don’t worry — with the right information, it’s easier than you think to level the playing field. Continue reading “How can a small business use transcription services?”
If you’ve ever shopped around for the best transcription service then you’ve probably experienced how confusing and frustrating transcription pricing can be.
Many services aren’t upfront with their pricing (or accuracy level) and require you to submit for a “free quote.” Others may ostensibly offer a rock-bottom price only to nickel and dime you for features that are already standard in most services. And others are just downright disingenuous about the entire process—good luck getting in touch with them! Continue reading “Affordable Transcription Pricing”
In this day and age, more and more of what we are doing is becoming automated. One example would be banking. You don’t have to go to a bank anymore to deposit or transfer money. You can do that from an app or just log on to their website. Some banks don’t even have physical buildings. Human interaction and the component of business is becoming more and more limited. Continue reading “Speech Recognition Software Falls Short on Transcription”
Most things in life have their own way of communicating, of talking. If you think of your life, I’m sure you’ll find this to be true. The same can be said for the transcription world. There are shortcuts and shorthand ways of saying things. This allows transcribers to communicate with each other in an efficient manner.
Here’s a list of some of the commonly used terms in the transcription service and an easy to understand definition of each term.
Audio Time Coding: this is simply a reference to a particular time point in the audio file.
BITC: This stands for Burnt-in Timecode. This is when you see the timecode on the screen. BITC allows you easily access a certain point a video and match it with the timecode in your transcription.
Speaker tracking: Each person that talks in the audio or video is given a distinct tag of Speaker 1, Speaker 2, etc. Scribie use names when they are available.
Multiple Speakers: There are more than 2 speakers in an audio or video file.
Non-North American Accent: This means people who have African, Asian, Australian, English, European, or Indian accents.
Noisy Background: Files have been recorded in places with lots of noise in the background like crowds, restaurant, etc.
Strict Verbatim: This is a transcript that includes every word uttered or spoken. This means the “Ah’s”, “Umm’s”, etc.
High Difficulty Level: These are files that contain things such as high levels of background noise, non-North American accents, poor audio quality, distorted audio, or far-off speakers.
Spelling Style: This allows you to specify which English spelling style you prefer. Currently, Scribie offers Canadian, British, Australian, & American styles.
Subtitle File: The words, or subtitles, seen on videos can be provided by Scribie in two formats – SubRip (.srt) and SubViewer (.sbv).
Non-default formatting: This refers to formatting of a transcript in a way that is not Scribie’s standard.
Default Transcript Format: Scribie starts a new paragraph at a new speaker or every 3 minutes, whichever comes first.
Transcript File Formats: There are 4 standard formats available for each transcript file – Microsoft Word (.doc), Adobe PDF (.pdf), OpenDocument Text (.odt), and Plain Text (.txt).
Transcription Progress Tracking: This allows you to keep track of your transcription as it goes through four stages to completion – Transcription, Review, Proofreading, & Quality Checks.
Start/End Time: You can define the start and/or end time of your transcription. This is used when you only need a part of the audio file transcribed.
Transcript Template: This allows you to determine the particular template file used for the conversion of your document. See transcript formats for the 4 types.
Man Hours: This is when you pay for the amount of time taken to transcribe a file.
Audio Hours: This is when you pay for the amount of audio transcribed. This is the format used by Scribie.
Re-reviews: If you find that the transcription quality is not to your satisfaction, Scribie will review the file again for free.
Want to pay less for your transcripts? If you use the following tips and tricks you can improve your audio and pay up to 4x less than what you would pay with bad audio — that could save you hundreds of dollars!
Seems simple, huh? It is… but many people often don’t realize they are recording bad audio. Here are a few quick and easy tips for getting the best quality audio with the least amount of effort.
First off, determine what type of microphone pattern best suits what situation you need to record. If you’re recording a one-on-one interview, you’ll want a mic that has a narrow pickup pattern (unidirectional). If you’re recording a group of people (board meeting, focus group, etc.) you’ll want an omnidirectional mic as it has a larger pickup pattern and will capture all of the speakers. While you always want to be in a quiet environment with any mic, it’s important to note that omnidirectional mics are more susceptible to unwanted background noise so make sure you have a nice and quiet room. Here are a few microphones and recorders we recommend at Scribie:
Ideally, you will need to be in a quiet location free of any ambient noise. This is crucial to capturing excellent audio because background noises such as a coffee shop, bar, or your neighbors’ car door slamming party can make it difficult for transcribers to hear your speakers’ voices. And even though our transcribers are awesome, transcribing audio with a noisy background is no easy feat and can take 3x to 4x longer to ensure our 98% accuracy.
Have the recorder on a stand or at least some type of buffer between it and whatever platform you use. This helps by separating the mic from any vibrations that may cause unwanted sound. If you are using a unidirectional microphone, try and position the mic 6″-12″ inches in front of the subject, with the mic aimed directly at their mouth. If you are using an omnidirectional mic, position the mic in the middle of the group on a stand. Always do a sound check before you begin recording by plugging in a headset and having people talk at normal voice levels.
Recording settings are important, so make sure your recorder is set to record at a proper setting. We recommend setting it to record WAV files at 48kHz 28bit. This setting makes sure you are able to capture the human voice at an optimal level.
No problem, you can still produce great audio. Fstoppers shows how they use the iPhone to grab audio for video interviews and you can use the same methods for your audio interviews as well.
We have often been asked “Why does Scribie charge extra for non-North American accents?” so we decided to clarify and expand on the reasons behind our decision. Here’s what you need to know:
Most files that are uploaded on Scribie for transcription are from the US, or at least the speakers are mostly North Americans–so for that reason, we specialize in transcribing North American accents. Naturally, it makes sense that most of our transcribers are based in the US. And this ensures they are familiar with the accents, which in turn ensures flawless transcription in much less time. The result? Faster turnaround, better accuracy, and happier customers.
Generally, we have a flat rate for all high-quality audio files with North American speakers. However, we do charge a bit extra ($.50 per minute) for high difficulty files due to the time these files are. Similarly, we charge a little more for files with a non-North American accent. The main reason is, these accents require specialized transcribers that are familiar with wider accent patterns and can transcribe files with non-US speakers at the same accuracy level. The problem is that these transcribers are rare, which means, if we get too many files in this category, the files tend to get stuck in the pipeline. And nobody likes that.
Basically, we charge more for these files because it costs more to transcribe these file types. It also keeps the transcribers motivated and encourages them to continue to work on such files.
So in closing, the pay rate occasionally changes, but what doesn’t change is Scribie’s commitment to one of the highest levels of accuracy in the industry Upload your files now and find it out for yourself.
Looking to record a conversation, interview or business discussion? Forget the age-old voice recorder; rather grab your iPhone. There are loads of cool apps that ensure clarity, so that the final recorded file is easy to understand and transcribe. Here are the industry toppers:
Voice Recorder: Here is a really simple app that’s easy to understand and works great. What’s more, it also comes for free. It is also passcode protected, just in case you want to make sure your recordings are safe. The app is compatible with iOS 8. Use it to record and store unlimited number of recordings, add them to your favorite list for quick future reference, and for loop function.
Audio Recorder: While this app is also free and simple to use, it is definitely more versatile when compared to the Voice Recorder. Apart from recording your ‘piece’ you can email the file for easy sharing. The app also gives you the freedom to specify the format in which you would want to record or save the file.
Voice Record Pro: This free app takes the recording experience to a whole new level with its impressive import and export functionalities. You can easily access the Google Drive and Dropbox, among many others. What’s more, you could even post your recording as a movie clip on Facebook and YouTube. Cool, isn’t it? Apart from recording, you can attach notes and photos, and keep everything safe with the help of a passcode.
Super Notes: If you are ready to shell out a few dollars for a professional quality recording, here is the perfect app for you. Like most other apps in this category it offers superb recording features and clarity, and is cut out for any situation that you have in mind. What sets it apart is its ability to allow you to add notes and annotations to your recording while you are still at it.
Dictate + Connect (Dictamus): Compared to the other apps in this genre, this one is on the higher end of the price chart. But once you look at the features, you would know why. With this app on your side, you can actually forget all other recording devices. Apart from recording, you can even rewind and overwrite without hampering the audio quality. The app comes complete with instant dictation controls, barcode scanner, easy saving and sharing options, and more.
The world has moved light years ahead of traditional, run-of-the-mill voice recorders. However, before jumping on the digitised bandwagon you must ensure that the app you choose is of top quality. It is also indispensable if you are looking to transcribe the audio files. A good quality file does not only make the job of a transcriptionist easier, it also ensures that the transcription is error-free. That means less back and forth, less wastage of time, and optimum use of resources.
Got a file that you need transcribing? We can help. Contact us today for an accurate and affordable transcription service.
At Scribie, we follow a very straightforward process from ordering a transcription to delivering it. You upload a file, select the desired turnaround time and place the order. Next, our transcribers start working on it while you monitor the progress online.
Once transcribed, the file is quality checked by our dedicated team and delivered to you. The effect? 99% or more accurate transcriptions. While most things remain constant, there is something that keeps on changing in this system — the nature and quality of the audio files.
When it comes to a file that needs to be transcribed, nothing matters more than clarity or sound quality.
In fact, this factor becomes crucial in determining whether a file should be categorized as ‘high difficulty’.
As you might have guessed, it is a file that is very difficult to transcribe. Maybe the audio is not very clear or maybe there is a lot of background noise, which makes listening in pretty challenging. Here are some common characteristics of high difficulty files.
Your file may sound ‘fine’ to you, but that might not be the case. Since we receive files of varying quality and content, the audio quality of your file is judged by numerous transcribers in our system. The difficulty level then becomes is a relative concept. We believe our transcribers have a better perspective and are in a more informed position to understand the difficulty level of a particular file and hence they are the ones who decide if your file should be categorized as a high difficulty file. We found this is the best solution for ruling out any possibility of subjectivity.
If you are an existing customer you know that Scribie charges a flat rate for all files. BUT the high difficult ones are an exception. As of January 2016, we have implemented new policies that ask for additional charges for high difficulty files. Since high difficulty files require more time and effort from the transcribers, it is only fair that we compensate them accordingly for it. Plus, the additional pay is the motivation that the transcribers get to ensure that quality is not compromised. Generally, the extra charge varies between $0.50/ minute and $2.00/ minute. We always inform the customer in case a file is found to be of a high difficulty level. The customer also has the liberty to cancel the order in case he is not willing to pay the extra charge and get a full refund.
We do our best to give you quality transcription within your deadline, even if it’s a highly ‘difficult’ file, and we ensure that the transcription matches the highest standard of accuracy.
Start uploading today.