To Transcriptionists: When it comes to transcribing audio, we wish all recordings were created equal. While there can be an array of different challenges, group discussions and focus groups are invaluable for gathering diverse perspectives, but transcribing them can pose a particular level of difficulty. In an effort to bridge the transcriptionist and client world, we offer the following insights and tips.

To current and potential clients: We’re attempting to show how proper preparation in the beginning phases of a project has a direct effect on the later stages of a project, such as transcription. This blog is not intended to give specific tips to clients on how to conduct their interviews, but rather, it is a discussion to get your thought wheels turning on how you can best set your project up for success.

Multiple Voices, Multiple Speakers

Identifying each speaker can be difficult, especially when speakers overlap, interrupt each other, or sound similar.

Tip: Pay attention to subtle vocal cues to distinguish speakers. This might include listening to distinct speech or phrasing patterns.

Overlapping Speech

This is a hallmark of transcribing group discussions. Spontaneous and overlapping conversation is natural and inevitable. While this creates dynamic dialogue, it does make it difficult to transcribe.

Tip: Focus on the clearest speaker’s words and isolate them as much as possible. While working on a modified verbatim project, doing the above will help preserve the meaning without sacrificing accuracy. For a verbatim project, take notes on each speaker’s voice at the start of each speaker’s introduction. Identifying and noting the subtleties between voices helps make it easier when transcribing.

Non-Verbal Cues, Non-Speech Sounds

Group discussions almost always include non-verbal sounds and cues including laughter, sighs, and reactions. These are more easily captured with a single speaker and are difficult to capture during a group discussion.

Tip: You can still use non-verbal indicators throughout your transcription by using indicators such as: [agreement murmurs]. This gives the reader a sense of how the group is engaging, so saving these for times when they add value to the transcript is key.

Environmental Noise, Outside Noise, Ambient Noise

Environmental noise is unavoidable. Recording group conversations oftentimes occurs in places such as cafes or outdoors. Ambient noise can make it difficult to hear what the speaker(s) are saying.

Tip: Obviously choosing as quiet of a setting as possible is preferred. When this is not possible, using tools like noise-cancelling headphones or audio editing software can assist with reducing background noise.

Other Things To Consider

Paying attention to style guides and following guidelines closely is important when transcribing group discussions. This will ensure that formatting, speaker labels, transcription of non-speech, etc., remain consistent throughout the transcript. As a client, making sure to assign a moderator to your focus group discussions is helpful during the transcription phase. It is also helpful for the moderator to give helpful reminders when introducing speakers. For example, “Please allow for each participant to complete their thoughts without interruption.” Making sure to choose a location (whenever possible) that allows for the most minimal amount of background noise is the best choice. Additionally, be specific with the transcription company you’re partnering with when it comes to formatting, guidelines, and expectations for your transcript.

And sometimes, just sometimes, focus and group discussions are best transcribed for those practiced transcriptionists with a seasoned ear (capable of differentiating voices no matter how similar). This is where ATC’s 58 years of expertise, custom-matching client content to transcription knowledge and experience, can be beneficial to you!

Lately, we’ve been talking about what you as a prospective client should look for when hiring a transcription service. This month we’d like to talk about common misconceptions about transcription services that may be clouding your decision-making process.

1. FICTION: Transcribing is just typing words that you hear.

Transcription is more than just typing what you hear. At ATC we like to ask, “Is what was heard, what was spoken, what was transcribed?” There is a plethora of contextual understanding that goes into transcription work such as understanding and capturing tone, intent, and non-verbal speech sounds. As a transcriptionist, you also have to be able to efficiently and effectively be able to transition between guidelines when working on multiple projects. Transcription involves interpretation, context, careful listening, and application.

2. FICTION: All transcription services are the same.

Some potential clients may think that most transcription companies offer the same services. Some might think that when they hire a transcription service, “all their needs will be met,” or “everything will be included.” The reality is that it’s simply more complex that that. While all of your needs certainly can and SHOULD be met by the service that you choose, things to keep in mind when doing your due diligence include: Does the company offer the verbatim level that you’re looking for? Are additional services such as inserting timestamps or speaker labels included within your transcript or are they an extra fee? Does the company work within your area of specialty or do they custom match? How does the company you’re looking to hire handle special requests and rush requests?

These are just a few things to think about. Don’t make the mistake of assuming all transcription companies are the same. Understanding what is and isn’t included is crucial to your outcome! Decide what your needs are and make sure to find the best fit for you and your project.

3. FICTION: Cheaper is better.

It’s no secret that human transcription is not cheap. Lower priced transcription services often result in lower quality and less accurate transcripts. Ultimately, this can lead to inaccurately represented transcripts, costly error corrections, and an overall bad experience. It can also lead to confidentiality and security issues. Be sure to know your budget when you start shopping. You want to find a company that is going to be reliable and efficient with your funds.

4. FACT: Humans still outperform AI.

While AI transcription services might be cheaper and unquestionably faster, humans are still the backbone of accurate and quality transcripts. Humans are able to distinguish the nuances of human speech or poor audio. Understanding your output is the determining factor in deciding if AI or humans are best for your project.

Taking your time up front to vet the transcription services that you’re looking to hire will save you money and time on the back end, and greatly impact the success of your project. Transcription is not a cut and dry process. It’s a very nuanced process that requires more than just typing what you hear. Be thoughtful, stay informed, and make the best decision for your business needs.

Choosing a transcription service based on your needs isn’t as easy as just flipping a coin. There are a variety of factors that should be thought about to ensure the integrity of your content is preserved. Whether you’re archiving oral histories, transcribing sensitive legal documents, or handling business meeting notes, choosing the best transcription service can make all the difference. Remember the importance of being an educated shopper and buyer, so completing your due diligence around choosing the best transcription service requires your time and effort up front. This effort you put in now will save you in time and in your budget on the back end when you receive your transcripts.

Every business has unique requirements and the following are some things you should consider before you start the process:

Identify Your Needs

It is important to understand what your business is looking for and to evaluate what your long-term goals are with your transcript(s). Are you looking for a verbatim transcript that captures every word and utterance? Are you looking for a modified verbatim transcript that offers a clean-read where false starts and fillers are removed for clarity and readability? What type of content are you working with (ie. academic research, media production, government records, etc.)? Whatever your needs are for transcription, it is important to think about the above so that you can determine the best service that will help you meet your long-term goals for your requirements. Remember, not all transcription companies are created equal, and your transcription service should be flexible, willing, and able to accommodate your transcription necessities.

Consider Turnaround Time

This is often one of the most common questions that a business will ask when choosing a transcription service. Can the service you are choosing meet your deadlines? Do they provide rush services, and if so, what are their fees? You want to make sure that the transcription service you choose has a proven track record of not just meeting but exceeding deadlines, including expedited deadlines.

Consider Accuracy and Quality

Accuracy is the foundation of effective transcription services; without accuracy a transcript is useless. What one would consider a minor typing error, could in fact have significant consequences in a transcript – that could be either historically or financially detrimental to you and/or your organization for example. It is also important to consider the difference in accuracy that is produced when using AI transcription services versus all human transcription services.

Let’s Talk About AI v. Human

There are many factors to consider when deciding whether to use an AI transcription service, human transcription service, or a hybrid service that combines both AI and humans. Are you looking for accuracy over speed? What is your budget? Do you have specific formatting guidelines that have to be followed such as verbatim level, font and margin formatting, or inserting time codes? All of these (and more) are important to ponder when choosing what kind of machine will complete your transcripts.

Listen To The Feedback

When vetting a transcription company it is important to review the feedback from other clients. Things to think about when vetting a company include the longevity of the company and reviewing client testimonials. Oftentimes, a company can provide a list of abstracts that include former and current clients and projects. This is an important document to ask for when looking to hire a transcription service. Additionally, utilize the power of the internet, and take the time to read reviews on Google, Yelp, and other social media platforms.

Important Questions To Ask

Some other questions that you should consider asking a company when deciding to hire a transcription service are: Has the company ever had an issue with confidentiality or security? If they have, are they willing to discuss what happened, and the remediation process of what occurred? Can the company meet tight deadlines? What are the industries that the company primarily works within? What are the requirements of the transcriptionists that this service utilizes?

These are just some of the things to think about when deciding on a transcription service. The factors that you should consider are numerous and varied, and maybe some are given more weight than others depending on your particular business. Whatever your most important considerations are, make sure to take the time to vet the transcription companies you are looking to hire to make sure they meet your needs.

The Importance of Contextual Understanding in Accurate Transcription

Within the transcription world, accuracy is key. One of the ways to gain true accuracy is to have a contextual understanding of the content being spoken. After all, transcription is more than just converting spoken words to text.  

What is Contextual Understanding?

At its most basic, contextual understanding is interpreting and conveying the meaning of the spoken word through text. This involves having an awareness of the subject matter, the relationship between speakers, and the subtle human nuances such as non-verbal cues and human emotion. It also includes understanding speaker relationships, cultural references, and terminology related to the subject matter. 

Contextual understanding is mission-critical to a transcription service being able to custom-match the content to the transcriptionist assigned to the project. A transcription service must understand the subtleties and nuances involved in a person being able to incorporate the content they are transcribing, and then be able to place that content within the proper context of what is being spoken on the recording.  

Why is Contextual Understanding Important?

Having a deeper meaning of what you’re transcribing is crucial to producing a transcript that is highly accurate. Having a contextual understanding of the content you’re working with enhances the transcriptionist’s ability to convey the speaker’s intended meaning, preserve the integrity of the spoken content, provide a level of authenticity and consistency, and significantly enrich the readers’ experience. Even with the rise of AI transcription, this is something that only humans can provide. AI is not able to detect these subtle human nuances and has a very limited contextual understanding. Human transcriptionists excel in this area by bringing a depth of understanding and attention to detail that AI currently cannot match. Contextual understanding ensures that transcripts are not only accurate but meaningful and insightful. 

Transcription services have become an essential tool across various industries and there are a variety of these industries and institutions that utilize ATC’s transcription services. Some of these sectors include (but are not limited to): oral history, academic institutions, military detachments, legal proceedings, entertainment industries, market research, archival content, government agencies, and financial institutions. ATC prides itself on offering its top-of-the-line services to a diverse group of clientele.

Oral histories are extremely useful in capturing narratives from across the spectrum of society that you might not want to lose. We’ve had the pleasure of working on six U.S. Presidential oral histories from three different academic institutions over our 58 years in business. Other institutions choose to use transcription services to preserve local histories, family histories, corporate histories, and other significant cultural histories. Archival content oftentimes requires more precision and accuracy because of the “dated” content whose media may include recordings of audio or video in various formats, or handwritten or typed pages. For example, if the content came from an archive that houses analog content. By being the transcription service for these oral historians and archivists we are able to help future generations continue to have access to these important historical records.

Transcription services support everything from the transcription of the collection of interviews and focus groups that are utilized to broaden dissertation research, to the transcription of lectures used as tools by both students and educators. Services may also be used to analyze data, conduct qualitative research, and to provide accessibility to their work.

Transcription within military and government agencies allows for the maintenance of accurate records that can be used for training, analysis, and archival purposes. Additionally, a major focus of ATC’s clientele in these verticals is around the transcription of oral histories collected from the assorted detachments of the U.S. military whose members have deployed to locations across the globe. ATC also has the honor of transcribing oral histories from the numerous and varied NPS National Historical Sites across the United States, NARA, NASA, the Forestry Service, and more.

ATC offers expertise and certified transcripts for legal organizations. This includes a range from legal proceedings and hearings to body cam footage and depositions. Transcripts for legal purposes will only be transcribed verbatim as every word and utterance is critical to the meaning of the transcript, hence the accuracy of transcripts in this arena are a non-negotiable and could possibly make or break a case.

The entertainment professions rely on ATC’s transcription services for a variety of reasons including, script transcripts and captioning of video content. Transcription services assist with the editing and production process, and the need for fast and accurate transcription within the entertainment trades continues to be a top need and priority. ATC has partnered with numerous production companies and documentarians who utilize ATC’s timecoding within transcripts to be able to more efficiently edit their video footage to eliminate non-verbal utterances and other undesired content.

The market research sector conducts focus groups, interviews, surveys, and discussions making the need for transcription services a central part of their qualitative analysis process. Advanced analytics and consumption of data have increased over the years and will only continue to do so. Qualitative data within transcripts offers key isights for market researchers and their clients to make decisions that have a direct effect on their processes, methods, and procedures.

There are a diverse number of reasons financial institutions utilize transcription services. Accurate and reliable transcriptions help these establishments maintain compliance and assist with analysis and reporting. Numerous financial institutions will have their daily morning meetings transcribed and utilize the transcripts to make the most informed decisions on their daily operations.

Transcription services have evolved tremendously over the years and will continue to do so, even with the rise of AI transcription. The need for human accuracy and human understanding remains a critical reason why these industries continue to choose ATC time after time for their transcription needs.

Making sure that all forms of media, be it audio, video, or printed material are accessible to every person is critical across all platforms. There are numerous and varied ways to enable people to reach content across these essential formats. Transcription, captioning, and subtitle services play a pivotal role in making sure that these forms of content are available to all.

A Personal Touch

Sandy Poritzky (Mr.), owner and founder of the Audio Transcription Center, offers his first-hand perspective on accessibility. Sandy is legally blind and hard of hearing. As someone who is legally blind, Sandy utilizes equipment that assists him with the tasks he completes on a daily basis while running his business. These include but are not limited to a reading machine, hearing aids, and his wife Janice who helps him with a plethora of tasks each day.

Janice is also known as “Grandma” of Grandma’s Chicken Soup, an online company that ships soup as gifts for occasions such as get well, bereavement, or new baby gifts. They also make great gift packages for college students! (Visit Grandma’s Chicken Soup to order some delicious soup!)

In regard to his reading machine, the LyriQ Reader, Sandy notes, “It’s a God send for someone who doesn’t see very well, it’s a God send. I can put a whole book on here, page by page, and it will read the book too. I love the machine!

Transcription services provide a text-based rendering of audio and video content. Captioning services provide an on-screen overlay of the words being spoken, along with descriptions of other non-speech and sounds like music and sound effects. They serve as a tool for accessing spoken dialogue for communities including those who are deaf, hard of hearing and those who have other accessibility concerns. Subtitle services add written text to audio or video to display the spoken content. They are especially useful for non-native language speakers. Sandy is able to digest this information through the use of his reading machine (pictured above). It helps him listen to printed text by scanning documents and reading them out loud. He is able to control the speed at which the machine is reading, as well as the volume, allowing for greater flexibility and making it more customizable to each user. This is just one assistive technology device that exists in making content inclusive. Other kinds of assistive technology devices that exist to enhance the digestion of material include (but are not limited to): screen readers, screen magnifiers, assistive listening devices, reading pens, braille displays, and other adaptive software.

Transcription and captioning services are crucial in promoting inclusivity and reachability across all platforms of media. These services empower individuals from all communities to be able to engage in most aspects of the digital and printed world.

Authentication plays a crucial role in ensuring the accuracy of your transcript(s). While we provide a 99% guarantee of accuracy, and we know perfection is not possible, authentication gets your transcript(s) that much closer to 100%

Authentication is polishing an already produced transcript to make sure it is as accurate as possible. A trained member of our team listens to the audio while comparing it word-for-word with the transcript. The focus lies on several key aspects:

• Verifying for accuracy – Is what was spoken accurately reflected in the transcript?
• Adherence to guidelines – Does the transcript align with the clients’ specific requirements? (ie. verbatim level, the inclusion of false starts, the inclusion of timestamps and placement, etc.)
• Researching terminiology – Are special or technical terms researched and incorporated properly?

In addition to checking the above, our team member will also make sure that any [guesses?] or (inaudibles) have been scrutinized as well.

There are a few things that authentication is not

Authentication is not an indication that something is inherently wrong or flawed with your transcript. Rather, it ensures a higher level of precision.

Authentication is not a uniform process. This process looks different for each client. While the basic guidelines are followed for each client’s transcript, it is important to keep in mind that each project and transcript are unique, and authentication is adaptable to each project.

Authentication is not a waste of time. We have a dedicated team of authenticators in place to provide this invaluable investment to your transcript(s) in achieving unparalleled accuracy.

There are various reasons why clients choose to authenticate their transcripts. Oftentimes, clients send us their AI-generated transcripts to have them authenticated. Other times, our clients send us archival recordings that require the need for further accuracy checking because of the audio quality. And then there are times when the audio quality is difficult for other reasons: the speakers are heavily accented or there is significant cross-talk during the recording. And yes, there are times that clients decide to invest in having ATC authenticators complete this process on our time when they know their time is more valuable and better spent in other areas that require their focus.

Whatever your reason is for needing or wanting your transcript authenticated, there is no wrong reason! While there is additional time and investment required, the benefit of achieving a near-perfect transcript is a worthwhile add-on service.

If you’re ready to elevate the precision of your transcripts, be sure to contact us and/or fill out our Get A Quote page. Our VP Michael is ready to take your call!

In the first two parts of our blog series about the ATC sales process, we discussed what to expect during a sales call and what to bring to the call as a client. In the third part of this series, we felt it was important to delve into the onboarding phase should you decide to move forward with ATC as your transcription firm. Understanding the nuances of each project is mission-critical to our success in transcribing your content.

So now you’ve made an important decision on the firm that is going to complete your transcripts, but what happens next?

• How do you get the work to the company to transcribe?
• How do they know what guidelines to follow?
• How do they know where to send completed transcripts?
• Who do they invoice?

There’s a lot involved in the onboarding process, and to get that process moving we offer a 2-page Client Onboarding Form to help us manage your project while also giving us the key insights to be able to complete your project to near perfection (I’ll never way we’re perfect, but we’re damn close).

File Transfer and Platforms

Firstly, you’ll want to track the files you’re sending our way for transcription. An easy method for that is using an Excel spreadsheet. You’ll want to have columns that represent information that is important to you, for example: File Name, Length of Recording, Interviewer Name, Interviewee Name (Narrator), Subject of Recording, Notes about the recording (for instance if there are any accents or pronouns that we should be aware of that might not be common knowledge), and any other information that will be helpful for you and also helpful for us to easily discern the content of each file.

You’ll then need to decide on the platform by which you’ll securely transfer your recordings to ATC. There are many different platforms, and we do not recommend platforms, but we can share the names of platforms that other clients choose to use. We do recommend that you speak with your IT department if you have one, or reach out to an IT consultant with any suggestions that will meet your needs around file transfer speed and security. The main platforms clients use are DropBox, Google Drive, and Box. These platforms all offer various levels of access, security, and storage space.

Guidelines

Next up is guidelines. Give us two clients and we’ll have three sets of guidelines that we have to follow. One for client A, one for client B, and one that neither of them will follow. You may have your own transcription style guide in place. If so, we ask that you send it to us for us to marinate on in advance of starting your transcription project. The team will diligently review all the details, see where any differentiations exist from your style guide to our in-house style guide, and then update the key points for the transcriptionists to be aware of on our transcriptionist portal. If you don’t have a guideline, we’d be more than happy to offer our own in-house style guide that many clients choose to have us work from. Otherwise, check out these options from a couple of our clients:

Columbia

Baylor

On the Client Onboarding Form, you’ll advise us of the person to whom we should send the transcripts. This may be yourself, or you may have a team of people that need to receive the transcripts as they are completed.

Invoicing

Similarly, you’ll need to advise us before we start the project of all the details around invoicing, and to whom invoices should be sent for payment. If a purchase order is required by your institution to start the project we’ll need all of that documentation completed in advance, so that there are no delays in payment. As a small business, cash flow is mission-critical to our continued success, and we need to make sure that there is fluidity in that process without holdups or delays in payment.

In summary, the Client Onboarding Form is going to be the main document we follow to create your account and learn the fine details of all aspects of your project. While this is a lot of information, we promise, this process is rather smooth and seamless.

At any point you’re always welcome to contact a member of the team for assistance, and we’ll always do our best to answer your questions or get you the answers as quickly as possible. We’re friendly, communicative, and our goal is to help make this as easy a process as possible for you each and every time you have recordings to send our way.