Have you ever watched a movie, and in the process you find it hard to understand what is being said? This can be because of the accent or the characters talking faster. On the other hand, listening to your favorite song, but some words seem to be unclear?
Imagine trying to listen or watch a video in the middle of traffic and the engines are loud? Well, this is something we all have experienced, and it’s annoying. Therefore, you may need the services of a video transcriber or audio transcriber to understand or hear what is being said. The services convert video and audio into text which you can either print or read it in soft copy.
Why you need Audio and video transcription services
In the past businesses, legal and medical fraternities have used the visual and audio Medias to document their work. Nowadays, things have slowly changed, and now people are opting for audio and video transcription services. These are some of the reasons why you require the services.
- It improves your website time to spend on the page
We understand that you want to market your site and have it ranked as one of the best in the online world. To do this, we recommend that you work on improving user experience. For example, when you set foot in a store searching for a particular product and you can’t find it. You will leave the store very disappointed and you won’t think of coming back to the store.
The same applies to a website; people want to find the audio and video contents transcribed into text documents. They do not want to look for it in other sites thereby keeping them glued to your page. This is an added advantage to you since they are tempted to look at other contents available in the site.
Loading videos and audio materials take a lot of time compared to the text-based content. Therefore, transcribing the materials to text makes them feel accepted. They won’t have to worry about data charges when using a slower network or mobile phones.
- Improves your website user interface experience
When you transcribe audio and video into text, users find this effective since they can search for specific content within a short time. They would not want to start to listen or watching to find the desired content.
People like to have options to choose from rather than you deciding for them. Therefore having the transcribed content will give them a chance to consume the material in their way. In the long run, they will come back for more and even share with others.
- Increases your web accessibility for people with disability
We are confident that you want to reach everyone using your content. This can be done by converting the audio and video content into text. These will reach people in the world who are deaf or have impaired hearing.
Despite the software available to assist them in this, you need an audio transcriber to change the content into text. This enables them to consume your work without any difficulties, therefore widening your market share as well.
- It connects with the non-native speakers
We want your content to break the geographical boundaries and reach every corner in the world. This can only be achieved by translating the content into various languages. For example, a documentary on global warming, you will need a video transcriber change the content into native languages.
This enables the user to connect with what is being said on a deeper level using their native language. For this reason, we would advise that you subscribe to this form of service. Another thing about the text-content is that it can be translated into other languages with a short time.
- Scanning through transcripts
Some people would not mind browsing through an audio or video content to grasp what it is all about. But the problem comes when they are in a noisy place or have limited time to do so. Therefore, they would opt for text content. This is because they can skim through it regardless of the background noise.
- Boost in website SEO and Organic traffic
Transcription services enable your page to be ranked one of the top in search engine results. This is because Google finds it easier to load the text document than the video or audio. This helps since users only click the first page that appears on their screen. Rarely do they go to the next page.
An audio transcription gives access to your content, increasing organic search results. This increases the social media shares. People find it easier to share the content of your work with the rest when in text format. This is cheaper compared to audio and video formats.
What to consider when choosing a transcription services
- Cost
This is an important feature that you have to look into before hiring these services. You should not assume that the price will be the same in all other companies. Some of them advertise about meeting transcription services to cost $ 0.79 per minutes. But in the real sense, there are hidden charges. Therefore ensure you research about the prices before hiring.
It should also be a service that is within your pocket reach. If by any chance you find yourself with a higher budget than what your pocket can handle. It’s wise to change your options and look for one that is cheaper.
- Turnaround time
The duration taken to complete the work matters a lot. This is because it determines the hours or days you are to receive the work. For example, an interview transcription done by two companies the delivery time will be different. In one organization you will receive it with hours and the other after days.
This is something you have to take into account before subscribing to one of the agencies. Ensure that you are aware of their delivery time. If you want it to be rushed, let it be known to them, though it will cost you extra cash. For the rushed hours, you will be charged $1.50-$ 75 and per minute depending on the organization.
- Accuracy
Accuracy determines the quality of work you get. For example, have you used a speech to text device to record the minutes in a meeting? What is the outcome of the work? Well, to be open with you the quality of the work, will be reduced due to the background noises.
We suggest that you seek audio transcriber services of a company that will give you the quality desired. Organizations use people instead of software. They go through the work thoroughly to provide you with quality services.
- Skills
When it comes to using professional services rather than software, skills play an important role. This is something you have to look into to ensure you are getting your money’s worth. You can evaluate this by asking for samples from the person or company. These are some of the things to look at in the samples.
- The average command of the English language: it involves looking at the sentence structures. How did the video transcriber structure his/ her sentences? Are they writing correctly without grammatical errors? This includes correct punctuations and short sentences.
- Listening skill: A good audio transcriber is keen when doing their work. This even applies when under pressure; will they should be able to deliver the desired quality? For example, a qualified transcriber will not include fillers in the text. They also figure out overlapping slang in audio and write it correctly.
- Research skills: to transcribe audio or video to text, one needs to research thoroughly. It shouldn’t be a copy and paste project. For example, if the person is handling a technical project. It requires him or her to transcribe audio to text. Then they are to explain some of the terms so that a layperson can understand without struggling.
- Confidentiality
We are sure that you value your privacy, and this shouldn’t be compromised. For example, if you subscribe to audio transcription services from a company in New York City. You would expect the project to remain between you and the company.
What if this is not the case and the company decides to send the project to a third party? This would be a breach of contract, and you can sue the organization for damages. Therefore we advocate that you read the terms and conditions of service before subscribing to them. If possible, let the organization sign a non-disclosure agreement to protect your rights.
- Languages
You must look at the various services that the organization or software can offer. Some of them might offer only specific languages when it comes to video and audio transcription services.
We suggest that you find out the types of languages they provide in their services. It dictators if you will seek their services in the future or not. When it comes, companies we advise that you deal with a particular company. This is because you might get a discount when transcribing audio to text of due to your loyalty.
Why should opt for human services rather than software services
Social transcription services are the best compared to the software. This is because you are guaranteed of a high quality material even when dealing with poor audio and video. Though it is expensive, it’s worth it.
Compared to the software transcription, human services will remove the filler such as “um” from the text. The meaning of the document remains the same and flow when reading.
The service also has its drawbacks. These include accents, the use of multiple languages, poor audio, and video slow down the process. This, in the long run, inflates the price. Unlike automated transcription, which is entirely affected by these factors. They lower the quality of the video transcriber. Hence, you will have to go through the document all over again, which is time consuming.
Types of transcription service and transcripts
There are different transcription services that you can select from. These includes
Verbatim transcription: The service converts the audio and video to text, including every word, sound, and tone. For example, if you are handling an interview transcription. The text will have to include all the questions asked, with who and how the individuals responded.
Punctuation such as (…) will be used to show a pause that was taken when answering or asking the question. Plus the filler is to be indicated. The charges depend on what you want the organization to include in the text.
The word for word transcript: this is also referred to as ‘intelligence verbatim.’ The difference from the verbatim is that it removes the filler. These include things such as “um,” “huh,” and false starts from the text.
The transcriptionist includes the actual words, and the story will still flow smoothly without changing the meaning. For example, in video transcription service, the words spoken in a movie will be converted to text. This leaves out the sound of the door being opened.
Note transcription: this method involves the summarizing the content. Instead of writing text word for word, and including several false starts, the transcript takes only the keywords. They are then used to come up with a summary of what the whole audio or video is about. This is the cheapest model that many are opting for.
Tools that boost video and audio transcription services include
- Transcription software
- Transcription foot pedal
- Word expander software
- Noise-canceling headphones or background noise reduction
- Voice recognition software
- Extra volume boost
- High pass filter
Conclusion
The transcription services are used all over the world for many reasons. Some people will choose audio transcribers and others video transcribers. It all depends on you as the user to know what type of transcription services you require.
For better quality, it is recommended that you work with the professional services that are mainly human. This increases the rate of authenticity and uniqueness in the work that is being provided to you. It later gives you a better chance to tap into the market reaching majority of people in the world. Hence, having a larger market share and increasing profits to your organization.