Providing reliable digital transcription services
from a distance when you need it most
Keeping things Human in a world of AI
Though AI/automatic transcriptions are becoming a tool that is often used in these changing times, they're not yet meeting the standard that people require in terms of accuracy. The increasing use of te reo, and the multitude of accents within Aotearoa - New Zealand, with our diverse cultural make-up, results in under-par transcripts when using AI, which also doesn't have the ability to work with context of local knowledge.
AI struggles with Intelligent Verbatim when it comes to filtering out and organizing interrupted or overlapping dialogue, false starts - leading to a confused transcript, with no flow of conversation. While AI might be speedy, the time used to correct inevitable errors, correct grammar and create a sensible, easy-to-read transcript is likely best spent on other tasks. ​
Who might require my services?
Rates
I have transcribed audios for a multitude of purposes, including;
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NZ University research
Government research organisations
​Oral Historians
Private Investigators
Lawyers,
Property Managers
Media outlets.
Creative sector
Churches
Constultancies​
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Please go to the 'About Me/References' tab to see references and testimonials.
$2.50 per audio minute for a standard Intelligent Verbatim transcript.
By charging per audio minute rather than by the typing hour, this enables you to know ahead of time how much the file will cost to have transcribed.
If you require strict verbatim, and/or the quality of the recording is causing problems, the rate may increase. This will always be discussed before moving forward.
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Intelligent Verbatim:
Not requiring all utterances - ah, um, er, false starts, laughter/crying noted etc.
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Strict Verbatim:
Requiring all utterances - ah, um, er, false starts, laughter/crying noted etc.
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*** STANDARD TRANSCRIPT: This is a transcript requiring intelligent verbatim, from a good quality audio recording of 1-3 speaking participants - well structured with very little over-talking, conducted in a suitable environment (i.e. not noisy cafes)
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FOCUS GROUPS: These are considered any meeting with 4+ speakers. In busy periods, these may not prioritized if there are higher numbers of speakers in a larger meeting setting, due to inevitable over-talking and placement of the recording devices not picking up all speakers.
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How transcription works.
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Transcription is quite simply getting your audio files into text document form. You send me your audio file via Dropbox, and I type the content up, proof-read, grammar and spell-check it, and return as an attachment via email or Dropbox. The clearer your audio, the faster the return. You can supply me with a template or I can use my standard format.
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Audio file formats I work with .wav, .mp3, .dss and .wma
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Many transcription services charge an hourly rate, based on actual typing time, rather than a rate per audio minute. This leaves you wondering what the final cost will be. The nature of transcription is that it takes a typist between three and five times the length of the audio to transcribe, sometimes longer depending on many factors. I charge per audio minute, which means you know ahead of time how much the job will cost. For example, a 20 minute standard audio will cost $50 to have transcribed. A one hour audio would cost $150 to have transcribed.
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These rates are based on clear audio recordings. Factors that may incur a surcharge: if a recording has a lot of background noise, participants that frequently over-talk each other, participants have particularly heavy accents, and/or poor audio quality. I will always check the audio before starting the job and liaise with you if it's not going to be a straight-forward job. In very rare cases, an audio may be deemed simply not viable for a quality transcript, in which case I reserve the right to not transcribe that single file.
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