TRANSCRIPTION

  • QUALITY
  • EFFICIENCY
  • RELIABILITY

At Emendo, transcripts are always created by two separate people, to ensure that the finished material is of the highest possible quality. One person transcribes the text (writes down the recorded audio material) and then the other person proofreads the transcription before sending it back to the customer.

 

Quality, efficiency and reliability

Most of our projects are transcriptions of interviews, radio broadcasts, focus group discussions, lectures and meetings. All projects are confidential. The source material may be sent to us via e-mail or regular mail, or it may be delivered to our office in person.

Since all audio materials are different in terms of recording quality and transcription method, final project prices may vary. Some of the factors that affect price are audio quality, number of people speaking, foreign language, terminology, background noise, delivery deadline and rush delivery (if requested).
Please contact us with the above information about your project and needs, and we will provide a price quote within one to two business days.
Also, please see below for answers to common questions about transcription.

Frequently asked questions about transcription

How accurately is the recorded material transcribed?

With most transcripts, everything spoken will be transcribed, except for superfluous words and sounds (such as humming and hesitations). For transcription projects where exact wording is important, humming, repetitions, and the like will be exactly transcribed. If time stamps are needed in the transcription, please mention this when placing your order. Inclusion of time stamps will incur a moderate extra charge.

How do I compress/convert video or audio files?

For audio files, music software such as iTunes or Winamp is the easiest to use. To convert WAV to MP3 in iTunes:

1. On the menu bar click “Edit” and then “Preferences…”. Under the “General” tab, click “Import settings…” and select “MP3 Encoder”.

2. Open the file in iTunes.

3. With the file selected, click “File” on the menu bar and then go to “Convert” and select “Create MP3 Version”.

4. To see where iTunes saved the new file, right click the newly created file and select “Show in Windows Explorer”.

For compression/conversion of video material, there are too many formats to provide a simple answer, but after a few searches on the Internet you will quickly find tutorials that explain how to proceed.

How do you calculate the price?

You are only billed for the time we spend on the transcription. Normally, we calculate 5 hours of transcription time per 1 hour of audio recording, although this may vary from project to project. For each project, you will receive a detailed description of the transcription time.

We calculate lower prices for transcriptions where only one or two people are talking as, for example, in focus interviews. In cases of group interviews or audio recordings with several people talking, the price will usually be higher, as there may be more work involved in identifying the persons speaking.

Please contact us for a quick and affordable price quote.

How long will the project take?

Delivery time will vary based on the project content and size. Most transcripts are returned to the customer a week after we receive the material. If you have a shorter deadline, we can usually deliver the text sooner. Contact us if you have any questions about our delivery timeframe.

How should I send audio material to be transcribed?

We prefer that the material be sent to us digitally. Please let us know if you need assistance with a digital delivery. In the case of larger projects, you may also send files by post, stored on a CD or DVD.

Our postal address is:
Emendo
c/o Leif Magnar Wikse
Solvangvegen 45
5519 Haugesund

In what format(s) are the final transcripts delivered?

Final transcripts are delivered in Word and PDF. Should you have other requirements, please let us know when placing your order.

What audio formats do you accept?

We transcribe virtually all digital and analogue recordings, but we charge an extra fee for digitizing analogue media such as cassettes, video tapes, MiniDV, etc.

Non-compressed material often consists of very large files; therefore, we encourage you to compress files. We recommend MP3 format for audio files. For video material MPEG, AVI, MOV (QuickTime) and WMV are recommended.

We recommend digital audio recording since it generally results in higher audio quality, which further provides for a better transcription.

What information do you need to provide a price quote?

In order for us to provide a price quote, we need information about the material to be transcribed and how the customer wants to use the transcribed text. Contact us either by phone (+47 971 10 626) or e-mail (infoemendo@runbox.com) and give us a description of the project and your needs. We will then offer you a competitive price quote for your project.

Transcription for researchers and students

 

We often receive inquiries from researchers and students who need transcriptions of large materials, but lack the resources necessary to benefit from our regular services. Emendo supports these groups and, therefore, offers discounts for transcriptions used in research and/or other activities associated with university education.

 

A little less double-checking: much lower price

The usual transcription process involves one person who transcribes and another person who proofreads. We also offer more time-efficient transcriptions, where the text is transcribed as usual, but is not proofread afterwards. This text is thus sent directly to the customer. This type of transcription means that we cannot offer a 100% guarantee for the linguistic quality of the finished document, but the transcription is available for further use by researchers and students.
To benefit from this discount, customers should be either a researcher or a university student and the total audio material for transcription should not be less than five hours.

For more information on transcription services for researchers and students, please contact us by phone (+47 971 10 626) or e-mail (infoemendo@runbox.com).