FAQ

What’s your turnaround time?

Our average turnaround time is a half-day or less! That includes every kind of job under every kind of circumstance—including power outages, ISP issues, difficult accents, speakers interrupting each other—every possible contingency.

The average transcriptionist works at a 4:1 or 5:1 ratio.  That means that it takes the average transcriptionist 4 or 5 hours to transcribe an hour.  OUR TRANSCRIPTIONISTS ARE WAY ABOVE AVERAGE. If you have a special urgency, we have strategies for knocking it out for you as quickly as possible.  We are not only experienced transcriptionists, we are experienced researchers, grammar experts, and software specialists, so we bring many skills to bear in our efforts to bring you the best quality job as quickly as possible.

Can you handle panel discussions?

We can handle multiple speakers in multiple settings.

Can you identify speakers in multi-speaker conferences?

When provided with the names of speakers, we will do our very best to identify each speaker.

How do I send you a digital file?

Please go to our Client Links page  for instructions. We offer a secure file transfer for your files via our FTP upload site.

Do you include time codes in the transcript?

We time code every job so that you can quickly correlate the audio or video file with the transcript.  We use an HOUR:MINUTE:SECOND format (01:00:11) for precision.  There is no charge for 1 or 2 time codes per page.  Additionally, we can insert more time codes for a variety of purposes:  for shorter sound bytes, we can add time codes at the beginning and end of each speaker if you’d like.  We’ll time code questionable areas in the recording, like names we aren’t able to document, the beginning and ending of each presentation or recording (with older cassette tapes, sometimes a recording will go from Side A of a tape to Side B).  We’ll time code interruptions in the interview or presentations, and disruptive sounds such as sirens, telephone rings, or another speaker interrupting the main speaker.  We do NOT transcribe and time code your repetitive encouraging “uh-huhs” or other filler words like “ums” or “ahs.” We will time code Q&A sessions if the questioner is audible.

What is a summary?

Document summaries and indexes help make your transcript significantly more accessible.  A document summary allows us to isolate key points for busy CEOs and researchers.  We can analyze speeches, presentations, and interviews for main subject headings, concepts, and key thoughts.   We index key words, concepts, proper nouns, places, and any list of subject matter or controlled vocabularies you are especially attuned to.

Do you do tape logs and interview flow logs?

We can log B-roll and create flow logs.  The flow log is an easily scanned summary of the topics of conversation during each minute (or other relevant unit) of the interview.  The Flow Log is an ideal choice for the client who would like an affordable alternative to a full transcript, for one who uses the audio file of interviews as the primary document and requires only a map of the audio contents.  For this package, an Adept Voice-to-Text Expert listens to the interview(s) and documents the interview contents in summary form, adding as much detail as you require.   The Flow Log is prepared with Adept’s signature attention to accuracy and detail. An Interview Profile describes the interview subject and summarizes interview content.

Can you do video or audio captioning?

Yes, we can caption your video on YouTube, or add captions and send the file to you as an MP4.  We have been providing Internet video captions with our partner dotSUB for nearly 10 years now.  Of course, we always keep our captions divided by complete thoughts, and are very careful to observe the guidelines of Section 508 Amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and subsequent requirements of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010.

What about my grandpa’s old reel-to-reel tapes?

Recording media keeps changing and the players to play those old tapes are hard to find. Adept can digitize reel-to-reel, standard audio or VHS cassette tapes, or microcassette tapes. If, for some reason we can’t, we can make arrangements to have them professionally migrated to new digital formats and preserve these materials for you. Magnetic tapes are decaying and we’re losing history!

Do you transcribe oral histories?

We LOVE ORAL HISTORY! Our transcriptionists hold degrees and expertise in many different areas. They particularly enjoy transcribing Oral Histories to help make these history stories come alive and create access. Spend more time focusing on your project and interviews and let us worry about the transcription!

Can you transcribe heavy accents?

YES! Our transcriptionists are graduates of the best transcription training programs and have received training in understanding ESL (English as Second Language) speakers. We also are experts at transcribing regional accents and dialects from different parts of the country. Whenever we have a question, at least two other Voice-to-Text Experts consult; two heads are better than one.  If a second set of ears doesn’t allow us to clarify the question, we’ll mark the inaudible section with a time code so you can quickly reference it in the recording.

What are your rates?

Our rates are simple: We only charge you for what we actually transcribe, and that transcript includes time coding, an index, and your other specifications.  We have a selection of additional services available—take a look at the various types of transcripts we offer and let’s analyze what will best meet your needs.

Have your transcriptionists taken the NIH test for Protection of Human Subjects?

Yes, and copies of the completion certificates are available upon request.

Is our information confidential?

We hold our Experts to the highest levels of confidentiality allowed by law. All of our Experts sign non-disclosure agreements stating that all client information and project materials are to be kept strictly confidential.  If information regarding proprietary concepts or any other confidential issues – about products or individuals – are used or disclosed inappropriately, legal action is taken. Specific violations of confidentiality resulting in economic loss may be punishable by law.