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Transcription Pricing and Rates

Michael Gallagher
Michael Gallagher
Posted in Zoom May 4 · 4 May, 2020
Transcription Pricing and Rates

How Much Does Transcription Cost? A Clear Guide for 2024

Getting your audio files transcribed can make studying, reporting, and organizing much easier. If you have a fast-talking professor, long meetings, or important voicemails, transcription services provide a simple solution. Understanding the cost of transcription will help you pick the best option for your needs.

Key Factors Affecting Transcription Costs

Transcription costs vary based on several factors. Knowing these can help you budget for your project.

1. Recording Length

  • The length of your audio impacts the total price.
  • Most providers, including GoTranscript's transcription services, charge by audio minute or hour.
  • A meeting lasting 90 minutes (1.5 hours) is common for in-depth business discussions.

2. Text Format

  • Clean verbatim: Removes filler words like "um" and "uh." Best for study notes or business reports.
  • Full verbatim: Includes every word, false start, and stutter. Useful for legal or research needs.
  • Your choice of format affects the price and usefulness of the final transcript.

3. Turnaround Time

  • How quickly you need your transcript impacts the cost.
  • Standard turnaround is usually 1-3 days.
  • Faster options, such as 6-12 hours, come at a higher rate for urgent projects.
  • Urgent jobs can cost up to 50% more (GoTranscript, 2024).

4. Number of Speakers

  • Meetings often have multiple speakers.
  • The more speakers, the harder it is to identify voices. This can increase the cost.
  • Transcriptionists may charge extra for files with more than three speakers.

5. Audio Quality and Accents

  • Clear audio with minimal background noise is cheaper to transcribe.
  • Poor audio or heavy accents require more effort and can raise costs by 20-30% (GoTranscript, 2024).

6. Additional Services

  • Captions: Needed for video files; see dedicated closed caption services.
  • Timestamping: Time markers help you find important moments in meetings or interviews. You can add timestamps at set intervals or on speaker change.
  • Languages: English and over 50 other languages are available. Foreign language transcription is often more expensive. See translation services for non-English files.

Sample Cost Breakdown

Let’s look at an example to make transcription pricing clearer. Imagine you need to transcribe a 90-minute company meeting with these settings:

  • Recording length: 90 minutes
  • Text format: Clean verbatim
  • Turnaround: 1 day
  • Number of speakers: 4
  • Audio quality: Good
  • Language: English
  • Additional: No captions or timestamps

The estimated cost for this project is $162, which translates to:

  • Transcription hourly rate: $108 per hour of audio
  • Transcription rate per minute: $1.80 per audio minute

These rates can fluctuate based on your specific choices and needs. For more details, check current transcription pricing.

How Optional Add-Ons Affect Your Bill

Extra features provide more value, but they also increase the bill. Here are some choices to consider:

Why Choose a Professional Transcription Service?

  • Accuracy rates over 99% help you trust your data (GoTranscript, 2024).
  • Fast turnaround fits tight project deadlines.
  • Professional firms handle different accents, jargon, and technical terms.
  • Security practices keep your sensitive files safe.

Reputable providers such as GoTranscript have earned trust from brands like BBC and Netflix (GoTranscript, 2024).

How to Order Transcription Services

Getting started is simple:

  1. Upload your audio online with the order transcription form.
  2. Pick your language, text format, and turnaround time.
  3. Add any extras, such as captions or translation, if needed.
  4. Review pricing and submit your order for processing.

If you need captioning, you can also order captions online.

Conclusion: Get Accurate, Fast, and Affordable Transcription

Transcription costs depend on recording length, format, turnaround, number of speakers, and extras like captions or translation. For accurate, timely, and budget-friendly results, GoTranscript offers solutions to match any need or project.

Whether you need help with lectures, meetings, interviews, or more, GoTranscript has experience, accuracy, and a range of services to make your transcription project a success.