There are many factors to consider when selecting an automated transcription service, but there are some important features. We’ll look at the accuracy, turnaround time, languages supported, and a built-in editor. Read on if you’re looking for the best transcription services with good features and prices. You might also be surprised by what you can find. In this article, we’ll help you decide which one’s best for your needs.
Table of Contents
Built-in editor
Some automated transcription services include a built-in editing tool. Other features include highlighting specific parts of the transcript and editing the start time. Quick rewind buttons and playback speeds are also standard. Afterward, you can open the exported transcript and edit it. This way, you can edit it at your convenience.
Most transcription tools include a built-in editor, which is extremely convenient for the user. It should be able to provide editing tools for minor dialogue details. Also, time stamps synchronize with the timecode, making them an extremely valuable tool for video editors. You can include minor dialogue details without fear of missing them. However, some of the best transcription tools have a built-in editor, which is essential for editing audio files.
Accuracy
Most people doubt the accuracy of an automated transcription service. However, the services are relatively new in the industry, so end-user expectations are still low. To determine the accuracy of an automated transcription, first, you should know the audio quality. For example, a broadcast-quality recording has a 95% accuracy rate, but a recording made on an iPhone sitting on a conference room table might only be 70% accurate. So what is the best-automated transcription service?
Transcription companies will often indicate the accuracy level of their services by providing customers with a sample of their work. Then, they can measure their transcription accuracy against the original recording. This way, they can determine if they made any errors compared to the original recording. Of course, accuracy levels will vary from company to company, so you can expect to receive various results. But in general, 99% is the minimum acceptable level of accuracy.
Turnaround time
An automated transcription service is an easy way to get your files back faster than you would by hand. Many people plan out their schedules carefully, but life can interrupt our plans. Something comes up on a project, or a client needs an extra few minutes of transcription time. A backlog of files means that the transcriber cannot get to all of them quickly. The wait is unnecessarily long for an organization or a department.
Whether you’re looking for a standard turnaround time or an urgent turnaround time, consider the turnaround time of the automated transcription service you’re considering. Some services charge an additional fee for urgent transcription, while others have no cap on how many files can be transcribed daily. Of course, you’ll want to choose a service with a fast turnaround time that meets your needs and can handle any backlogs.
Languages supported
An automated transcription service should support all languages you need to convert your audio files. You can either upload an audio, or video file and choose from a list of supported languages, or you can upload your files. Typically, an automated transcription service will produce a transcript within half the duration of the media file, allowing you to add tags, make corrections, and even upload multiple tracks. Languages supported by an automated transcription service are listed at the bottom of the transcripts.
Most services support all of the major languages, including Chinese and Japanese. However, some of them offer additional models that are more able to recognize speech captured from different audio sources. Languages that support additional models are listed first, followed by default and command and search models. Languages without additional models will have the language codes listed. Changing this setting can cause breaking changes and may not be supported. Therefore, you should always check the language option before sending the transcription request.
