Our Transcription Services
General
What transcription services do you offer?
How can I be assured that my transcript will be accurate and of professional quality?
I’d like you to transcribe my audio or video. What should I do now?
What is 'a digital transcription service that shares your values?'
Formatting
How do I know that my transcript will be edited and formatted according to my needs?
What happens to my transcript when you can’t understand what’s being said in part of the audio?
Rates and Discounts
What are your rates?
How can I make sure I get the lowest rate possible?
How can I take advantage of your discounts?
Are there other advantages to applying for a discount?
How and when do I pay for transcription work?
General
Q: What transcription services do you offer?
A: We specialize in converting, i.e. transcribing, the spoken word into the written word. In particular we transcribe digital files (wav, mp3, and just about anything else out there) to Microsoft Word (.doc) and other computer text formats. If you need transcription from cassette we can do that as well. We can type handwritten documents for you. We can recommend a good digital recorder for your project. We can transcribe just about anything under the sun, audio and video (and if we can't do it yet, become a client, and we will get set up for it ASAP!) We do not yet offer medical or legal transcription but if you don't mind your medical or legal files being typed up by a general transcription company, we can do that, too, probably at a lower cost.
Q: How can I be assured that my transcript will be accurate and of professional quality?
A: We strive to produce top-notch transcription services at the most competitive rates. We believe that a transcript should be a finished document of professional quality. You wouldn’t expect to find typographical or grammatical errors on a shelf at the bookshop, and you shouldn’t expect such things in a transcript, either. We guarantee that you will be satisfied with our transcription of your clear audio. If you are not satisfied, we will make all necessary changes or refund you 100%. Obviously, if the quality of the audio you send us is poor, your transcript may have a lot of inaudibles and it may be impossible to guarantee a quality result. We do promise you that if we have significant problems transcribing your audio we will contact you about it before we continue to transcribe.
We take ample time to research all unfamiliar terms so you won’t have to fill those in later. Our quality control department proofreads your transcript while listening through your audio a second time. Please also see What happens to my transcript when you can’t understand what’s being said in part of the audio? below.
If you have any questions or concerns about your particular audio, and our ability to transcribe it, please contact us. Mention that you’d like a sample transcript of the first three to four minutes of your audio. We’ll send you a link for uploading your audio, and then we’ll send you a short transcript from your audio in Microsoft Word format. Finally, if you send us poor quality audio, and we don’t think we can produce a quality transcript from that audio, we’ll let you know right awayand give you the option of taking a full refund.
Q: I’d like you to transcribe my audio or video. What should I do now?
A: Thanks for choosing us as your transcription company! Here are the steps you should take to get your audio transcribed:
1.) Send an e-mail to gptranscripts@gmail.com or call us at 774-289-4791. If you think you might qualify for one of our discounts, let us know!
2.) We will send you a link where you can upload audio (if you prefer, you can mail it to us, but be sure to make a master copy) along with a questionnaire. If you have filled out our questionnaire (which gives you more control over the transcript we produce), please paste or attach it in your e-mail. If you choose not to use our questionnaire you can send us your own instructions in the e-mail you send us.
3.) We will send you a quote and you can make payment. We will begin work immediately upon receiving payment.
Q: What is 'a digital transcription service that shares your values?'
A: We value and celebrate diversity. We value sustainability. We honor all efforts, large and small, by people of all political persuasions, to make the world just a little better for someone else. We are talking about the basic human values that are too often lost in the business world. One of the greatest blessings of transcription work has been the way it connects us to people around the world who are doing good. It connects us to others who, each in their own way, are seeking to make the world a more livable and healthy place for all of us. Co-founder Jason Howard was influenced years ago by Matthew Fox’s book The Reinvention of Work: The New Vision of Livelihood for Our Time, which gave him the notion that true work is healthy work that is good for our souls, good for our communities, and good for our planet. He remembered this when he started Greenpath Transcripts.
We want to promote a healthy world and a green economy and we believe that business has a major role to play in this transformation. For every job we process in 2010 (and for every referral) we will loan $25 to a poor entrepreneur in the developing world. We donate to organizations and charities that interest our clients. We offer discounts to transcription projects contributing, in a larger sense, to a healthy world. Though most of our transcripts are delivered via e-mail, when we send paper transcripts, we use Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper.
Perhaps what we love most about transcription work is the spoken and written word as a medium for telling stories. Stories, as Christina Baldwin puts it, help us
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build bridges of understanding, to create community, and to inspire each other to action for a better world." Over time, we seek to grow in that direction, seeking out grants to help us record and transcribe the stories in this world that need to be told, and there are many.
Formatting
Q: How do I know that my transcript will be edited and formatted according to my needs?
A: You can give us special instructions for typing up your transcript, but if you’re like many clients, you don’t know exactly what you need or prefer. We have a handy questionnaire which will guide you through the process of figuring out exactly what you need and give you more control over your transcript. There are a lot of details: do you want a single space or double space between sentences? Do you want terms like ah, um, you know, or stutters included in your transcript? Should we correct the grammar of the speakers? Do you want to include false starts (where a speaker begins to say something, then cuts herself off and begins talking about something else)? How would you like the speakers identified in the transcript? Just fill out our questionnaire and e-mail it to us. If you’re still not sure, you can always leave the details up to us, and we will produce a transcript that we feel makes sense considering your content and audience.
Q: What happens to my transcript when you can’t understand what’s being said in part of the audio?
A: We do whatever we can to make out what is being said in your audio, and spend considerable time researching the Internet to find proper names (business names, individuals’ names, etc.), but sometimes (especially with poor quality audio) we just won’t be able to hear what is being said in your audio. When a word or phrase is just impossible to decipher, you will see (inaudible 00:00:00) with the numbers indicating the time at which the problem occurs. Sometimes we think we can make out what’s being said but we won’t be able to verify it. In those cases you will see our guess in [brackets 00:00:00] along with the time at which the problem occurs. Sometimes we’ll have trouble hearing what is being said because one speaker is talking over another. We will indicate this by (inaudible; overlapping dialogue 00:00:00). These are the conventions we use, but if you have another way you’d like us to make these indications, please let us know.
Rates and Discounts
A: Our rates are per minute or hour of recorded audio, not per minute or hour of work! Our standard rate is $2.05/minute for the vast majority of audio we receive, though most of our clients also qualify for discounts. If the audio quality makes transcription incredibly difficult, we may have to add a surcharge.
Q: How can I make sure I get transcription services at the lowest rate possible?
A: 1.) Ask about our discounts if you think you might be eligible, and sign up for our mailing list where we occasionally offer special limited-time discounts and specials for our clients. 2.) If there are significant stretches in your audio that you don’t need transcribed, please let us know so we won’t charge you for that time. For example, if you know that between minute 9:51 and minute 13:21 there is silence, you can let us know, and we won’t charge you for those minutes. 3.) Know your recording equipment. If possible, test your equipment before you begin recording, and make sure it records loud and clear. Limit background noise. Record indoors if possible. Turn off fans, etc. Make sure the recorder is close enough to all speakers to pick up their voices, and if people move, remember to move the recorder.
Q: How can I take advantage of your discounts?
A: First of all, you can join our mailing list and get updates whenever we have special limited-time discounts. In addition, if you think you qualify for a specific discount mentioned on our Discounts page, you can let us know by emailing discounts@digitaltranscriptionservice.com. When you write to us, include a short description of your goals along with any appropriate documents or web links that might help us to get to know you better. Include a brief description of the audio you need transcribed, and the number of hours and minutes you need transcribed, as well as whether or not you need a verbatim transcript.
Q: Are there other advantages to applying for a discount?
A: One of our favorite aspects of running a transcription business “that shares your values” has been networking with and learning from our many fascinating clients who are involved in so many unique and interesting activities! With your permission, we’d love to feature your work on our blog and/or network you with others who may be able to help you achieve your goals. Occasionally we offer pro bono work and enjoy helping the organizations that do business with us in any way we can. Sharing your values is not just something we say: it’s our favorite part of running this business!
Q: How and when do I pay for transcription work?
A: Please keep in mind that new clients need to pay before we begin work on your transcripts. [Note: this section in the process of being updated.] Returning clients (who have received at least $250 in transcription work) must pay 50% upfront and can pay the remaining 50% upon receipt of the transcript. Once you have uploaded your audio, we will send you an invoice via e-mail (if you have not already paid). You also have the option of paying right away, directly from our website, by clicking the PayPal link at the bottom of our main page. You do not need a PayPal account to pay. You can pay with a credit card or directly from your bank account. Just multiply your rate per minute (see rates) by the number of minutes you need transcribed, and that’s your total. Type that number in the “unit price” box and then click “Update Totals.” (Detailed instructions for payment are available if you need them.)