Frequently Asked Questions

Find Answers to Most Commonly Asked
Questions About Our Services

General

I am working with confidential information. What is your policy on confidentiality and how do you ensure information stays behind closed doors?

We pride ourselves in having a Culture of Confidentiality. Safeguarding the confidence of your information is as serious to us as a heartbeat. It is a lifeline of our business. We service many of the top financial and law firms across the country along with some of the largest marketing research organizations. Security must be our top priority.

Can you handle large projects?

Yes, we have a large number of transcribers and editors ready to tackle your project. We have seen projects that have 100+ hour long recordings down to simple 1 to 2 minutes dictations. If you have a large project, we do appreciate advance notice so we can better plan for your turnaround needs.

What information do you require to get started?

Name, email address, phone number (so we can contact you if we have any questions) and a valid credit card. We require all new accounts to have a credit card on file even if you prefer to receive a paper invoice. The credit card will never be charged unless you forget to pay your invoice or elect to be charged by credit card. Rest assured that we will not use your credit card unless you specify us to do so or as a last resort. This is simply a security measure and we thank you for complying.

What kind of industries do you support and audio file types do you transcribe?

We support virtually any industry and have transcribed very diverse file types including, but not limited to:

• Academic
• Business
• Conference Calls
• Dictation
• Dissertation
• Earnings Calls
• Financial Earnings Calls
• Focus Groups
• Group Discussions
• Interviews
• Insurance Investigative
• Lectures
• Legal
• Market Research
• Media
• Meetings
• Podcast Transcriptions
• Seminars
• Sermons
• Technical
• Text-to-text Transcription
• Television / Entertainment
• Verbatim
• Voicemail
• Webinars
• Web Conferences

Do people transcribe my audio or is it a computer?

We do translate recordings! Spanish translation is the most common request. Visit our Rates page for details on pricing. If you are looking for another language (Italian, French, Mandarin, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, German, etc.) please contact us for a custom quote!

Do you take on translation projects?

We do translate recordings! Spanish translation is the most common request. Visit our Rates page for details on pricing. If you are looking for another language (Italian, French, Mandarin, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, German, etc.) please contact us for a custom quote!

How long are my completed transcripts stored in my online account?

Transcripts are automatically archived and removed from your account after a one year period. Should you need a copy after that time has passed, please contact us.

I am working with a client that wants us to use a unique template/format for the transcripts. Do you guys accommodate for such requests?

Absolutely! Just give us a call and walk us through the template and we’ll make sure it’s completed to your specifications. We even have clients using special software that helps them analyze and derive answers and statistics from their transcripts. A very specific format is required, but it yields our client amazing results, so we are happy to oblige!

If I mail my tapes to you, how long are the digital recordings stored in my online account?

We store all digital recordings for 6-months. After 6-months, they go into archive. We can pull audio files back from archive up to one-year from their arrival. There is a small fee for pulling a recording from our archives so if you think you may need a digital copy of your audio files, please download the audio to your computer before the 6-weeks runs up! Don’t worry, there is never a charge for downloading your recordings.
Pricing

I am a project manager and require a formal quote for my proposals. Does TranscriptionWing™ put together customized quotes?

You bet! Call us at +1-203-413-2414 or our toll free 888-223-9488 and a Project Manager will send a formal quote to you upon request.

How do you price my transcription project?

Our audio transcription rates are very competitive and predictable. We charge by the recorded minute. Meaning, we only charge for the exact minutes in the audio file. For example if you have a file that is 33-minutes, you are only charged for 33-minutes of work. Check out our handy pricing calculator or read more on our Transcription Rates page.

Is there a minimum purchase requirement or monthly fees associated with this service?

No monthly fees and no minimum purchase required. You only pay for the service you receive.

When will I be billed?

Most of our customers are billed on the first week of the succeeding month the service was used. However, some customers, such as Universities, need to pre-pay while some firms, such as Marketing Researchers, needs to be invoiced immediately, We are happy to accommodate your need, just let us know!
File Types

What types of audio files do you accept?

We prefer .wav and .mp3, but we accept virtually any digital audio file types. If you are concerned about the audio file you have on hand give us a call and we’ll happily test out the format in question or simply convert your audio to the .wav format!

How do I send my digital files to you to be transcribed? Do I have to use an FTP site?

We have one of the easiest uploading tools around. Simply upload them directly to your online Civicom account. With two clicks your audio files are uploaded to an online account and automatically placed into our transcription queue. Check it out in our features section.

I have cassette tapes and miniDVs, can I send them to you to be converted so they can be transcribed?

Absolutely! It is helpful if you send us an email or give us a call so we can keep an eye out for your package.

How can I get the best recording possible?

This is a great question and I’m glad you asked! Our transcripts can only be as good as the audio you provide so here are a few simple steps to ensure the audio file is clear:

• Ensure you are recording in a quiet location.
• On-location meetings often have the most background noise (i.e. in a laboratory, on the street or in a store, at a construction site, etc.). If you        must record on-location vs. in a quiet room, it is best that each speaker have his/her own microphone.
• If you choose our KnowWho™ option, have them introduce themselves by name and state their name before speaking as often as possible.
• Test the audio quality before your meeting/session begins. Do so by asking each person to say their name and then play back the recording. This will enable you to tell who needs to move closer to the microphone to ensure everyone’s comments are captured clearly.
• Need help tips? Give us a call (+1-203-413-2414) our toll free (888-223-9488) and we’ll help brainstorm ways to make your recording a success!

What is you turnaround time?

We deliver files in as short as 4-hours, or you can select 9AM, 1, 2 or 5 business days! Select the turnaround time that works best for your deadline and budget. With our competitive rates and timely transcription service you can’t go wrong.

I am in a rush and need my documents back TODAY! Can you help?

Absolutely! We can deliver documents back in as little as 4-hours! As long as the audio is received by 2 PM ET on a business day and is of adequate quality.

Is there anything that may cause the turnaround time to be greater than 1-2 business days?

Poor audio quality, heavy accents or translation projects may require extra time. If we feel your files may take longer than the turnaround time you selected, an experienced transcription specialist will get in touch with you to discuss the challenges and will determine a more precise timeline that works for you.

How are the completed transcripts delivered?

Completed transcripts are emailed to the email address linked to your TranscriptionWing™ account. The transcripts will also be placed in your secure online account. Check out the features pages for more information.
Features

What are time stamps?

Time stamps are often used when a customer wants to quickly find parts of a recording to use in a report. For example, if a customer elects to add time stamps to their transcript, our transcriptionists will mark within the document, how much time has elapsed in the audio at the interval of your choice, between one and five minutes.

What is KnowWho™?

In our standard transcription format, we identify speakers by gender (Male/Female) or by their role type (Moderator/Respondent). Some of our customers want to identify who, specifically, is speaking at every given moment. When this is needed, they select the “KnowWho™” option. KnowWho™ enables you to know who is speaking. We will identify each speaker by the name/title/designation you request. Identifying specific speakers requires a lot of extra time on the part of the transcriber and editor as often times voices sound like one another.

Why does my document contain hyperlinks?

These hyperlinks are embedded as part of the standard feature that we offer to all our transcription customers to make it easy for them to distinguish unintelligible parts in their transcripts. We call it ListenLink™. Just click on the embedded links and it will take you to the specific part of the audio that is incomprehensible to our transcribers.

Why isn't ListenLink™ an option when uploading an audio file?

That’s because it is FREE and a standard feature. I’m glad you like it as much as we do!

Does ListenLink cost anything?

It is FREE — part of our standard service offering — enjoy!

What if I don't want my transcripts to have ListenLink™?

You can opt out of the ListenLink™ feature by contacting us or by simply putting it in the notes section when you upload your recordings.

Do I have to install the ListenLink™ program to play the hyperlinks?

There is no need to install anything aside from the Adobe Flash Player for your internet browser.

Does ListenLink™ play all types of audio?

ListenLink™ is only compatible with certain audio types, but we convert all audio files we receive to an MP3 format to ensure the ListenLink™ feature can be used on nearly any audio file you upload.

Why don't the links in my transcript work anymore?

Like the recordings you upload into your online account, the links on your transcripts will expire after 6 months, starting from when you upload the audio.

What happens to the ListenLink after they have expired?

They will no longer work if you click on the links in your document. Please contact us if you would like to restore them to your account. There is a $30 charge for restoring old recordings.
Video Captioning

What are video captions?

Video captions are text representation of an audio in video. These texts are time-synchronized so that the audience can read it while watching the video.

What is the objective of video captions?

Video caption enables the message of a video to be understood by a larger audience, including the deaf, the hard-of-hearing viewers, or those who speak other languages. Video caption does not only convey the spoken content of the video, but also any sound that’s not visually apparent but is integral to the video’s plot.

Video Captions vs. Transcripts

Transcripts are not synchronized with the video. Video captions, on the other hand, are time-coded so that it can be read while watching the video. Transcripts are sufficient for audio-only content, but video captions are required when there’s a video component.

Video Captions vs. Subtitles

Video caption assumes that the viewer can understand the language used in the video, while subtitles assume that the viewer cannot understand the language. Video captions are meant to make the audio deaf-friendly since the viewer can read the audio content of the video while watching. On the other hand, subtitles are for translation of the content into a language that the viewer can understand.

To get an instant quote on a video captioning project, simply call us at 888-223-9488 or email us at ! Remember that video captioning presents significant benefits to your audience and may help each viewer to effectively understand your message. So whether your video has 5 multiples speakers with different accents or muffled speakers that are hard to decipher, our video captioning team will surely be happy to take care of your request. We can deliver your transcript with captions in 2 days in a guaranteed ready-for-production quality!

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