FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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Services

What is your 'final draft' transcription service?

It is our best-quality, most popular, and most flexible transcription service. It includes speaker labels by default and options for timestamps, strict verbatim (including the ‘uh’s and ‘ah’s and other filler language), and translation.



What is your 'rough draft' transcription service?

It is our most straight-forward and affordable transcription service. Speakers are not individually identified in this service. Rather, we create a new paragraph with each speaker change. If the audio or video file only has one speaker, then we create paragraph changes at natural points in the dialogue. Filler language is removed by default (i.e., we do not include the 'uh's and 'ah's), and all orders are delivered within 5 business days. The stated accuracy of this service is 90-95%, though it is typically 97%+. This service works great for one-speaker, non-technical audio or video files.



In what format do you deliver the transcript?

We deliver all transcripts in Microsoft Word format. We offer two transcript formats in Microsoft Word, which can be viewed and downloaded by clicking here.



What is strict verbatim transcription?

Strict verbatim means that the transcript will include filler words such as “umm,” “uhh,” and “like.” It also includes stutters, false-starts, repetitive words, and sounds (such as laughter). The aim is to transcribe all audible content.



What are timestamps?

Timestamps mark specific interviews on your transcript. For example, if you select timestamps every 2 minutes your transcript will be marked every 2 minutes with a tag similar to [00:02:00], [00:04:00], and so on.



Are weekends included in your turnaround time?

Our 24 hour service includes all weekends and major holidays. Our business day turnaround times do not include weekends or major U.S. holidays (Labor Day, Independence Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). If you have any questions, or if you are on a tight timeline for whatever reason, please reach out to us to coordinate.



Can you transcribe other languages?

We transcribe in certain major foreign languages. Please reach out to us for additional information. Note that foreign language transcription is different than translation. Transcription is the process of providing a written transcript in the same language of that which is spoken. Translation is the process of providing a written transcript in a different language than of that which is spoken. We do offer translation services in all major languages, as long as one of the languages is English.



Do you provide audio translation services?

Yes, we provide translation services in all major languages. The cost for audio translation starts at $2.95 per audio minute.



Do you provide written translation services?

We offer written translation services for Enterprise clients. For more information, please visit this page.



What filetypes do you accept?

We have the ability to transcribe any audio / video recordings you have. Common filetypes include MP3, MP4, M4A, WMV, WAV, MOV, AVI, AIF, ASF, VOB, AMR, and WMA. If you have a file with audible content, we can transcribe it.



Do you have medical/court-trained transcriptionists?

Yes, we have transcriptionists with extensive work experience in both the legal and medical fields. If your legal jurisdiction requires certified transcription for court use, we may or may not be able to provide it based on your state's laws. Please reach out to us with questions. Also note that we are not a HIPAA-compliant transcription service.



Pricing

How much do you charge?

PRICING OVERVIEW
Our pricing is based on the duration of audio or video we transcribe. All prices are listed on our pricing page ( see here). We do not charge extra for taxes or transaction fees. We accept all forms of payment, including all major credit cards, PayPal, check, ACH domestic transfers, and international transfers. ROUGH DRAFT
Our rough draft service costs $0.79 per minute. If you have 1 hour of audio, the total cost would be $47.40 (60 minutes x $0.79 per minute). Our rough draft service does not include speaker labeling, and we do not offer additional options such as timestamps, strict verbatim transcription, or translation services. FINAL DRAFT
Our final draft service starts at $0.95 per minute for a 5 business day turnaround. Our pricing increases to $1.20 per minute for a 2 business day turnaround and $2.40 per minute for a 24 hour turnaround which includes weekends. This service will label speakers by their name (or other sensible labels such as "Interviewer" or "Interviewee" if names are not available), and you can add other options such as timestamps for an additional cost. If you have 1 hour of audio and select our final draft transcription with a 5 business day turnaround and timestamps, the total cost would be $72.00 (60 minutes x $1.20 per minute).



How long does it take?

For our final draft transcription service, we offer three turnaround times: 24 hours, 2 business days, and 5 business days. The cost of the service varies based on the turnaround time. For our rough draft transcription service, all orders are processed in 5 business days.



In what format do you deliver the transcript?

We deliver all transcripts in Microsoft Word format.



Can I get a quote for my order?

Yes. You can generate an automatic PDF quote by visiting this page. Alternatively, you can reach out to our support team by emailing support@transcriptionpanda.com to request a quote.



Do you offer discounts for bulk orders?

If you have more than 10,000 audio minutes that you need transcribed, please reach out to us to inquire about discounts. Discounts are offered on a case-by-case basis.



Do you charge extra for multiple speakers?

No, we do not. If your audio file has less than 5 speakers, we will individually label the speakers. If you audio file has 5 or more speakers, then we will use the most appropriate generic speaker labels based on the context of the discussion (e.g. "Paricipant" & "Facilitator," "Male" & "Female", etc.). If you need to have speakers individually identified for files that have 5 or more speakers, then you should mark the order as "Difficult Audio," which does carry an additional $0.50 per minute cost. Please keep in mind that our rough draft transccription service does not label speakers.



Do you charge extra for difficult audio?

Yes, but this should be rare. Difficult audio includes very poor audio quality, speakers with strong accents, heavy background noise, and situations where many (5+) speakers need to be individually identified. If you aren’t sure if your audio qualifies as "difficult," feel free to reach out to us.



How does your satisfaction guarantee work?

If you aren’t satisfied with your order, let us know within 14 days of receiving your transcripts. We'll work with you to resolve any concern. If we are unable to find an adequate resolution, we'll process a full refund at your request. See our refund policy for more details.



Can I prepay for your services?

Yes. We work with several organizations that need to secure and pay for transcription services before certain deadlines occur. If you need to prepay for services, please reach out to support@transcriptionpanda.com.



Security / Confidentiality

What are your security protocols?

All client files are treated as highly confidential. We are able to redact certain information upon request. Audio and video files are stored during transcription (and for up to 6 months after transcripts have been delivered) on either our private, encrypted server or our Corporate Dropbox account. Access to files is limited to our transcription team. All payments are processed via two industry-leading payment processors: Stripe (for cards like Mastercard, Visa, American Express, etc.) and PayPal (for PayPal accounts). We don’t store credit card information. Rather, any saved payment information is stored directly with the credit card processor. Some clients may require signed non-disclosure agreements, which we can typically get back to you within 24 hours. If you do not have a non-disclosure agreement drafted up, we can provide one upon request. Lastly, all of our transcriptionists are under strict non-disclosure agreements. For more details, feel free to reach out to us.



Can you sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) or a confidentiality agreement?

Yes. Please contact us with your requirements and/or your non-disclosure agreement. If you do not have a standard non-disclosure or confidentiality agreement, we have a standard agreement that we can send to you.



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