When we think of transcription, we might imagine transcriptionists hunkered over their computers, transcribing audio and video content into written text. While it certainly has a ring of truth, it doesn’t paint a complete picture of the process. Transcription is a varied and nuanced industry, ranging from general and medical work to highly specialized legal transcription services. There are different transcription processes, types of providers, and advantages and disadvantages. Businesses looking to reap its benefits need an essential and comprehensive guide to transcription services to maximize their benefits, and that’s what I’m here to give all of you.
In this article, you’ll learn how:
- Transcription pricing models vary—by line, page, audio minute, or flat fee—and understanding them helps you avoid hidden costs.
- Factors such as audio quality, the number of speakers, and turnaround time can significantly affect your final bill. Plus, some providers use tricky billing tactics, so asking the right questions is essential.
- Choosing a reputable U.S.-based provider like Ditto Transcripts ensures pricing transparency, legal compliance, and 99.9% guaranteed accuracy.
The Professional Transcription Process
Let’s start with the basics with this transcription service guide. Transcription is the process of converting audio and video recordings into written text. The usual steps are:
- The client submits an audio or video recording via email or the transcription service provider’s secure platform.
- The transcription provider assigns the video or audio recording to a transcriber with the appropriate skill and experience.
- The transcriber listens to the recorded file word for word and transcribes all utterances if doing a verbatim transcription. If doing a cleaned-up or edited transcription, the transcriber lightly touches up the text, correcting grammar and removing filler words.
- The transcriber submits the transcript for proofreading. (Look for reputable services that offer high accuracy rates.)
- The completed transcript is returned to the client.
Benefits Of Outsourcing Transcription
The demand for transcription services is increasing annually, with the industry valued at nearly $26 billion and expected to grow by almost 6% until 2030.
That’s not surprising, as here are some benefits of outsourcing your transcription needs to reputable service providers:
| Benefit or Feature | Summary |
| Cost Savings | Reduce expenses tied to salaries, benefits, hiring, training, equipment, and office space by using a reliable transcription provider. |
| Time Savings | Transcripts preserve meaningful conversations in written form, supporting learning, clarity, and organizational efficiency. |
| Improved Communication | Transcripts preserve important conversations in written form, supporting learning, clarity, and organizational efficiency. |
| Improved Accessibility | Captions and transcripts make content usable for people who are deaf or hard of hearing and broaden overall audience access. |
| SEO Boost | Captions keep viewers engaged, while searchable transcripts help improve keyword visibility and search rankings. |
| Multi-industry Appeal | Useful across sectors, including business, medical, legal, and academic institutions. Law enforcement can use trial transcription services for courtroom prep, and creators can add captions for stronger engagement. |
| What Makes Ditto Stand Out | Ditto offers strong security, affordable, flexible services, top-tier support, and leading accuracy. Their deposition transcription services reinforce their expertise in legal workflows. |
Types of Transcription Service Providers By Location
There may be variations in the steps, depending on what type of service provider you hire. Most transcription service guides fail to consider these, so we’ll dive deep into this concept.
Generally, the categorizations can be divided into two groups: by location and transcription process. We’ll start with the former.
There are two types of online transcription providers according to location: offshore and onshore (or U.S.-based). Each has different advantages; knowing them is essential when choosing the right transcription provider.
- Offshore Providers: Offshore companies use foreign staff or freelancers and may be cheaper due to lower labor costs, but non native English speakers often struggle with jargon, accents, and tough audio, which increases errors, slows turnaround, and can lead to more time spent correcting work.
- U.S.-based Providers: Onshore companies hire native English speakers who understand American English nuances, accents, and slang for stronger accuracy, offer compatible working hours across U.S. time zones for quicker communication and smoother turnaround, provide better security and regulatory compliance, and are more reliable for specialized work such as court transcription services.
Types of Transcription Services By Process
No transcription service guide is complete without discussing the debate between humans and machines. The two generally accepted methods of transcription are manual and automated. Businesses looking for the best transcription service need to understand the benefits and pitfalls they can expect from each option.
Automatic Transcription Services
Automated transcription services use speech recognition technology to provide fast or real-time transcription. These automated transcription tools are often hailed as the next big thing for their fast turnaround times. However, for all its speed, AI still cannot transcribe with acceptably accurate results.
Speech recognition software and other transcription technologies struggle with background noise, overlapping speakers, different accents and dialects, and poor audio quality. It cannot identify nuance or use context to create a more accurate verbatim transcription – skills that come naturally to experienced human transcriptionists.
As a result, such transcription software or services can only guarantee up to 61.92% accuracy – well below the level of accuracy required for any respectable institution.
Manual Transcription Services
Manual transcription services, or human transcription services, use human transcribers when converting spoken language to text. Human transcription provides the highest possible levels of accuracy, as close to perfection as they come.
This is because humans understand humans better. Audio and video files are considered, and human transcribers can leverage their extensive skills and experience to deliver the best results. It also comes with a slew of other benefits, including:
- Ability to handle complex, industry-specific transcription jobs
- Ability to adapt to audio issues, context, accents, and dialects
- Enhanced security and privacy
Choosing The Right Transcription Service
| Feature | Manual Transcription | Automated Transcription |
| Accuracy | High (99%+) | Low (61.92%+) |
| Speed | 4 hours | Fast |
| Cost | Medium | Low |
| Human expertise | Yes | No |
| Use cases | Business, legal, medical, and education | Basic transcription tasks |
| Ideal for | Projects that require high accuracy | Projects that need quick turnaround times |
And so ends our ultimate guide to transcription services.
With all that said, which transcription service is best?
A 100% human, U.S.-based transcription service like Ditto Transcripts is your best bet. We guarantee more than 99% accuracy rates, fast turnaround times, affordable prices, unparalleled security, and excellent customer service.
Our legal transcription prices tell you everything you need to know about our service cost. And for our service? Here’s a client testimonial that backs us up.
We offer a range of specializations and services, including medical transcription, legal transcription, academic transcription, business transcription, law enforcement transcription, document-to-document transcription, translation, and more.
So, what are you waiting for? Contact us now and experience the Ditto difference.
Ditto Transcripts is a Denver, Colorado-based FINRA, HIPAA, and CJIS-compliant transcription services company that provides fast, accurate, and affordable transcripts for individuals and companies of all sizes. Call (720) 287-3710 today for a free quote.