Increasingly, organizations are opting to transcribe their interviews—for market research or even legal proceedings—as it enables thorough analysis with numerous benefits. However, the whole transcription process is no walk in the park, especially for amateurs, as even the slightest mistake can lead to misinterpretation or legal issues. Transcription services for interviews address these challenges, and some providers also offer legal transcription services when accuracy is required for court-related matters.
With the help of a trusted transcription provider, organizations can save time, reduce errors, and ensure interview data is adequately captured. The question is, how do you choose the right transcription services provider?
In this article, you’ll learn:
- What interview transcription is and the step-by-step process to create accurate written records.
- The benefits of transcribing interviews include accessibility, searchability, repurposing opportunities, and legal/archival purposes.
- Partnering with professional providers like Ditto Transcripts ensures accuracy, customization, confidentiality, and faster turnaround times.
What is an Interview Transcription?
Let’s get the definition out of the way.
Interview transcription means creating a written version of a recorded interview. It involves listening to the interview and accurately typing out words and nonverbal expressions—at least for a verbatim transcript, such as verbatim court reporting. The transcribed text can be used to create a database, review or analyze the content, prepare for future interviews, and more.
Types of Interviews Where Transcription Can Be Helpful
To gain a broader perspective, I’ve listed a few types of interviews where transcribing them can be particularly beneficial.
| Type of Interview | Description |
| Journalistic Interviews | Conducted by reporters and journalists for news articles, magazines, or documentaries. |
| Research Interviews | Carried out by researchers for qualitative studies, case studies, or histories in various fields. |
| Legal Interviews | Conducted by lawyers for depositions, witness statements, or interrogations. |
| Medical Interviews | Performed by healthcare professionals for patient assessments, medical histories, or case studies. |
| Business Interviews | Conducted for market research, customer feedback, or employee evaluations within a company. |
| Podcast Interviews | Recorded for podcasts, covering a wide range of topics. |
| Public Figure Interviews | Conducted with popular individuals for promotional purposes, biographies, or entertainment content. |
Beyond these interview types, transcription also plays a vital role in the legal system. Court transcription services provide accurate, word-for-word records of trials, hearings, and other courtroom proceedings. These transcripts are indispensable for appeals, case reviews, and ensuring that every detail of testimony and argument is preserved as part of the official legal record.
How Ditto Transcribes an Interview
Though there are many companies to choose from, there are right and wrong ways to transcribe.
Here’s how we do it:
| Step | Description |
| 1. Prepare | Transcription is time-consuming—an hour of audio can take 4–6 hours to complete. Transcribers set up in a quiet space, equipped with headphones, a playback device, editing software, and a word processor, before starting. |
| 2. Familiarize with the Audio | Transcribers listen to the full recording first to understand context, speakers, accents, background noise, and terminology that may need research. |
| 3. Start Transcribing | A transcript begins with an introduction (date, time, location, participants). Transcribers type everything verbatim, using pause/rewind as needed and adding speaker labels for clarity. |
| 4. Capture Every Word & Non-Verbal Cue | All spoken words, filler words, pauses, laughter, and overlaps are transcribed. Unclear audio is marked with timestamps (e.g., “[inaudible 00:15:30]”) for later review. |
| 5. Save Work & Take Breaks | Transcribers save files regularly (auto-save tools like Word/Docs help). Breaks are encouraged to reduce fatigue, refresh focus, and maintain accuracy. |
| 6. Refine the Transcript | Drafts are reviewed against the audio to check accuracy and consistency. Names, terms, and unclear sections are clarified for an “intelligent verbatim” final version. |
| 7. Format & Proofread | Final formatting ensures readability and professionalism (spacing, fonts, headers). Proofreading catches typos or awkward phrasing, often with a second reviewer for a fresh perspective. |
The same careful process applies in the legal field, where accuracy is even more critical. Deposition transcription services ensure every spoken word in a deposition is captured verbatim, including pauses, emotions, and non-verbal cues. These transcripts provide lawyers with reliable, searchable records that can be referenced during case preparation or courtroom proceedings, where even the smallest detail can make a difference.
Benefits of Transcribing Video or Audio Interviews
Now that you understand interview transcription and how to make one, let’s consider the benefits this solution can offer.
Easy Analysis
It’s much easier to analyze transcribed audio or video content, as researchers, journalists, or content creators can quickly scan through the written text to spot relevant information without having to repeat and listen to the recording. That said, easily analyzing transcripts can save valuable time since sentences, essential insights, and remarkable moments can be quickly extracted from the text.
Improved Accessibility
Creating a written interview version ensures that a larger audience can benefit from the content. It also improves accessibility for non-native speakers, as well as those who prefer reading over watching or listening.
Better Searchability
Transcribing interviews improves the content’s searchability. Users can easily search for keywords or phrases within the document using the app, making it easier to quickly locate relevant parts of the interview.
Of course, searchability comes with time savings. Efficient searching capabilities can smooth the process of utilizing the content for other purposes. Speaking of which—
Repurposing Opportunities
Content creators can create articles, blog posts, or social media content from repurposed interview transcripts since they can quickly extract quotes, key insights, or stories they want to share with their audiences without conducting another round of interviews.
The ability to reuse some parts of the content opens new opportunities for content creation. These documents can serve as a resource for generating additional content that reaches targeted audiences across platforms, such as Facebook, where 74% of videos are watched without sound.
Preservation and Backup
Old recordings can degrade, become corrupted, or no longer function with new media players in the future. Fortunately, transcribed interviews serve as backup in case the original audio-video files become inaccessible.
Preserving the information in a written format guarantees that the insights, knowledge, and experiences shared in the interview can be accessed even if the original recording is no longer available—a safeguard against losing interview content.
Legal and Archival Purposes
Transcribing interviews is not just for record-keeping or content creation; it can also be used for legal purposes. In some cases, a written record of an interview may be required for legal proceedings or to maintain a historical record of events. Trial transcription services ensure that every question, answer, and nuance is preserved in a format admissible in court, not merely as audio or video but as a rigorously proofed document.
For example, deposition transcripts are commonly required in U.S. civil litigation. According to U.S. Legal Support, a video or audio recording of a deposition generally cannot be submitted into evidence or used to impeach a witness unless there is a formal, text-based, certified transcript accompanying it.
Let Ditto Transcribe Your Interviews Instead
As you can see, transcribing an interview is a tedious and time-consuming process. Not only does it require significant amounts of time and commitment, but it also necessitates someone who knows how to transcribe accurately.
So, let the experts at Ditto Transcripts handle your interview transcription projects.
Here’s what we offer:
Accuracy Guarantee
Here at Ditto, we don’t settle for being slightly better than AI or automated software. Nor are we satisfied with offering accuracy rates in the low 90s, as some service providers do.
We provide 99% accuracy for all interview transcriptions, ensuring you get your money’s worth and more. Any transcript you receive from us is ready for archiving or use elsewhere.
U.S.-based Human Transcription
With Ditto, every project is handled by a native English speaker and a professional with proven experience and expertise in different fields. Context, nuance, figurative language, and jargon are not lost to us, and we can provide high-quality transcription.
Flexibility And Customization
Whether you need verbatim transcription services, time stamps, or other requests—you name it, we’ll take care of it. Share your guidelines upfront or show us examples; we’ll take it from there.
Confidentiality
Outsourcing transcription services to unreliable providers may present security risks that could compromise your sensitive information.
With Ditto, you don’t have to worry about any of that. Our entire operation is covered by the most stringent security measures available in the transcription industry. And believe me when we say we keep your files secure—Ditto is FINRA, CJIS, and HIPAA compliant.
Fast Turnaround Times
We understand that interview transcription requires speed and accuracy to ensure your data analysis or qualitative research flows smoothly.
Utilizing our services expedites your transcription process, as we offer transcript deliveries in as little as 24 hours or less.
Competitive Pricing
Quality transcription doesn’t have to be expensive. Ditto offers affordable legal transcription prices starting at $1.75 per minute of audio, with a turnaround time of three to five days.
Do you need your transcripts more quickly, or would you like to keep things within budget? We also offer rush and extended services to fit anyone’s needs.
Trust Ditto for Accurate Focus Group Transcripts
Here, you won’t blow the budget for high-quality transcripts. Ditto provides affordable, high-quality, and 99% accurate interview transcription, conference calls, and any other transcription needs. Not convinced? Here’s one of our client testimonials
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.