New to transcribing - advice needed Thread poster: Ine Spee
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Ine Spee
United Kingdom
English to Dutch
+ ...
Hi, I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to post this in, but I am looking for some advice on transcriptions.
I normally translate text-based documents in the language pair Dutch/Flemish - English and English - Dutch/Flemish.
An agency I work for has asked me if I could help with the transcription + translation of a one hour Flemish interview.
As I am new to this type of work, I could use some advice on the following:
- How long does it normally take ... See more Hi, I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to post this in, but I am looking for some advice on transcriptions.
I normally translate text-based documents in the language pair Dutch/Flemish - English and English - Dutch/Flemish.
An agency I work for has asked me if I could help with the transcription + translation of a one hour Flemish interview.
As I am new to this type of work, I could use some advice on the following:
- How long does it normally take to transcribe a 1-hour audio file? The interview contains both Flemish and English and there's about 3-4 speakers (2 main speakers).
- How do you set your rates for this type of job? I have no idea how long this might take me and what to charge for it.
- Are there specific templates or rules to follow when transcribing files?
I think my main issue right now is not knowing how much to charge and how long it might take. My usual jobs are based on word counts.
Any advice would be welcome! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Kristopher Brame 
United States
Local time: 06:07
Member (2018)
German to English
+ ...
| I never know what to put in these titles, so here we go... | Aug 18, 2023 |
I mainly work on subtitling projects. It's not exactly the same thing, but it might help me answer your questions.
In my experience, interviews usually have 150 target words per minute. I say target words because I almost never know how many source words there were. You should note that in subtitling, we have to be extremely concise with our translations for the reading speed, so the source word count is surely higher.
Transcription + translation jobs are notorious for ... See more I mainly work on subtitling projects. It's not exactly the same thing, but it might help me answer your questions.
In my experience, interviews usually have 150 target words per minute. I say target words because I almost never know how many source words there were. You should note that in subtitling, we have to be extremely concise with our translations for the reading speed, so the source word count is surely higher.
Transcription + translation jobs are notorious for being extremely low paid. I regularly see agencies looking for DE>EN transcription jobs at 1-2 USD per minute, so roughly 0.01 per word. I find that audiovisual work goes faster than normal document translation. Maybe because I process language quicker when listening, or maybe there's just more general language in AVT, but it's obviously not even close to making 0.01 per word work. Hopefully, you'll manage to get a reasonable rate.
As for monolingual transcriptions, it usually take around 7-9 minutes to do one run-time minute of audio, and a lot less to post edit an AI generated transcript (depending on the accent, enunciation, etc).
It's always more difficult with multiple speakers. When only one person is talking for a prolonged time, it obviously doesn't make a difference, but in these sorts of transition periods where two people are talking at the same time or trying to talk over each other, it really adds a lot of work (especially if it's a group of people). So you might want to check to see if people wait their turn to speak. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Khalid Malik
Pakistan
Local time: 15:07
Member
Urdu to English
+ ...
| Transcribing Experience | Aug 18, 2023 |
Dear Ine,
I trust this is the appropriate platform for this discussion.
I typically do not endorse a per-minute billing structure for transcription services. The speech rate can vary between 140 to 220 words per minute, contingent on contextual factors. Notably, during interviews, speakers such as anchors and guests tend to converse more rapidly.
My preferred billing method is based on a per-word rate, a rationale my clients have found compelling and agree... See more Dear Ine,
I trust this is the appropriate platform for this discussion.
I typically do not endorse a per-minute billing structure for transcription services. The speech rate can vary between 140 to 220 words per minute, contingent on contextual factors. Notably, during interviews, speakers such as anchors and guests tend to converse more rapidly.
My preferred billing method is based on a per-word rate, a rationale my clients have found compelling and agreeable.
However, in cases where a client insists on a per-minute arrangement, I engage in a meticulous process. Upon receiving the audio or video file or a segment, I conduct a thorough analysis at three to four intervals, tallying the words spoken within a minute.
This exercise yields an approximate average word count per minute, upon which I base my per-minute rate proposal. This approach has proven satisfactory to both clients, who are content with the billing structure, and myself, as it aligns with my per-word preference. Minor variations are, of course, negligible.
Turning to the fees for transcription and translation, it is a two-tiered undertaking.
Unintended overlaps/cross-talks in dialogue require repeated listening to discern individual speakers and their names, thereby increasing the time investment.
Additionally, should timecoding be required, it presents another layer of time-consuming work. While many clients request timecodes at two-minute intervals, this proves less laborious than applying timecodes to each dialogue segment. Furthermore, the identification of speakers by name adds an extra time allocation.
Regarding the time investment, I allocate approximately 10 minutes to transcribe one minute of audio. I specialize in language pairs, including UrduEnglishPunjabiMirpuri.
I trust this information proves beneficial.
Thanks and wish you good luck,
Khalid Malik ▲ Collapse
| | | | Nadia Peiro
Spain
Local time: 12:07
Member (2013)
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Transcription timings | Aug 18, 2023 |
Hi Ine,
I have been doing transcriptions for over five years. If the quality is good and with practice, it takes about 3 hours work to do a one hour audio. If there are several speakers it is bound to be more time consuming as they will be speaking over each other. I recommend using an online transcription software, they do commit many mistakes, but it will help you spend less time on the listening and more on the reviewing, which is faster to do.
Hope it helps!
... See more Hi Ine,
I have been doing transcriptions for over five years. If the quality is good and with practice, it takes about 3 hours work to do a one hour audio. If there are several speakers it is bound to be more time consuming as they will be speaking over each other. I recommend using an online transcription software, they do commit many mistakes, but it will help you spend less time on the listening and more on the reviewing, which is faster to do.
Hope it helps!
Regards,
Nadia. ▲ Collapse
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