How long?

For what?

The industry standard is 10 to 15 minutes of speech takes one hour to type and therefore a 60 minute recording should take somewhere between 4 and 6 hours to type, based on clear audio without factors that could cause the audio to be difficult to hear and therefore difficult to transcribe within that time scale.

General dictation / one person dictation into a hand held machine

Rough transcription, without every utterance included or for precise transcription where no proof reading required as above, 4-6 hours for 60 minutes of recorded audio

General note taking / speakers notes or presentations where key points only required

Full transcription, including reference to PowerPoint slides where appropriate, internet research, neat formation of text, either in newspaper style columns or A4 sheets, in-line with conference agenda/handouts. 5-8 hours for 60 minutes of recorded audio

Conferences / lectures / keynote speakers

In-depth transcription including every utterance, side comments, sometimes including time coding, internet research required or technical jargon unfamiliar to transcriber or multiple participants. 6-10 hours

One to one interviews, focus groups, technical conferences / medical conferences

University oral histories or one to one interviews

University research units that require totally verbatim transcription of their audio should use a professional transcription firm such as Audiosec Limited, who have widespread experience of the requirements for transcribing oral histories of events. Take a look at what is said on the Oral History Workshop for the Baylor University for Oral History (opposite)

Along with our expertise, our fair pricing based on the content and length of time we know (from experience) your audio takes to transcribe we also offer a 5% discount on our standard rates for universities and charities.

Remember also that if you record your interviews on digital medium (i.e. digital DSS audio - see  we offer a discount on the price. Why? Because using digital cuts down our charges for administration.

If you look at item 2 opposite, here we do all of these jobs for you as part of our project management package, which is included in the per audio minute rate you pay. If you require time coding as well we have a separate scale of charges - please enquire about this.

With the work saved in digital format you are free to analyse the transcripts against the audio stored on your computer and get the feel of the interview, along with the notations we use, to be as close to actually being there visually but in a written format (see 3 opposite)

1) Transcribing is time-consuming. While the skills and interests of the transcriber may affect transcribing time, it is estimated that each hour of tape takes anywhere from four to six hours just for a rough transcription. Total processing time for one hour of tape is over ten hours. Local volunteers can sometimes help, but transcribing is a long, arduous task which requires intense concentration. People willing and able to be good transcribers can be hard to find.
2) Transcribing is expensive. In addition to transcribers' wages, there are administrative costs for supervision, document management, and record keeping. Audio playback equipment and a computer with word processing software are also required.
3) A transcript cannot convey many of the important aspects of communication that shape an interview. Intonation and rhythm of speaking, facial expressions, body language and gestures are all important to the meaning of what is said. Irony and sarcasm, for example, are often conveyed through inflection and tone of voice which completely alter the meaning of words spoken. Many oral historians believe that researchers should listen to the recordings to gain a genuine understanding of the narrator's story.