Do you know how to save money when engaging a transcription service like ours?
If you don’t, you are in for a treat!
Over the years I have worked with many companies and individuals transcribing their recordings. While there are a few who know how to save money, most don’t, when transcribing their audio or video recordings.
To be fair, most are very happy with the results they get and the value they receive. However, there are times when I think to myself, “You could have saved some money if only…” So here’s a few ways for you to save money and get the same value out of transcription service providers.
Determine and Decide when you really need your transcripts
One thing to determine before your send off your audio recordings for transcription is when you actually need the transcripts. Knowing when you will need your transcripts, you will be able to determine how many days or weeks you can give your transcriber to transcribe your recordings. The more number of days you can give to the transcriber, the more you save. This is because transcribers charge more for shorter turnarounds and less for longer turnarounds. You may be able to negotiate a discounted transcription rate if you can give more them more time.
Know the purpose of your transcription
How are you going to use your transcripts? Do you intend to use the transcripts for research or for save keeping or documentation, or will you be using it for client communication, etc? Perhaps, if you intend to read the transcripts yourself and do not intend for others to read, you merely need a draft of the content. But if it’s for client communication and official documentation, you may required 100% accuracy and therefore make use of a proofreader who will improve on the draft. We sometimes call this print-ready or client-ready transcripts. Print-ready or client-ready transcripts, say, for letters, emails, etc will cost more because we usually employ two-levels of transcription.
Convert your videos into audios
Some transcription provider charge more for video transcription than audio transcription. Is there really a need for you to share your videos with your transcriber? Do you need your transcriber to view the video and transcribe the on-screen texts etc? If not, simply convert your videos into audios before you send them off for transcription. It is also easier to share and send audios than videos.
Determine how much of the recording you really need transcribed
There are times when you don’t really need to transcribe the full recording of your audios and videos. Maybe you need just a portion of the recording to be transcribed. If you can determine the portion you need and tell your transcriber to type out only the portion you need, you will save some money.
If you’re dictating notes, dictate clearly and coherently
Lawyers and professionals usually dictate file notes, emails, reports etc for transcription. It may be wise to collect your thoughts before you begin dictating so that you form coherent thoughts. This will allow you to dictate your thoughts clearly and coherently. This in turn allows your transcribers to transcribe with great quality and accuracy. Therefore, saving you time and effort in making corrections and amendments. Do not rush through your recording to save time. This will only make your dictations hard to transcribe and you will ultimately pay the price by spending time correcting or amending your transcripts which is not ideal.
Lastly, if you really need discounts to save money, why not just ask! Your transcriber, if they are like myself, is happy to give you discounted rates. We are always happy to meet the needs of our customers and clients. And we are always happy to add more clients to our list. The whole purpose of our existence is to help others – lawyers, professionals, businesses, etc. We love helping people in every way we possibly can. And if that means giving you a discount, so be it!
