Transcription services for recordings that have to be right

Clean verbatim captures everything that was said but removes filler words, false starts, and stutters, so the transcript is easy to read. It is the usual choice for research, meetings, and media. Full verbatim records every word exactly as spoken, including fillers, repetitions, pauses, and audible sounds such as laughter or crosstalk. It is the standard for legal proceedings, investigations, and evidence, where how something was said can matter as much as what was said.

Yes. A native speaker of the recording’s language transcribes it, a second linguist reviews it against the audio, and a professional translator renders it into English or another target language. You receive both the source-language transcript and the translation, usually side by side, with notes wherever a word or phrase can be read more than one way. We work in 250+ languages, including regional dialects.

It is a transcript laid out in two columns: the original language on the left and the English translation on the right, aligned line by line with the same timestamps and speaker labels. Attorneys, investigators, and researchers can check any translated line against the original wording, which is why it is the common format for foreign-language evidence and interviews.

Yes. On request, we provide a signed certificate of accuracy stating that the transcript and any translation are complete and accurate to the best of the linguist’s ability, and we can arrange notarization. Whether a transcript is admitted is decided by the court, so check the requirements of your jurisdiction. We format the transcript to meet them.

Recordings are handled under our ISO/IEC 27001 certified information security management system. Files move through secure, encrypted transfer, access is limited to the linguists and project managers assigned to your project, and everyone involved works under confidentiality agreements. We retain or delete files according to your instructions and can document who handled each file when your matter requires a record of custody.

Yes. For board meetings, hearings, interviews, and investigations, we can deliver a summary report with the key points, decisions, and action items, each linked to its timestamp in the recording. We can provide the summary on its own or alongside the full transcript, and in English or the language of the meeting. Tell us who will read it and what they need to act on, and we will match the format.

Transcription is priced per minute of audio. The rate depends on audio quality, the number of speakers, the language, whether you need clean or full verbatim, timestamps and formatting, certification, and turnaround. Translation of the transcript is quoted alongside. Send a sample or a description of your recordings and we will give you a firm quote before work begins. Volume and ongoing programs are priced accordingly.

Turnaround depends on the total audio length, the audio quality, the language, and whether translation is included. We confirm a delivery date in your quote, and rush delivery is available for urgent matters. For large collections, we can deliver in batches so your team can start reviewing early.

Every transcript is produced by a qualified linguist and reviewed against the audio by a second linguist, with extra attention to names, numbers, and technical terms. Accuracy also depends on the recording itself, so we assess difficult audio before you commit. Where a word truly cannot be heard, we mark it as inaudible with a timestamp rather than guess, so you always know exactly what the transcript can and cannot support.

Our work is human-led. Speech recognition can produce a fast first draft for clear recordings, but it struggles with accents, crosstalk, dialects, and poor audio, and it does not tell you when it is guessing. Where software helps, our linguists correct and review every line against the recording. For legal and evidentiary work, transcripts are produced and reviewed by qualified linguists.

We accept common audio and video formats, including MP3, WAV, M4A, MP4, and MOV, as well as recordings exported from phone, interview, and body-worn camera systems. We deliver transcripts in Word, PDF, or plain text, and caption files in SRT or VTT. If you need a specific template, line numbering, or case caption, send an example and we will match it.