Allow your transcriptionist to save you time and money by following these simple tips.

Got audio you need transcribed?

When sending audio to your transcriptionist, is it always good to give them as much information as you can about your needs, such as:

• How long is the file? This is important so we can confirm we received the entire file. Although transfer programs are great, sometimes our own connections when uploading or downloading can cut off a file leaving us to believe the entire file was sent or received. Having the length, or approximate length, allows us to verify receipt of the entire file.

• What is your drop dead turn around needed. Most transcription companies work a 24-72 hour TAT depending on length of audio and difficulty. Giving us what your drop dead turn around time expected allows us to be sure to meet your needs, or be honest and let you know it can’t be done. Most cases, if an extremely large file is received – 3 hours or more, we may be able to send you what is complete in parcels, so you can begin your work while we finish the audio project.

• Is there a portion of the audio that you don’t need transcribed? Is there a start time or end here time that you do not need transcribed which can save you money? If we do not know about dead air or conversations you do not need, we will transcribe everything, and dead air will be calculated because we do have to listen to make sure we don’t miss something. Giving us exact time to start or stop will save you money if you had dead space in the audio.

• Are there any names that may not have common spellings? Giving us speaker names will help speed up the process. Most times we will take the time to search for the correct spelling, however this is not always possible with some generic interviews, so having the correct spelling or how you want them to be noted is a help. Maybe you don’t want names. Maybe you would prefer generic we use Male or Female Speaker, Interviewee, or just use initials.

• Do you want verbatim/verbatim with absolutely no clean up or verbatim with minimal cleanup – meaning false starts and stutters. Perhaps you want as much clean up as possible – making the speakers grammar correct, etc. Most cases, CLK will do verbatim with minimal cleanup (false starts and stutters only) unless otherwise instructed. We understand we are not the writers. We will transcribe what we hear and let you write the article using exactly what was said, how it was said.

• Do you have a special format you want followed? Font size and type, margins, etc? CLK Transcription has a “standard” easy to cut and paste format we use for our projects, however if you have something specific for every file or just one file, let us know. We will be happy to use it for your work.

• Are there technical terms or places mentioned that may be difficult to research. CLK Transcription does research work when transcribing, and tries to verify what was said is what was transcribed, but sometimes terms and phrases are just too difficult to locate quickly and takes some time. Sending as much of this information as you can when you send your audio file, hot words, will save time when you need your project quickly.

• Let us know if you feel the audio is difficult and we will attempt to enhance the audio to make it clearer, louder, or less static which will save time on the transcription end.

• Is there a specific way you want the files named when we are complete? CLK Transcription usually names the completed reports exactly the same as the audio file, unless otherwise instructed. Doing this allows you to match the audio with the report when working on your project. If you would like them named a different way, let us know. we will be happy to oblige.

• Do you need files invoiced separately? CLK Transcription understands the needs of the journalists and writer. Many need separate invoices for each project, and we are happy to do this for you. Just let us know as you send the audio.

Remembering some of these tips will allow us to better handle your project files and be certain we are giving you what you need to do your work more efficiently – and that’s part of our job.

www.clktranscription.com – We love what we do and it shows!