Transcription Styles

If you have decided to use a transcription service to type up your audio or video files, it is worth noting that there are many different variations on a standard intelligent verbatim transcript. To help you decide what style of transcription will work best for you, we have written a handy guide to the different types of transcript you can order and some of the advantages they hold, depending on your needs.

Standard Intelligent Verbatim Transcription

This style of transcript is the one that is most often requested from our clients. Intelligent verbatim transcripts include everything that has been said in the audio or video file that you have sent to us, minus the fillers (“erm”, “um”, “you know”, “kind of” and “sort of”) which are all omitted. The advantage of having your transcript written in this style is that it is easier to read, without changing the meaning or tone of what has been said.

Verbatim Transcription

Verbatim Transcription is very similar to intelligent verbatim. The only difference is that verbatim transcription includes every utterance, word for word. This includes false starts, repetition and all fillers. This type of transcription is particularly popular within legal and some medical sectors, where it is important to include absolutely everything that has been spoken.

Edited Transcription

Edited transcription is a form of transcript where the dialogue is changed (or edited) to make for easier reading. When typing an edited transcript, the transcriptionist may change the order of the words for ease of reading, omitting certain sentences as well as getting rid of all irrelevant dialogue. This type of transcription is particularly useful for blogs, articles, books, ebooks and novels.

Discourse Analysis Transcription

Discourse analysis transcription is like verbatim transcription only taken up a gear. Not only is every utterance transcribed, but tone, voice level, pauses and sometimes even background noise is included. Discourse analysis is particularly popular for those involved in research and can be transcribed using several different conventions.

Time Coded Transcription.

Time coded transcription can be typed using any style, but includes time stamps. Time coded or time stamped transcription is often used in video transcription for editing or subtitling purposes. The time stamps or time codes on this type of transcript can be added at various intervals including every minute, every 30 seconds, every 10 seconds or most often at every speaker change.

Transcription For Subtitles

As web videos are becoming more and more popular, so are online subtitles. Subtitle files in .srt and .ssa format are often used for popular video sharing sites such as YouTube and Vimeo. Not only are online subtitles great for those who are hard of hearing, but they are also invaluable when it comes to making your videos search engine friendly, therefore getting your videos to rank higher in the search results. It is also a legal requirement to include online subtitles with any video that has previously been broadcast on television.
Hopefully our guide to transcription styles will help you make the best choice when it comes to ordering your transcripts. If you would like more information about our virtual assistant or transcription services, why not contact us via email, telephone or instant message today? We will always do our very best to help and look forward to hearing from you.