We are all in need of transcription services sometime or the other in our lives. It can be tiring to haggle about transcribing costs, and making dozens of calls trying to find a firm that fits neatly into your budget. But wouldn’t it be a welcome relief not to scream over the phone anymore. It doesn’t require a miracle. All you have to keep in mind is to focus on audio quality, and the rest would fall in place.

The curious thing about formats

There are dime a dozen audio formats out there but what has that got to do with your transcription bill? Well, if you are working with a transcribing firm that charges for conversion of audio formats, a lot. To save on costs convert your recordings into the mp3 format as it is the most compatible and easy-to-work with format. There are some audio recording formats such as DSS that are non-fussy and a dream come true while recording. But the dream can quickly turn into a nightmare while transcribing.

Make a good choice

Choose a format that is loss less, compatible, and offers good clarity. And when you are recording multiple participant interviews or vox pops, which are noisy affairs, you have to be doubly careful of using a format that offers high quality output.

The quality of your recording can have a bearing on your bill. So go that extra mile to get a good quality recording and a bill you are happy with.

A small to-do list to save up on interview transcription rates

• Shop for a microphone that is the most suited to your needs. A bi-directional mike is great for one-to one interviews, and unidirectional mike is the ideal choice for multi participant interviews, as it picks up sound from all directions.

• Place the microphone about 15 to 20 cm from the mouth to avoid breath pop and never change the distance of your mike, midway through the interview.

• Know your way around audio editing formats as it can change the crappiest of recordings sound like professionally recorded ones.

• Ask your interviewee to speak into the mike. Animated chatter is great but there is little use of it if it cannot be heard by others!

• Pause, recording and let that car pass or cranky toddler get out of hearing distance, before resuming recording, as unwanted noise can make it difficult to transcribe and you’ll have to pay more dollars for your transcript.

And these are the little things it takes to record an interview that sounds easy on the ears,