Audio files need to be of good quality before they are given for transcription and a good transcription service provider can assure utmost accuracy in transcripts.

1. How to Improve the Quality and Speed of
Transcription Output
Audio files need to be of good quality before they are given for transcription and a
good transcription service provider can assure utmost accuracy in transcripts.
Transcription plays an important role in many medical, legal and business
organizations. A number of factors contribute to the preparation of accurate and
reliable transcripts that are imperative from the point of view of decision making and
improving productivity. It is very important to make sure that the audio files are of
good quality before giving them for transcription. Only then can a reliable
transcription service provider deliver accurate transcripts in return. Whether you
need transcription for business meetings, court proceedings, or are looking for media
transcription including material from TV, radio or movies, this remains the golden
rule.
When the audio files are recorded poorly, even an experienced and skilled
professional transcriptionist may falter. Here is what you can do before entrusting
your audio files to a transcription company.
· Background noise, echo and low volume affects the audio quality and these
elements need to be avoided at the time of recording.
· Audio level can be kept consistent and avoid changing the levels of voice so
that the transcriptionists can pick up the dictation smoothly.
· The file format of the audio can be conveyed to the transcriptionists
beforehand so that they can get the appropriate software ready for the job.
· The length of the audio or video and problems with the audio quality, if any,
can be informed earlier itself.
· In the case of media content, the time code needs to be revealed so that the
matter remains in sync with the media source.
· Irrelevant or unnecessary data if any included in the file can be made known
at an early stage to prevent the loss of space and time.

2. · Finally, make facts such as expected standards and turnaround time very
clear.
When high quality audio files are given to the transcription company, they use their
expertise and advanced resources to deliver quality transcribed output. Let us look at
what professional transcription involves.
· Professional transcriptionists will have excellent knowledge in the specific area
of transcription. This helps them to understand the audio at the first attempt
itself and avoid any kind of wrong interpretation.
· They maintain a consistent template for the work in advance which helps save
a lot of time preparing it each time.
· They prepare a brief description before the actual transcription. This means a
summary of the transcript including the important elements of the specific
context. For an interview transcription, the details will be interviewee, date or
time and the subject covered.
· They listen to the entire audio once before the actual transcription. During the
process, they mark the areas that are feeble or unclear and arrange
necessary reference to tackle the same when transcribing.
· Grammar would be checked while transcribing the document if the project
demands so. It makes it easier than a grammar check at a later stage.
· When using initials or abbreviations in the transcript, they take the effort to
spell it out in the description so that readers find it easy to understand.
· They focus on the audio without any other distractions as even a minor
change can affect the authority of the document. In the case of multiple
speakers, they would be wise enough to identify them and present it
appropriately.
· They ensure that the required capitalization is applied on the proper names,
titles and locations. Capitalization is avoided if they are not sure about it.
· There could be false starts in the conversation which has nothing to do with
the context and transcriptionists avoid it normally. However, if it reveals the
mindset of the speaker, it is included for a better understanding of facts and
circumstances, which is preferred for legal transcription.

3. · Audience responses present in the audio are usually avoided to ensure
smooth flow of content. If necessary, these are added along with a
description in parenthesis which is required in cases when it signifies an
agreement or disagreement with a statement or idea.
· Depending on your instructions, the transcriptionist would retain or omit
words and expressions in the audio recordings that signify feelings or
emotions.
· Finally, they run a spell check to eliminate possible spelling mistakes in the
matter and cross check the work to ensure maximum accuracy. Proofreading
is done to improve the quality of the work to a great extent and to make sure
that the document has optimal quality before returning it to the clients.