Frequently Asked Questions about Audio Typing




We often get asked questions - some of the more frequent ones are presented below. If you are in any doubt about the services we offer, or if we can accommodate you, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

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  • Do you still do transcription from tape and CDs?

    Yes, although a lot of our clients are now fully engaged with digital sound recorders which allows easy transfer of files. However we do still receive tapes, CDs and DVDs, but we do insist on clients dispatching their recording material via registered mail, we will also return by registered mail.

  • What audio formats can you accept?

    We can accept many types of audio formats, from basic standard formats such as mp3, wma, aiff, m4a, as well as lesser-known files such as DS2 (Olympus), MTA (Apple), and quite a few others. Get in touch with our team if you are in any doubt; we use different file converters and can also assist with conversion depending on the source material.

  • Do you transcribe from videos?

    Yes, we have a number of clients who ask us to transcribe video recordings to enable subtitling, braille or simple transcripts to accompany online videos. We can access online sources as well as video supplied on DVD and CD in mp4, mpg, wmv and raw DVD (vob) format as well. Copyright permission is needed in guarantee for commerically supplied DVDs.

  • Can you provide transcripts in a format we want?

    Of course - we have a number of legal clients who require their transcripts to be completed in a specific fashion for their needs. If you have a particular format you need the transcript to be supplied in then we will need a sample document at the time of upload - speak with the transcription manager when providing the audio files.

  • How secure is your client area?

    We provide our client area as a pure extranet, which means that when you log in you can only see your own files and no other clients'; the same applies to all our clients. When uploading the files, they are transferred over a 256-bit SSL-encrypted channel which ensure that the transfer is secure. The extranet itself resides on a dedicated server to which only we have access - there is no public access to the hardware at all. The server is also security patched to the latest standards and we can supply information for any public sector or private organisation seeking confirmation of the standard we work to.

  • How long do you keep the files on your server?

    At present we remove the source audio files a few weeks after the final transcript is completed. This enables us to save some resource on the server. The transcripts are retained on the server until such a time as you request for them to be removed, or after 1 year whichever is sooner.