KATTS Professional Transcription Services

New look KATTS transcription services website for 2012

2012-01-03T09:28:00.004Z

Firstly I would like to wish you a very Happy New Year and a healthy, happy and prosperous 2012.

And with the New Year comes the new look KATTS Professional Transcription Services website. I have been working on this for a little while and with the help of my 16 year old tech-savvy son - although don't blame him for the coding for which he has chastised me - I am on schedule to unveil my new website.

The website has a new logo and uses the acronym of King Audio Transcription & Typing Services, KATTS as it is less of a mouthful. The professional transcription services will remain the same, still offering the same quality of service that it has been my pleasure to provide since 2003.

You may be wondering about the seagull at this stage. Well that was a slight indulgence on my part. I am fortunate enough to live near the sea in the South West of the UK and I do like the seagulls. To me the seagull logo symbolises freedom, which I thought was quite appropriate as the transcription services I provide free you to do something else.

I think the website is now more user-friendly with links to services on the home page displayed in list form in order to stand out and be clearer.

Also I have endeavoured to keep the interface clean and uncluttered as I find this approach much more user-friendly and less distracting. Nothing worse than being faced with a website that's got so much going on that you can't immediately find what you're looking for especially when you're busy and short of time.

So I hope I have achieved my aim of making the KATTS website more user-friendly and easier to navigate in order to save you time.

You can visit the new website at the usual website address: www.kingaudio.co.uk or www.katts.co.uk, which will redirect you to the website.

I would really value your opinions, so if you have any feedback for me please leave a comment below or contact me via my Contact link of the website. Many thanks.

If you would like to receive updates to this blog please subscribe via email in the right hand column.

Office closed till 3 January 2012

2011-12-20T15:29:00.000Z

This office is now closed till the 3 January 2012.

Merry Christmas from KATTS Professional Transcription Services

2011-12-19T09:29:00.000Z

It's that time of year again and I would like to thank all of my clients for all the transcription projects they have passed to me this year.

I would also like to thank my colleagues and friends for all their support. Working from a home office can sometimes make one feel quite isolated and it has been really nice to have friends and colleagues who I have been able to contact via email groups, Twitter and Facebook.

The transcription projects KATTS has covered this year have been quite diverse and very interesting and it is much appreciated.

Besides providing transcription services to my regular clients, I have had some really interesting transcription projects from new clients this year including two large projects, both of which consisted of focus groups and interviews and both on fascinating subjects so that was a real pleasure.

It has also been really nice to see some returning clients, one of whom I last transcribed a conference for back in 2006. We've stayed in contact via Twitter and when they were once again in need of transcription services they came back to KATTS for some focus group transcription.

So all in all 2011 has been a really good and positive year for KATTS and I'm looking forward to 2012 with enthusiasm.

This office will now be closed until 3 January 2012 and all that remains is for me to wish all of my clients, colleagues and friends a very

Merry Christmas
and a

happy, healthy and prosperous

New Year 2012!

Updated transcription services website coming soon

2011-12-07T17:30:00.000Z

The King Audio Transcription & Typing Services website has been undergoing some maintenance and updates and will have a new look when it is uploaded.

The website will display the 'KATTS Professional Transcription Services' logo instead of 'King Audio Transcription & Typing Services'.

This is just a little message to let you know that the site will look a little different when it goes live soon.

I hope you will find the website informative and easy to navigate although if you experience any problems please do let me know.

I'll update you when the site goes live.

Top tips for identifying voices in Focus Group Transcription

2011-11-29T09:00:00.002Z

If you’ve ever worked on focus group transcription you willknow how difficult it can be to identify people from their voices. Hardlysurprising, you’ve got a bunch of people you’ve never met before and the onlyway you can identify them is by the sound of their voice.

This can be very tricky especially when you’ve got severalof the same gender in a group with similar voices.

Someone once said to me it’s like being a blind personin a room full of strangers. A pretty good analogy I think.

So I asked some colleagues for their top tips foridentifying speakers during focus group transcription and these are some thingswe came up with:

A good facilitator of a focus group will ask the participants to introduce themselves at the beginning and say a little about themselves. This is your opportunity to make a voice map. Get yourself a piece of paper and write the names as they are introduced. Imagine they are sitting around a table and place the names around that table as they introduce themselves.

Make notes about each participant.

Make a note of the time in the recording when each participant speaks next to their name on the voice map. This will be useful for checking back to that time to check voice identities.

Can you tell whether the person is on the left or right of the microphone or are they more audible through the left or right headphone?

Have they got an accent or any recognisable features to their voice, e.g. quietly-spoken, loud, nasally, deep or any other describing word you can think of to describe the way they sound? Or perhaps they sound like someone famous like an actor. Write these descriptions on your voice map. (Don’t worry; you can destroy the voice map when you’re finished).

Make notes about each person such as where they work, where they are from, if they've got children, a partner, a dog. This can come in useful later if they mention it and you can check back with the ‘find’ function to make sure you've got the right name for the right voice.

As well as loading the sound file into your transcription software, also load it into Windows Media Player so you can use this if you need to check back and forth to identify voices without losing your place in the transcription software.

Thanks to Cathy, Suzanne, Pat and Kate for your reallyhelpful tips.

Have you got any tips or techniques you use to help identifyvoices during focus group transcription? If so we would be really interested to hearthem. Please leave your tips in the comment box below.

If you would like more information or a quote for transcription services take a look at focus group transcription on the KATTS website.

Disciplinary and Grievance hearings: should they be independently transcribed?

2011-11-11T12:40:00.002Z

Although it is not a legal requirement for an employer to makean audio recording of disciplinary and grievance hearings it seems more andmore businesses are proactively choosing to take this route.

With the agreement of all parties disciplinary and grievanceproceedings are being recorded so that the recording can then be sent to anindependent professional transcription services provider for transcription.

The foreword to the Acas Code of Practice (PDF) advises employers to keep awritten record of any disciplinary or grievance cases they deal with including notesof any formal meetings.

However, making an audio recording of disciplinary andgrievance hearings and any formal meetings for transcription by an independenttranscription services provider is advantageous because it provides a full, complete and impartial record, both by way of the recording and a full transcript, ofeverything that is said.

This independently transcribed transcript can then be sharedwith the employee, so both the employer and the employee have a full and completerecord of the proceedings.

By choosing an independent transcription services providerto transcribe the disciplinary and grievance proceedings rather than doing thetranscription in house ensures that there is no question of a conflict ofinterest.

It seems that employers are now seeing the benefits ofmaking audio recordings of their disciplinary and grievance cases fortranscription by an independent transcription services provider, as producingfull and independent transcripts of all proceedings to be shared with employees also promotes a greater degree of fairness and transparency within organisations.

Benefits of recording disciplinary and grievance hearingsand using an independent transcription services provider :

a full and complete record of all proceedings

an independently transcribed transcript ensures no conflictof interest

promotes a greater degree of fairness and transparencywithin organisations

employers and employees know exactly what was or wasn’t said

KATTS professional transcription services provides a fullyindependent, confidential and impartial transcription of disciplinary and grievancehearings, investigatory meetings and appeal hearings atreasonable rates. Contact KATTS for a quotation and then send your audio recording to KATTS here for transcription. The completed transcript will be sent to you via emailattachment.

Here are some useful links which provide information relating to disciplinary and grievance cases:

Business Link: Holding a formal disciplinary hearing

Discipline and grievances at work: The Acas guide

Do you think disciplinary and grievance hearings should be independently transcribed? Please leave your comments.

MFY Schools Prom at Royal Albert Hall

2011-11-08T10:32:00.005Z

Monday was the amazing opening night of Music for Youth's Schools Prom at Royal Albert Hall London.

All the young people who performed were absolutely amazing and super talented; congratulations to them all.

I particularly liked the various collaborations between groups, which made for some really interesting and vibrant entertainment.

The night was topped off by the fantastic Wessex Youth Orchestra from Dorset finishing with Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1

The Schools Prom runs for three nights 7th, 8th and 9th November 2011 and tickets are available to book online at Royal Albert Hall.

Visit Classic FM for behind the scenes information and interviews with the musicians themselves.

A truly amazing night!

Dorset Review: King Audio Transcription and Typing Services (KATT...

2011-10-27T13:09:00.000+01:00

Dorset Review: King Audio Transcription and Typing Services (KATT...: King Audio Transcription and Typing Services (KATTS) King Audio Transcription and Typing Services (KATTS) based in the UK has been speciali...

Express Scribe Supports Video

2011-10-18T09:30:00.000+01:00

I use Express Scribe Transcription Software which is professional audio player software for PC or Mac designed to assist with the transcription of audio recordings.

Yesterday I loaded an MP4 video into Express Scribe for transcription and was pleasantly surprised when the video displayed in the bottom pane of Express Scribe. The video plays along with therecording which I can control with my foot pedal.

I've never noticed this feature before with other video formats because I normally keep the Express Scribe window minimised.

This is a really useful feature as I'm finding that watching the people talk in the video as I transcribe helps enormously as I'm transcribing people with accents at the moment.

This is a handy and very clever feature. I'm very impressed!

Transcriptions this week

2011-10-17T09:14:00.000+01:00

I'm starting my week with the transcription of an MP's speech followed by extracts from a conference for an Italian company - in English I hasten to add - and of course any other transcription work that comes in throughout the week.

What's on your agenda this week?

Summary of the Week

2011-09-30T20:56:00.001+01:00

Well its been an amazing week weather wise; its been absolutely beautiful and definitely the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.

Its been a really productive week here at KATTS too.

I have transcribed and proofread over eight hours of audio this week. This includes staff appraisal interview transcription, patent application transcription and corporate video transcription.

And next week is more of the same together with three hours of conference transcription thrown in.

So its going to be a cracking start to October.

To find out more about transcription services feel free to visit the KATTS website.

Have a great month!

Giffed by the Gaffer! Saving pounds on mobile charges!

2011-09-20T08:00:00.033+01:00

I have been running my transcription services company since 2003 so I'm always trying to keep up with new technologies, although I have to admit that this one has taken me a bit of time.

At last I've got myself a smartphone so now I am able to check my emails to see if I've received any transcription services enquiries and keep up with social media on the go.

The reason I haven't done this sooner is because I was worried about expensive internet browsing and calls and didn't want to have an expensive contract as I don't use a mobile phone enough to warrant the cost.

However, I have now discovered Giffgaff and this is the reason why I took the plunge and bought myself a smartphone.

At last I've got freedom without paying through the nose for it!

Giffgaff's tariffs are cheaper than many other mobile service providers and one of my favourite things about it is the £10 Goodybag, which includes 250 minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited web which lasts a month. I can also call and text other Giffgaff users for free, which is fantastic because the kids are on Giffgaff too.

Another great thing about Giffgaff is the affliliate program. If someone orders a SIM card through my affiliate Giffgaff link and activates their SIM card by topping up by £10 or buying a £10 Goodybag then both of us will get a free fiver... brilliant!

One of my clients and I have already benefitted from the free fiver... thanks Keith!

Giffgaff uses the O2 network so an O2 or unlocked handset will work.

So if you're coming to the end of a contract and would like something more flexible or you just want cheap pay-as-you-go tariffs I would highly recommend that you check out Giffgaff for yourself. Its dead easy to join!

How do the Giffgaff tariffs compare to your provider?

Interview transcription formatting

2011-09-13T13:08:00.000+01:00

Outsourcing your interview transcription to KATTS could save you hours of time. A 30 minute interview with one individual can take approximately three hours to transcribe by a competent transcriptionist. This does not include proofreading time.

I have transcribed numerous interviewsfor many different clients and they all require their own particular interview transcriptionformatting.

Indented paragraphs

For this reason I don’t use interviewtemplates that are set in stone; it’s all very flexible so you can decideexactly how you want your interview transcripts to look.

Here are some things you may wish toconsider for your interview transcription formatting:

If you are studying with a university askyour tutor if there is a preferred interview transcription format for thecourse you are doing.

Do you want the participants to be identified in the interview transcript; for example by their initials or I = Interviewer, P = Participant or another method of identification?

Unindented paragraphs
Indented or unindented paragraphs. See the images on this page for examples of indented and unindented paragraphs in interview transcripts.

Do you want a large left or right margin to accommodate analysis notes?

Do you want the audio to be typed into a table with rows and columns that can be converted to text?

As mentioned above, I am flexible with regards tointerview transcription formatting and can usually provide an example interviewtemplate that will suit your requirements. However, in cases where you may needa particular interview transcription format I can adjust the interview templateto accommodate this. Alternatively you can send me your own interview template.

If you would like further information about interview transcription please visit the interview transcription page of my website or contact me.

Did you find this article useful? Please leave a comment.

Transcription Projects Update

2011-08-31T12:45:00.001+01:00

Below is a snapshot of part of the KATTS home page as it appeared on 24 Aug 2011 in the Google cache:

King Audio Transcription and Typing Services (KATTS) work on a variety of transcription projects including for example most recently: focus group transcription, interview transcription, international conference transcription, video production company transcription, patent application transcription, museum transcriptions, disciplinary hearing / appraisal interview transcription for an HR department and oral history interview transcription.

This information has now been updated and can be viewed at www.kingaudio.co.uk.

Facebook: my links

2011-07-14T08:46:00.000+01:00

Over the coming weeks I will be featuring more links to small businesses and people on the KATTS Facebook page.

This will be an eclectic mixture of businesses and people that I find interesting and is just for fun.

These links will also be visible on a couple of pages of the King Audio Transcription & Typing Services (KATTS) website.

So keep your eye on KATTS on Facebook and please like my page if you think it's worthy.

P.S. I now have my personal URL at Facebook: www.facebook.com/katts03.

How to upload an audio file for transcription

2011-05-24T08:26:00.001+01:00

At last I've joined the YouTube revolution and I've made my first 'How to' video and here it is

This video gives detailed instructions on how to upload a sound file to me via my website for transcription.

I have also prepared detailed instructions in text format of how to upload a sound file to me for transcription:

Go to www.kingaudio.co.uk,come down the list on the left and click ‘Send a File’.

When the page loads, in the grey SendThisFile Box type your email address intothe box marked ‘Your email’ after deleting the words ‘Your email’.

Type me a little message in the message box.

Next to File 1 click ‘choose file’ which will open a windowto enable you to navigate to where you have stored your sound file on yourcomputer. Select your sound file and click ‘open’.

Your sound file should now be attached to the File 1 line ofthe SendThisFile page on my website.

If you want to upload more than one sound file then next to File 2click ‘choose file’ and do the same again.

You can upload up to 5 files in this way.

When you are ready to upload your sound file(s) click‘SendThisFile’ in the centre of the grey box.

The dashed line underneath will turn yellow and as your filestarts to upload the dashes will turn red. It may take a little while. Keep thepage open until all the dashes have turned red right to the end of the line.

If you close the page before the entire dashed line hasturned red it will cancel the upload.

The upload will be complete when all the dashed lines haveturned red and a notification appears underneath saying ‘complete’.

And that’s it.

Let me know if you found this helpful.

The story of KATTS: the acronym

2011-05-13T18:45:00.000+01:00

Last week my Mum asked me what KATTS was and I had to explain to her that KATTS is an acronym of King Audio Transcription & Typing Services.

I don’t use an acronym because it’s the ‘in thing’ or because I like cats although as it happens I do rather like cats.

It just so happened that when I started my business back in 2003 I chose a rather long name. The name had to reflect the service my business offers, which is audio transcription and typing and the King, well that’s my name, Sarah King.

So being very unimaginative in the timeframe I had, I couldn’t come up with a better name and hence the mouthful King Audio Transcription & Typing Services.

Therefore to simplify things I have been using the acronym KATTS for a few years now - hope you’re paying attention Mum! :-)

So there you have it, the story of KATTS: the acronym.

P.S. If you use Twitter you may notice that my Twitter name is KATTS03. That is the acronym KATTS and 03 as in 2003 being the year I started my business.

Royal Wedding 2011

2011-04-29T11:50:00.000+01:00

Hearty congratulations to Prince William and Catherine on their wedding day! A beautiful ceremony.

Olympus v Express Scribe Transcription Software

2011-04-13T12:31:00.000+01:00

I purchased an Olympus Transcription Software kit when I first started my transcription services business back in 2003. Initially I was very pleased with the transcription software. It did what I needed it to do at the time.

However, as time went by I began to realise that the Olympus transcription software was fairly limited in the sound file formats it supported. At the time mp3 sound file format was becoming more and more widely used for recording interviews for transcription, so I needed another solution.

I was advised by a colleague to download the free Express Scribe Professional Transcription Playback Software and to purchase a compatible foot pedal in order to cover the file formats that the Olympus transcription software did not support.

Purchasing the compatible foot pedal worked out a lot cheaper than purchasing the Olympus transcription software and I soon found that Express Scribe digital transcription software supported most if not all of the sound file formats that the Olympus supported plus a whole lot more. I was delighted with it and have never looked back.

I think the Olympus Transcription Software kit is a very good quality product and the newer versions may support more sound file formats, however I find that I really do prefer Express Scribe transcription software and I don't think I could be persuaded to go back.

I'm interested in your opinion so please feel free to leave me a comment.

Busy March

2011-03-18T15:31:00.000Z

It's hard to believe it has been a month since I last posted. At last it feels like spring is on the way and I've actually worked with the door open a couple of days this week.

The reason I have been quiet here on my blog is that things have been very busy at KATTS. I've been working on a variety of transcription projects over February and March such as: interview transcription, focus group transcription as well as quick one off jobs for my regular clients.

In fact I had quite a lot of the quick one off jobs all come in at once at one stage and things were a bit frantic. However, that hurdle was conquered as usual.

The transcription services business can be a feast or famine and it has definitely been a feast at KATTS so far this year.

I'm presently working on a large project involving focus groups and interviews, which is really interesting so March is pretty well taken care of from a transcription point of view.

And on that note I have some more transcription to be getting on with so I will post here again soon.

I hope you're all having a fabulous March!

Transcription Services Love

2011-02-13T12:02:00.000Z

I spent some time yesterday updating my comments page of my website. As I read through emails from my clients I was actually amazed at how many lovely comments I get.

I am dedicated to providing my clients with quality transcription services and can be relied upon to deliver transcription services on time and very often ahead of deadline in a professional way and this is reflected in my clients' comments.

So I'm feeling the love, which is quite appropriate as it is Valentine's Day tomorrow.

A big thank you to all my clients who appreciate the transcription services I provide.

iPhone m4a transcription services

2011-02-02T12:06:00.000Z

KATTS provides m4a transcription services; m4a being the format which the iPhone produces.

I use Switch Audio File Converter Software to convert the m4a to mp3, which enables me to load the audio transcription file into Express Scribe Transcription Playback Software.

I can then transcribe the audio transcription file in the usual way.

Simple!

Convert wav to mp3 for transcription

2011-01-19T19:43:00.000Z

If your wav audio files are large they can take a long time to upload to your transcription services provider. wav files can also take up a lot of space on a hard drive.

To combat this convert the wav to mp3. Converting the wav to mp3 will compress the file to a smaller size. The audio file will then be quicker to upload to your transcription services provider over the internet.

There are hundreds of file converters to choose from on the internet although the file converter I mainly use is Switch Audio File Converter Software, which is really easy to use.

Thanks Sarah - you are a star!

2011-01-16T11:50:00.001Z

Thanks Sarah - you are a star! - This was the message I received from my client after completing an urgent Friday afternoon project. Its lovely to be appreciated, thank you.

Great start to 2011

2011-01-07T20:06:00.001Z

Well I have reached the end of my first working week of 2011 and what a cracking week it has been. I've been working on a really fascinating oral history interview transcription project for one of my clients, together with some Patent transcription and some legal transcription for next week. All in all it looks like its going to be a good year!

How has 2011 been for you so far?

Business as usual

2011-01-04T07:46:00.000Z

Back to business as usual today and wishing my clients and colleagues all the best for the New Year 2011.

Seasons Greetings!

2010-12-17T08:35:00.001Z

My office is now closed for the holiday season and will reopen on 4 January 2011. I would like to wish all my clients and colleagues a very Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!

Copy typing solution

2010-12-14T19:08:00.000Z

I no longer offer a copy typing service as there is not a lot of call for it now. However, I recently had an enquiry for some copy typing. When I said I no longer provide this service, the innovative client dictated the work onto a digital dictation machine and was able to send the sound file to me via the internet. Problem solved!

One of the reasons I no longer take on copy typing is because a few years ago I agreed to do some copy typing for a student who sent me reams of paper and the print was so small I would have needed a magnifying glass if my eyes weren't so good. Needless to say, not a pleasant job.

Therefore, if you have need of copy typing and cannot find someone who provides that service, perhaps you might consider dictating the material onto a digital recorder. You can then send the sound file via the internet for transcription.

Image attribution: By Lin Kristensen from New Jersey, USA (Books of the Past) [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

100% Accuracy in Transcription: Realistic or ‘Pie in the Sky’?

2010-11-04T10:27:00.001Z

So if a transcription services provider guarantees 100% accuracy, does this also mean the transcript will be 100% ‘complete’ with no inaudible words? Personally I think not and other transcription services providers agree.

Now I’m going to be realistic here and say that I cannot guarantee 100% accurate transcriptions with no inaudible words. This is by no means a reflection on my abilities as a transcription services provider or my quality control procedures as you will see from the example below.

What I am confident to guarantee however, is that I will work extremely hard on your behalf to ensure that your transcripts are as complete and accurate as possible.

There are too many factors to list here that could contribute to inaudible words in a transcript, the obvious one being background noise, and even with really clear recordings it is still possible and even likely that there may be the odd inaudible.

As an example, I have transcribed four interviews for one of my clients. The sound quality was very close to broadcast standard. The first three interview transcripts were 100% complete and accurate after a full proofread against the audio.

However, the fourth interview transcript had two or three inaudible words even after the proofread. This was due to the fact that the recording device was so sensitive it was picking up on background noise when the interviewee moved in his seat, which although very slight, was enough to obscure the word spoken at that precise moment.

So you see, even with fantastically clear audio there is still no guarantee that your transcription services provider will be able to catch every word. Therefore the transcript will not be 100% accurate and ‘complete’.

So if a transcription services provider guarantees 100% accuracy, do not assume that this means 100% complete.

If you would like more information about interview transcription at King Audio Transcription & Typing Services (KATTS) please feel free to visit interview transcription and the interview guide.

Organic feedback: interview transcription

2010-10-25T09:56:00.004+01:00

"Hi Sarah

Just wanted to say thank you, super fast turn-around, much appreciated!"

This is my client's organic feedback in relation to HR interview transcription. By 'organic' I mean it is feedback that the client has given with no prompt from me.

To see more feedback about KATTS transcription services please feel free to visit the client comments page. A lot of the comments on the page are also organic.

Alternatively, if you have a LinkedIn account you can see some recommendations for KATTS' transcription services here.

Deal with a real person! Dedicated professional transcription services

2010-10-19T20:20:00.000+01:00

If you are looking for a dedicated professional transcription services provider where you can deal with a real person, then look no further. I work on all transcriptions personally and you can speak to me by phone or via email.

When you choose KATTS to work on your transcription project you wont get passed from pillar to post, you will deal with me and I will keep you informed every step of the way.

And of course I will provide the best service possible as ultimately I am responsible; the buck stops with me so rest assured you'll be in good hands.

To find out more visit the KATTS website.

Busy October-Book Early

2010-10-01T17:10:00.002+01:00

Well October has arrived and its been a typical October day with blustery winds and rain.

The beginning of September is a traditionally quiet period for transcription services although towards the middle to end of September things have been gearing up again and it looks like October is going to be a busy month.

I'm already booked for the week commencing 4 October with an international conference transcription and another prospective conference transcription later in the month.

So my advice would be to book your transcription projects in early because remember, its first-come, first-served and projects are only firmly booked once the Project Booking Form is returned.

Happy October!

Convert vob to mp3 and split audio files

2010-09-24T07:46:00.000+01:00

I seem to be on a roll this week of converting file formats. I received a vob file from a client, which I needed to convert to mp3 for transcription. It proved really easy using Audacity which you can download free here http://audacity.sourceforge.net/.

Like everything, unless I use a program regularly I do forget how it works and I usually need to do conversions quickly so haven't got time to learn how to use new programs etc. However I find Audacity really easy to use.

So here's how to do it:

Open Audacity

File > open your vob

File > 'export as mp3'

Then give Audacity a few minutes to do its thing.

Of course Audacity can be used for much more than just converting formats. I also used it to split the converted mp3 into separate files using the Trim facility. I just highlighted the part in the audio that I needed as a separate file and clicked Edit > Trim and saved the file under a new name.

What do you use to convert file formats? If you know of any programs that are really easy to use I would be very interested to hear about them.

m3u playlist - mp3 extraction fail

2010-09-22T07:53:00.000+01:00

I was sent an m3u playlist. The client wanted an 11 minute transcription of an mp3 within the playlist, which was sourced from a website. I had to figure out how to extract the mp3 from the m3u and looked at various websites giving instructions on how to 'save as' or 'save target as'. Unfortunately I wasn't getting this option. Basically I couldn't find a quick and easy way of extracting the mp3 for transcription without downloading additional software.

So as the mp3 sound file was really clear and I only needed to transcribe 11 minutes I played it from the website and used my mobile phone Record Sound function to record the mp3. I then transferred the amr sound file from my mobile phone to my PC and used Switch to convert it from amr to mp3, which allowed me to load the mp3 into my transcription software... simple.

Put feeds on Your Web Page

2010-09-14T12:39:00.000+01:00

Off the subject of transcription services, I thought this may be useful if you are looking to put feeds on your website. I certainly found it very useful.

I wanted to put a blog feed on my website. Searches on the internet were coming up with software one could purchase and complicated (to me anyway) javascript coding.

I knew there must be an easier way of incorporating a feed into an HTML website and hey presto I found it in the form of Google AJAX Feed API.

This enables you to 'Embed a Dynamic Feed Control on your web page and let your users see customized views of the feeds. Customize how the dynamic feed control should be displayed, and this wizard will write the code for you.'

This was perfect for what I wanted and was easy to use.

Convert M4V Video File to MP3

2010-09-08T18:46:00.000+01:00

Today I had to download an MPEG-4 video file from iTunes for transcription for a client. Obviously I was unable to load the video file into my transcription software so I had to find a conversion tool. My wonderful tech support, Jon (who is also my husband), searched and found a tool at http://www.cucusoft.com/.

I downloaded the Cucusoft iPod Movie & Video Converter. It was really easy to use and took approximately 30 minutes to convert a 60 minute MPEG-4 to MP3. Problem solved!

Transcription and Editing

2010-08-08T17:03:00.000+01:00

I was recently asked to transcribe a long and rambling interview and edit out the 'unimportant bits'. I think the client was under the impression that I would be able to edit the audio as I typed it. Unfortunately this was not the case; it would have been impossible to edit the transcript from the audio. Instead I had to transcribe the audio in its entirety and then go through it on screen to edit out what I deemed to be the 'unimportant bits' (tricky).

As I offer transcription services and editing is not something that I am normally asked for, I was unsure of what I should charge for this service. However, I came across this page at the Society for Editors and Proofreaders (SfEP), which sets out suggested minimum rates for freelancers. I found this page useful as a guide so I am sharing it with you.

Convert cassette tapes to digital format for transcription

2010-07-29T17:22:00.002+01:00

I came across a really useful article on converting cassette tapes to digital media, which I thought I would share with you: http://www.andybrain.com/archive/convert-cassette-to-cd-digital.htm

As you will see from this article it is quite easy to convert cassette tapes to digital media. This principle also works with mini cassettes, micro cassettes and minidiscs providing the respective players have a headphone jack.

Converting your own analogue-to-digital could save you money if you’re sending it to a transcription services company for transcription as you may be charged more for the conversion.

An important point in the article: ‘You should record a ten-second clip at first, so you can play it back immediately in Audacity (green triangle button) and make sure your volume levels are right. If the recorded audio is too loud or has too much static, decrease the volume on your cassette player.’

If you’re sending your digital audio to a transcription services company the transcriptionist will listen to the audio through headphones which can sound different to listening on loud speaker. So if you have some headphones, have a listen through them to make sure it sounds clear.

On occasion I’ve received audio for transcription where at full volume quietly spoken words were inaudible so try to ensure that the recorded volume is adjustable for the transcriptionist, i.e. the volume can be turned up to an audible level and higher if necessary for quietly spoken words.

In the UK a male-male stereo audio cable can be purchased at electrical stores or at Amazon. Gold plated plugs give better sound quality.

Visit http://www.kingaudio.co.uk/kingaudio_files/formats.html to find out which audio formats King Audio Transcription & Typing Services cover.

What are transcription services?

2010-07-15T19:56:00.000+01:00

I am sometimes asked what I do and what transcription services are. The simple answer to this question is I convert the spoken word from audio recordings to text.

Say for example Bob has a digital audio recording of an interview he has carried out for research purposes and he needs a typed transcript of what was said in the interview.

Bob will send the digital audio recording to me via the internet and I will load the audio recording into my transcription software (I use Express Scribe).

I will then listen to the digital audio recording through headphones using a foot pedal to control playback and type what I hear into a Word document, thus producing a typed transcript of everything that was said in the interview.

I will then send the completed transcript of the interview back to Bob as an email attachment.

To find out more about transcription services visit my procedure page.

Transcription Services: first-come, first-served

2010-04-11T09:21:00.002+01:00

Here at KATTS I work on a first-come, first-served basis as workload can change from minute-to-minute. Therefore projects are accepted in order of when the transcription Project Booking Form is returned.

Transcription Project Booking Forms are accepted via email attachment in Word .doc format, as PDF or by post. Obviously email attachment is the quickest method of returning the form.

For more information see KATTS’ procedure page outlining how to procure transcription services.

Confidential transcription services

2010-03-28T12:43:00.001+01:00

If you are looking for confidentiality and continuity for your transcription project then KATTS can help you.

All transcription is carried out in house by Sarah King. You can therefore be assured that your transcription project will be processed in a completely confidential way and continuity will be maintained throughout.

KATTS do not outsource your transcription projects to outside agencies.

If you would like a quotation for a transcription project you can visit the website at http://www.kingaudio.co.uk/.

For more information about what's included in the quotation visit whats included in the price.

Hey! What did you say?

2010-03-10T19:54:00.001Z

Certain transcriptions take longer to transcribe than others, this is because I have to recognise words and voices. The stronger the accent, the harder it is for me to understand.

This isn’t usually a problem because I am an experienced transcriber (30 years) and can understand people more clearly. If there is a word I can’t understand I look up what it sounds like and distinguish what it is.

It also depends on the speed the person speaks at. Sometimes faster speakers are harder to understand if they don’t speak clearly. But it’s not only that, if the audio recording isn’t very good quality or you get a lot of background noise in the recording the transcription process can be more difficult.

These are things to bear in mind if you are recording say interviews for transcription. Digital recorders are pretty good these days, but it's always wise to do a sound check with your audio equipment and listen back with headphones.

If you would like to find out more about my transcription services please visit my website at http://www.kingaudio.co.uk/

Thanks

Transcribers: what keyboard do you use?

2010-02-18T09:32:00.004Z

I recently replaced my keyboard with a bog standard keyboard to use when providing transcription services. The keyboard is okay but I’m finding that it’s not ideal for the high volume transcription that I do.

So I’m interested in what keyboards other transcribers use. I know I could read product reviews on the internet, but I’m specifically interested in what other transcribers use as they will be using their keyboards for high volume transcription too.

I asked this question on Facebook and my friend, Linda Christie, who is also a freelance transcriber, recommended the Microsoft Wireless media centres, i.e. keyboard and mouse 1000 version, which I will be looking into, and James P King suggested a gaming keyboard for responsiveness.

So if any transcribers out there have other suggestions for a good keyboard or keyboards to avoid I’d love to hear from you.

UPDATE 28.2.10: Since posting this I have now purchased a new keyboard. I decided to go for a Cherry eVolution stream corded multimedia keyboard. It is an ‘ultra-flat design keyboard with plug & play performance. It has ultra-flat keys pleasing to the touch and whisper keystrokes for extremely low-noise use’.

The keyboard is ultra-flat, a bit like a laptop keyboard and certainly is low noise and very responsive. It is a pleasure to use as it has a really nice feel to it and exactly as described on the box. It is perfect for my transcription services.

This keyboard was recommended to me by web designer Max Glenister (@OMGMOG). Thanks Max.

How long does transcription take?

2010-02-08T10:18:00.001Z

I'm going to talk about factors that can influence transcription turnaround times and primarily the factors that can increase the time it takes to transcribe an audio file.

The quality of a recording can have a big influence on how long a transcription will take. A noisy environment with lots of background noises can play havoc with the transcription process.

For instance I had an interview transcription that had been recorded in a fairly busy café or restaurant. The microphone picked up all the other customers, their children and the coffee machine that hissed and popped every few minutes. At first this was amusing to listen to in a ‘fly on the wall’ sort of way but it almost completely obscured the voices of the participants and soon had me losing my sanity. This added to the transcription time and to the amount of inaudible words in the final transcript.

The speed of transcription can also depend on the speakers themselves and whether they speak clearly and at an audible rate. Some people are fast speakers and this coupled with say stumbling over words can make a transcription more difficult.

A good rate of volume on a recording is important. A good quality recording with a low volume that cannot be increased can be as troublesome to a transcriber as a poor quality recording.

Bear in mind that your transcription services provider may not be familiar with the subject matter of your recording and it would therefore be very useful to give them as much information as you can about the contents of the recording, i.e. names of speakers and URLs of websites that relate to the subject matter.

If your recording contains more than two speakers who do not introduce themselves then give your transcriber the order in which they first speak so the transcriber can try to recognise the voices of the individuals.

Here’s a quick checklist to save your transcriber’s sanity and get you the best transcription turnaround:

Avoid noisy environments
Encourage your participants to speak clearly and at an audible level
Check out the quality and volume of your recording by recording a 2 minute test file and listening back through headphones
Provide ancillary information to your transcription service provider

Check out King Audio Transcription & Typing Services interview tips page for more information.

Positive steps when choosing transcription services

2010-01-29T15:11:00.001Z

Since my last blog I thought it would be useful to list some positive steps in choosing the right transcription services.

Like anything these days one has to be careful when choosing the right transcription services provider for your project. Searching randomly on the internet is a gamble. You could be lucky enough to find a good transcription services provider, in which case treat their details like gold dust and keep them safe OR you could end up with a sub-standard transcription.

Here are some positive steps which may help in your selection process:

Check who will be transcribing your audio
Will it go to more than one transcriber
Is the transcriber a native English speaker
Is there a sample transcript to show an example of work
Check what's included in the price – e.g. some companies charge more for verbatim transcription
Will the completed transcript be proof read against the audio for accuracy

If you find a good transcription services provider, keep the details so you can use them in the future and recommend them to your friends and colleagues.

If you work in a company share details of trusted service providers with your colleagues. Perhaps a database, resource page or a Linked in account could be used for this purpose. My Linked in account is here.

Encourage colleagues to check there first before searching randomly on the internet.

So those are just a few steps. If I can think of anything else I'll add it later. However, if you would like to discuss your transcription project with me please feel free to contact me at King Audio Transcription & Typing Services.

Choose the right transcription services and save money

2010-01-25T19:48:00.001Z

I was approached by a new client this month who had used a random transcription services provider for interview transcription. He had two interviews to transcribe one of which he had already had transcribed by the provider. Fortunately for the client, the transcription service provider was unable to transcribe his second interview so he came to me at King Audio Transcription & Typing Services.

When I had completed the interview transcription and returned the transcript, the client telephoned me to say he was really pleased with the quality and speed of my transcription. He said he had only just had a chance to look at the transcript provided by the other service provider and there were whole sentences omitted from the transcript with no markers indicating this. He said overall it was of very poor quality and of little use to him with so many omissions so he asked me to transcribe that interview as well.

Unfortunately for for the client he ended up paying twice for one of his interview transcriptions, which obviously is not a good situation for anyone to be in. He could have saved money if he had come across King Audio Transcription & Typing Services in the first instance.

In my opinion the audio was clear and audible and there were no strong accents so it is difficult to understand how the other transcription company missed out so much in their transcript.

At King Audio Transcription & Typing Services the following is standard practice:

I always try to ensure that my transcriptions are as complete as possible and generally, providing the audio and speakers are clear, this can be achieved. However, I don’t want to be unrealistic here, sometimes words can be obscured by background noises for instance a cough or a laugh, so sometimes it is not possible to get every word spoken in which case a marker will be placed in the transcript at that point to indicate this.

I always research names and technical terms on the internet to ensure correct spellings where information is available online.

Quality control is ensured by carefully proof reading transcripts against the original audio.

King Audio Transcription & Typing Services offer competitive rates and all transcription is carried out by me in the UK.

You are welcome to visit the King Audio Transcription & Typing Services website and email or call me for a no obligation quotation. You can also follow me on Twitter at KATTS03.

Interview transcription example

2010-01-13T15:32:00.003Z

Today I have transcribed an interview that I saw on a CNBC video at The New York Times to give an example of my interview transcription. If you click the link you will be given the option to open or save the transcript, which is in Word 2000 format.

I hope this goes some way to demonstrate the quality of KATTS’ interview transcription. I chose an interview in the public domain as an example as all interview transcription carried out by KATTS is treated with confidentiality.

KATTS offers a range of interview transcription services including:

One-to-one interviews
Multi-speaker interviews
Telephone interviews
Oral history interviews
Research interviews
Television and radio interviews
Recorded conversations

All interview transcription is carried out by me, Sarah King, in the United Kingdom. I ensure that each interview transcript is proof read carefully against the original audio. This is included in the quoted price and not added on as an extra charge.

KATTS offers flexible interview transcription. Speakers can be identified by name or initials or simply I = interviewer and P = participant. An interview template can be supplied by KATTS or alternatively the client can supply their own template for use in the interview transcription.

Interviews can be transcribed verbatim including every utterance like ‘umm’ and ‘err’ at no extra charge. Alternatively these utterances can be omitted from the interview transcript.

For more information about interview transcription visit KATTS’ interview transcription page.

New transcription services website

2010-01-08T09:19:00.000Z

Towards the end of last year I was busily working on my website at King Audio Transcription & Typing Services and spent hours and hours coding. I’m really pleased with the results. I prefer sites with a clean interface and that’s what I’ve gone for with the KATTS website.

There are now several new pages on the website covering:

Interview transcription
Conference transcription
University transcription
Legal transcription
Focus group transcription

There are also pages covering:

Verbatim transcription
Minutes transcription
Dictation transcription
What’s included in the price
How to procure transcription services

Transcription Services SEO

2009-12-23T11:52:00.000Z

Over the past couple of months I have been working very hard on search engine optimisation (SEO) for my transcription services website at King Audio Transcription & Typing Services. I had previously been on page 1 results in Google for some of my keywords, however, my site had slowly gone down the list over a period of time.

This could be due to a number of factors including lots of new transcription services businesses starting up and a number of sites copy and pasting content from my site. Google doesn’t like duplicate content and so it doesn’t help anyone if sites do this.

It now looks as if my hard work has paid off because King Audio Transcription & Typing Services is now showing up on first page results again in Google for all of my favoured keywords. I am so happy to have had such good results.

Transcription services provider - add to resources

2009-12-07T20:38:00.000Z

It is amazing how many organisations use internet search rather than tried, tested and trusted service providers. It could be that other people in the organisation are not aware of these service providers that their colleagues have used because there is no central resource to share this information.

A simple database or resource page could be used and shared very easily. This resource could save you time and money.

If your organisation does not have a service provider database or a resource page then it is never too late and King Audio Transcription & Typing Services has no objection to being the first on the list.

4 December Last Royal Mail Airmail posting date to...

2009-12-02T20:41:00.000Z

4th December is the last Royal Mail Airmail posting date to send things to South and Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, Middle East, Far East (except Japan), Asia, New Zealand and Australia.

How to choose a transcription services provider

2009-12-01T20:55:00.002Z

I had a call from a gentleman a couple of months ago. He had been using a UK transcription services provider for interview transcription. He said the transcripts were so poor that he had to redo them himself. The UK company he had contracted had not offered to put the transcripts right when he complained and they were pushing him to pay their invoice. He said they were 'hounding him' and using 'mafia like pressure' to make him pay. This account reflects the gentleman’s point of view and if his account is accurate I think this is quite a shocking story.

I had a call today from a company who had been using an offshore transcription services provider. Unfortunately the transcription services provider had let them down and not finished the project. They were therefore trying to find a UK transcription services provider to complete the project in a hurry.

It must be very difficult to choose a transcription services provider as there are so many to choose from and you never really know what kind of job you’re going to get. It’s great if you are recommended to a transcription services provider by someone with experience of that company but that’s not always possible.

Some tips:

Try to use a transcription service provider who has been recommended to you by someone who has used them.

If that is not possible:

Check that the transcription services provider only uses transcribers whose mother tongue is English.
Check yourself that your audio is clear and audible. If the audio quality is not good this may be reflected in your transcripts and may incur extra costs.

However, to avoid all this why not come to King Audio Transcription & Typing Services. I obviously would highly recommend it!