Transcription is a high-skill process that involves listening to a recording, researching the subject, understanding context,  and typing it accurately into text. When done right, the process can take a lot of time.

One hour of audio or video can take 4-9 hours to transcribe, depending on the subject, number of speakers, and audio quality.

The total time it takes to transcribe a recording depends on several factors and differs for different types of recordings.

Why do you need to know this?

If you are planning to transcribe some recordings or outsource transcription work, this information will help you understand turnaround time and costs involved.

If you are a transcriptionist, this will help you decide rates to charge based on the time investment required.

Read more: Best Audio-to-Text-Converters in 2023 – Free and Paid

Let’s take a look at the key factors that affect transcription time.

Factors that Affect Transcription Time

1. Subject of the Recording

Any recording that requires researching spellings/terms takes longer to transcribe. That’s why the turnaround time for transcription of technical recordings is usually longer.

An hour-long interview on the subject of university education would probably take an experienced transcriber 4 hours to transcribe.

On the other hand, a one-hour interview on clinical trials for prostate cancer would probably take 5-6 hours to transcribe because the transcriptionist would need to research the medical terms to get the spellings right.

Note: Non-technical recordings with lots of names of places, personalities, books etc. also take longer to transcribe.

2. Multiple Speakers

Many transcription services charge extra for transcribing recordings with multiple speakers. This is fair because accurately transcribing multiple speakers is hard work.

It is however important to remember that it’s hard only if there is over-talking involved, for e.g. a focus group with 5-10 people talking rapidly and often over each other. A seminar with 15 speakers can be fairly easy to transcribe if they present one at a time.

3. Audio Quality

Outdoor recordings or recordings made without using external microphones usually have issues like background noise, ‘echo’, and low volume.

These recordings can take significantly longer to transcribe when compared to ‘clear’ recordings because it takes several rounds of listening to understand everything being said.

Read: What’s a good recording?

4. Transcription Style

The transcription style dictates how detailed the transcript is going to be. There are three transcription styles that are generally used in transcription – verbatim, intelligent verbatim, and true verbatim.

Verbatim transcription is the most popular style which includes every word said on the recording, minus distractions like fillers, false starts, etc.

Intelligent verbatim transcription includes detailed edited and paraphrasing to create business transcripts that are error-free.

True verbatim is a highly detailed style of transcription that includes every little detail on the recording including laughter, ambient sounds, etc.

This style takes much more time than say intelligent verbatim where all these details are left out while transcribing.

All things considered, here’s the average turnaround time for a 1-hour recording:

Simple recording (clearly recorded, non-technical content, and no overtalking): 4 hours.

Complex recording (background noise, overtalking, or technical content): 5-9 hours.

Knowing this is helpful in calculating costs if your transcription agency charges by hours worked.

Some transcription companies charge by audio-minute (1 audio minute = 1 minute of recording). This type of billing is preferable if you need to know the exact cost of transcription beforehand.

Read: Are you recording right?

How to Transcribe Faster

There are several things you can do to speed up your transcription.

If your recording has just one speaker on it, you can use an audio-to-text converter to create a draft transcript which you can then proofread. This will save you at least a couple of hours!

You can also save a lot of time by learning to type faster. Try boosting your typing speed from say 40 wpm to 60 wpm and type without having to look at the keyboard.

This awesome typing tutor  is great for improving your typing speed in a fun way.

And finally, using the right tools, like an audio player specifically meant for transcription, a foot pedal, and a good pair of headphones would save you tons of time and frustration.

How long does it take YOU to transcribe? What challenges do you face and how do you overcome them? Share your experience with other readers in comments below!

Read Next:

12 Audio-to-Text Converters to Speed Up Your Transcription

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