The Challenges of Mixed Audio Transcription

In today’s article, we are going to focus on the challenges of mixed audio transcription.

An audio which contains two more than two languages is called as a mixed audio. Here, we will be focusing on audios having two languages. For example: transcription of an audio which contains English as well as Japanese languages.

There are three types of mixed audios. They are as follows:
1. Consecutive interpretation.
2. Simultaneous interpretation.
3. Random mix of both languages.

Consecutive Interpretation: In this case, the two different languages (English and Japanese) are spoken one after the other. Here, the same audio gets allocated to both language transcribers. It is important for both the transcribers to listen to the entire audio, mainly because in consecutive interpretation, the rate of language change is very frequent. This process takes up a lot of time. Next, compilation of the two different final transcripts is required which adds up to the time taken. Frequent speaker interruptions also make it difficult to compile the transcript.

Simultaneous Interpretation: This signifies that two different languages are spoken at the same time. In this case too, the same audio gets allocated to both language transcribers. Compilation is not required as both the languages are heard throughout the audio file and can be transcribed in separate documents. In most instances, both the languages are heard in different channels (for example: Japanese in the left channel and English in the right channel). In cases where just one channel is available, it is very difficult for both language transcribers to work on the audio as it is not possible to clearly hear only one language at a time. Since both languages are heard throughout the audio, the transcription process is challenging and increases the time and effort utilized in the process much more than a normal single-language audio. Owing to this, clients are charged a premium rate, which they are made aware of before taking up the assignment.

Random mix of both languages: This means that there is a random mix of more than one language in the audio file; there is no pattern in terms of the frequency of language change. One needs to listen to the entire audio carefully to figure out the breakup of both languages. After that, the job can be allocated to both language transcribers. In this case, compilation of the files can be done by someone who is familiar with both the languages.

In all the above scenarios, it is clear that working on a mixed audio transcript consumes almost twice the time than that of a normal English transcript (single language audio). Allocation of mixed audio transcription jobs also takes significantly more time than the standard transcription job, right from listening to the audios to compilation of the final transcripts, as well as passing on specific instructions and references (if any) to both language transcribers.

Read More

Why are ‘Batch Deliveries’ not feasible/advisable in Transcription Industry

Definition: Whenever the client requires the delivery of transcripts in batches as opposed to a single delivery of the entire job, it is termed as Batch Delivery.
Batch Deliveries are not our standard service and we do not encourage them, the reasons for which will be clear as you read through this blog.

Batch Deliveries usually are favoured by clients in rare cases where;
1. Clients need urgent delivery of the entire job and it is not possible for us to process that job in a day. Thus, sometimes clients request us to split the job up in batches so that each batch will have a separate delivery schedule.

2. In some cases where clients have a very large job, for example, an entire Conference/Symposium which spans over an entire week, the clients upload the audios on a daily basis and hence the delivery is then scheduled in batches as per the turnaround time (TAT) for that particular file.

Disadvantage of Batch Deliveries:
1. Serious Quality Implications: With regards to batch delivery, there are multiple audio files with urgent TAT. These files are usually processed as single entities, not an entire job, and can get allotted to different Editors. This raises the issue of quality/consistency in the overall output of the job. If it is a single delivery, then we always try and give the entire job to a single Editor (owner) so he has a good understanding of the subject matter of the job, the speakers in the files with regard to identification, etc., and hence the final transcripts are accurate and of the best quality.

2. Consistency Issues: In batch deliveries, there are multiple files and multiple Editors work on it at the same time which usually results in issues of inconsistency in formatting/speaker identification, etc. For example, there may be instances where the Main Speaker has identified himself/herself at the start of the symposium/interview in the first audio file. As it is a batch delivery, the Editor doing the second or subsequent files might not be the same person who worked on the first file. Hence, the second Editor might miss out on that information given in the first audio. This will result in incorrect or no speaker identification in the subsequent files which leads to major consistency issues in the job.

3. Delayed Deliveries: Sometimes, as there are three to four batches of the same job that have to be delivered over a span of 3–4 days, there may be a high chance that some batches may get delayed. This is because it is very challenging for the Process Manager to keep a track of these batches as compared to a single delivery for the entire job.

Thus, we always encourage our clients to avoid Batch Delivery Schedules and to keep a single delivery schedule for the entire job so that we can assure our clients an unclear-free, optimal quality output with timely deliveries.

Read More

Key Factors for an Effective Interview

A conversation between two or more people – the interviewer(s) and the interviewee(s) – where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee is called an interview. A good interview is a focused, direct conversation between two or more professionals. Interviews are the best way of understanding a complicated situation and viewing it from someone else’s perspective. From a transcriber’s point of view, an ideal interview should take place in a quiet surrounding without any disturbance. This helps in producing a better quality transcript.

The first and foremost requirement while transcribing an interview would be the introduction of the participants of the interview for speaker identification. This information is not only limited to speaker identification, but also helps in getting additional information on the participants, which in turn helps to produce a good quality transcript.

A good interviewer should always be prepared with questions, facts, and sources of information in a professional manner. Speaking clearly, slowly and repeating keywords also helps a great deal. The pace of an interview should be controlled in accordance with the time allotted.

There are instances where there may be multiple interviewers. In this case, coordination with fellow interviewers is the key. Interviewers should divide the questions to be asked between themselves. If there is no coordination between the interviewers, it would result in a lot of interruptions. Such overlap of communication should be avoided.

On the interviewee front, interviewees should try to be concise while answering the questions posed to them. Digression should be avoided. Avoid interrupting the interviewer and let the interviewer finish questioning before beginning to answer. An interviewee should always keep in mind what information the interviewer is seeking and then give crisp and clear answers. There also can be instances where there are multiple interviewees. Again, it is important to have coordination with fellow interviewees. Interruptions should be avoided and there should be clear segregation of people answering particular types of questions and so on.

However, there are instances when an interview falls below its potential because of some reasons such as the participants are not fully prepared, the interviewer has not organized the questions, or there is no fixed format followed. When an interviewer speaks in an unclear or a hurried manner, the interviewee sometimes fails to comprehend the questions and can repeatedly request the interviewer to repeat the questions. This results in deterioration of the transcript quality. The same rule applies for the interviewee as well as they too have to be prepared for the interview with all research, facts, and sources.

In order to conduct a good interview, distractions should be avoided such as cell phones, BlackBerries, meeting room intrusions, etcetera. In case of a phone interview, it is feasible to utilize a landline. Interviews on cell phones should be avoided. Focus should be maintained on what is required of the interview by all the participants. Try using an ergonomic keyboard, which is quieter than a normal keyboard, so that the sound of typing doesn’t intrude on the interview.

Following all these general and basic practices will be useful in ensuring an effective interview and subsequently in producing the best quality transcripts.

Read More

Cripton's Transcribers: Their Background and Experience

Cripton, a division of Cactus Communications Pvt. Ltd., provides English transcription services to academic and corporate clients. Cripton boasts of a team of highly experienced, qualified in-house transcribers and editors with an average work experience that ranges from 5 to 10 years. The main aim of Cripton is to strive to work closely with the client to understand all the aspects of client needs and provide the best possible transcription services that suit and satisfy the clients’ requirements.

The process of transcription, or the conversion of voice-recorded reports into text format, is carried out by a transcriptionist. The key skills and abilities that go into making a transcriptionist are: Sound knowledge of diverse terminology; usage of correct punctuation, grammar and spelling; appropriate internet search skills; and excellent typing skills.

Cripton has individuals with varied educational backgrounds working as transcriptionists delivering on client documents according to their field of specialization.


There are individuals who are graduates in Science – majoring in either Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Medicine, or Electronics/Engineering – and provide their vast expertise in catering to the transcription needs of clients on subjects related to scientific fields like natural sciences/phenomena, biological life, metaphysics, mathematics, and social sciences; and medical fields like cardiology, chiropractics, gastroenterology, internal medicine, neurology, orthopedics, pediatrics, podiatry, psychiatry, radiology, and a host of other fields.

There are individuals who hold a Bachelors degree in Commerce – majoring in accountancy, business administration, e-commerce, economics, finance, and marketing – and provide their vast expertise in catering to transcription needs of clients on subjects dealing with finance, fiscal and industrial policies, market fluctuations, and trade. The transcripts could be related to board meetings, conferences, interviews, lectures, speeches, roundtable discussions, symposiums, seminars, or teleconferences.

There are individuals who have graduated in Arts or Humanities – majoring in advertising, business management, journalism, mass communication, media studies, performing arts, travel and tourism, and more – and provide their vast expertise in catering to clients on subjects like English being taught as a foreign language or accommodating to a client demanding a transcript in a specific format, example: with timestamps.


In a nutshell, Cripton’s transcriptionists are capable of handling transcripts from as varied and diverse fields like business, law, market research, medical, and any individual with a transcription need, the guiding principle being to understand the client's needs and providing prompt and flexible services, maintaining confidentiality, and regular communication with the client. Thus, one of the main pillars of the success of Cripton and its transcriptionists has been in striving to provide accurate transcriptions on time, every time.

Cripton also provides equal growth of opportunities and thus a transcriptionist can graduate to become an Editor, who edits transcripts and checks for quality, and also grow further to the level of a Quality Lead or a Process Manager.

Read More

Why does inserting timestamps necessitate a premium charge?

In today’s article, we will focus on inserting timestamps in transcripts.

· Entering timestamps is largely a manual task performed by transcribers who listen to and transcribe the audio files. This transcript is subsequently reviewed by editors who also need to ensure that the final product is of good quality with careful compliance of instructions.

o Being a manual task, it consumes the transcribers’ time and efforts depending upon the frequency of the required timestamps.

· Inserting timestamps at regular intervals takes the transcribers’ attention away from their basic transcription requirements.

o In order to ensure quality output with timestamps and compliance of instructions, the transcribers spend an unusual amount of time transcribing audio files with such instructions. This ultimately results in loss of productivity for the transcribers.

· The following are some of the examples of the frequency of timestamps, i.e. when to enter a timestamp:

o Every 5 minutes, every 2 minutes, every 1 minute, every sentence (suitable for subtitling), every time there is a change of speaker, etcetera. These are just a snapshot of some requests we have received so far.

· The most time-consuming and exhaustive of the above methods is when one needs to insert timestamps in every sentence. Again, if both the start and end time are required, one cannot expect a transcriber to transcribe more than 20 minutes in a particular day (ideally a transcriber can transcribe more than 50 minutes in an 8-hour shift). This indicates that transcribers need to insert a timestamp at the beginning and the conclusion of a sentence, then again at the beginning and end of sentence2, and so on. This process is repeated until the end of the audio file.

o For example:

§ 0:00:05 – 0:00:20

§ Sentence1

§ 0:00:21 – 0:00:39

§ Sentence2

· Consequently, the lesser the frequency, the more time and efforts required.

· Again, inserting timestamps for every speaker change can be complicated.This is because several times, speakers (mostly discussion participants and in some cases interviewers/interviewees) interrupt each other and thus cut off the flow of the conversation as they tend to speak at the same time. In this case, the process becomes even more difficult.

· These days, there are some software products available which claim to help insert timestamps in a transcript. After exploring those products, we have realized that inserting a timestamp is still a combination of two commands. This means that every time a transcriber wants to enter a timestamp, they need to provide two keystrokes. This instance illustrates that manual efforts have to be taken to maintain the quality of the transcript.

· All in all, inserting timestamps at regular intervals, for example, at a frequency of less than 5 minutes, requires meticulous and intensive efforts on the part of the transcribers.

Read More

BPO and Transcription Industry in India – An Overview 2/2

When transcription first began in India, there were various institutes that imparted professional transcription training in lieu of a fee.  The fee varied from as low as 10,000 to 60,000 Indian Rupees.  There were also some organizations that used to impart on-the-job training and then recruit the candidates in-house or provide placements.  The basic training lasts from anywhere between 4 to 6 months.

The transcription training program includes different modules or course subjects – depending on business, legal, general or medical – and is designed to help gain the knowledge and skills towards becoming a transcriptionist.  Numerous exercises and assessments throughout each module ensure that the candidates master each concept before moving on.

Medical Transcription, a subdivision of transcription, is one of the fastest growing fields in healthcare.  In the United States, the entire healthcare industry is based on insurance and detailed medical records are needed to process insurance claims.

Medical transcription is the process of accurately and quickly transcribing medical records dictated by doctors.  A medical transcriptionist transcribes, formats, and proof-reads the medical report of a patient.

 

The ideal qualification for a medical transcriptionist is Graduation and the primary skills required towards becoming an ideal medical transcriptionist are: Good listening and language skills, knowledge of medical terms, fluency in English, and comprehension of various accents.  Undergoing a training course in Medical Transcription is an added advantage.

 

The major end-users of transcription are media houses, universities and institutes, law firms, consultancy services, and business services.

Read More

BPO and Transcription Industry in India – An Overview 1/2

Business Process Outsourcing or BPO started off with the shifting of manufacturing goods to countries providing cheap labor, but in today's technology-driven world, the definition of BPO has taken a new dimension wherein it involves the contracting of a process to a third-party service provider.  This process is beneficial to both the outsourcing company and the service provider.

The main advantages of outsourcing are the flexibility it provides to the organization in terms of utilization of its employee strength by focusing on core competencies, rather than performing non-core or administrative processes; increased efficiency, speed, quality, and lower costs in delivering the end product; and real-time access to skilled people.

The work generally involves outsourcing of internal business functions such as human resources, finance, and front office in the form of customer-related services.

The process of outsourcing work to India began in the early 1990s.  The major reasons that contributed to India's success in this industry is: Abundant, skilled, English-speaking manpower; high-end telecom and infrastructure which is at par with global standards; strong focus on measuring and monitoring quality targets; fast turnaround times and the ability to offer 24x7 services based on the country's unique geographic location that allows for leveraging time zone differences; and a positive environment which encourages growth of ITES/BPO industry.

Transcription is one of the sub-segments of BPO.  Transcription is the conversion of recorded speech into a written or electronic text format.  Transcription services are provided for business – earnings calls; legal – courtroom proceedings; general – podcast, media, IT & engineering transcription, symposiums, interviews, presentations, lectures; or medical – patient summary.

Transcription services are provided for a wide variety of audio and video media, ranging from traditional analog tapes to high-definition digital media of various formats.

High-quality transcription is characterized not only by an ability to listen and comprehend diverse vocabulary, but also by an ability to collect relevant information.

Transcription services are charged depending on per line, per word, per minute or per hour basis.  Other factors that go into providing a custom quality professional end-product to the clients are: Prompt and professional service, quick turnaround time with highest possible accuracy, and cost effectiveness.

Read More