• Standard audiocassettes
• DVDs and CDs
• VHS tapes
• Beta and Beta SP tapes
• DAT tapes
• Mini-Discs
• Digital audio or multimedia files
• Microcassettes (highly discouraged)

Mini-DV tapes: We are considering adding a mini-DV/VHS deck to our arsenal of equipment should requests for submitting mini-DV tapes increase.

Please make sure to read below about the need to convert some forms of media you provide to us.

No, we do not.

Some of our clients would never think of parting with their masters, believing the risk is just not worth it. In the case of Beta and Beta SP tapes, we never work directly from your masters. Rather, we make VHS and audiocassette dubs and work from those. (Please refer to the section on conversion charges.)

In the case of original audiocassettes and microcassettes, we work from the originals unless a client specifically requests that we make dubs of those recordings. (Again, please refer to the section on conversion charges.)

We must convert one form of media to another (in other words, make duplicates, or 'dubs') when there exists no transcription device that will allow us to transcribe directly from the media you have given us.

You may be surprised to know that the transcription machines of today handle only standard audiocassettes, mini-cassettes and microcassettes. (There are a few exceptions that don't merit mention here.) Consequently, when a client provides us with a Beta, Beta SP, VHS or DAT tape, there is no transcription machine to pop that tape into and begin transcribing. We must first convert the audio to a standard audiocassette or digital file before we can begin transcribing.

When it is necessary for us to convert your media into a form we can transcribe directly from, such conversions (duplicates, or "dubs") are made in real time, and contribute to the increase in wear and tear on our equipment. Therefore, we must charge for this service. Our fee of fifty cents per recorded minute, however, is de minimus compared to the conversion fees of companies like Chicago Film & Tape Works. Furthermore, in the case of Beta/Beta SP tapes, although we make both VHS and audiocassette dubs, we charge only for one conversion.

The software program we use to transcribe both audio-only and multimedia digital files supports a wide range of formats, including WAV, AIFF, ACC, MP3, MPEG, MPEG2, MPEG4, QuickTime movies, and many AVI formats.

There are so many advantages to working with digital media:

1. Providing us with digital files (either by uploading them to our FTP site or providing us with a link to yours), eliminate the hassles, costs and time expenditures that occur with the physical delivery of tapes or discs to Master Transcription in person, by messenger, by mail, or via an express delivery service.
2. When transcripts are completed, you will avoid costs that would otherwise be incurred in having your media returned to you by mail.
3. Our receipt of your audio is instantaneous. The faster we receive your audio or multimedia material, the faster your transcripts will be completed.
4. Working with digital media eliminates the kind of worries inherent with physical tapes, which can become damaged or lost. With digital media, you can send your files to us an infinite amount of times, and you will still always have your original!

In January, 2006, we instituted a new policy of not accepting poorly recorded audio for transcription. The few exceptions to this rule are:

1. Where an established client has encountered an unusual situation in which they had no other way of capturing the audio but in a less than ideal way.
2. Where a prospective client can demonstrate that their need to have the poor audio transcribed is vital. (Example: A new client had recorded a U.S. Attorney's Office press conference with a handheld microcassette recorder. The resulting audio was poor, but their need for as much information as could be squeezed out of the poor audio was quite vital.)

If you are not certain as to the audio quality of your recording, we will be more than happy to listen to it to determine whether it is of good quality. If we are told a tape is of good quality but upon listening to it, it becomes obvious this is not the case, we will contact you immediately.

Microcassette tapes are extremely thin and can tangle or break as a result of prolonged rewinding action from microcassette transcription devices. You would also undoubtedly be furnishing us with your originals (no one with whom we've ever dealt has made a copy from such tapes). Given the fragility of these tapes, you may be playing with fire.

Secondly, microcassette recording devices are poor recorders of sound except when used as intended - by one person holding the device closely to their mouth while dictating into the device's built-in microphone. Placing a microcassette recorder on a table in the hope that it will properly record a conversation between two or more people is a mistake. Our experience, overwhelmingly, is that these attempts result in very poor recordings.

Using an external, omni-directional microphone may improve the quality of your recording substantially. Should you wish to use a microcassette recorder with an external microphone, we strongly advise that you conduct a test recording of the people who will be speaking just prior to commencing with the real recording, and then listen to it to ensure that your set-up will produce high quality audio.

Yes, we do. We have never been faced with a subject matter that proved too technical or arcane to transcribe. We've worked with every topic imaginable - corporate strategy, marketing, finance, the financial markets, advertising, architecture, art, law, medicine, educational disciplines, religion - the list is endless.

The highly technical or industry term-of-art language we typically encounter is in the medical field. We've worked with a wide range of medical topics, from diabetes to heart disease, spinal cord trauma and brain tumors, and we either already are familiar with the terminology or can deduce it phonetically and then confirm or tweak it with a quick Google search.

Unlike other transcription companies, we do not charge more for technical matter. Why? Because we expect our transcriptionists to know the English language. A word is a word, whether arrived at by knowledge or phonetic deduction. No one word has a higher value than another - not to us, anyway.

First, let's discuss B-roll. Yes, we offer as a service the description of B-roll footage. The primary reason for including this question in this FAQ section is because we've had clients request a transcript, only later to learn they wanted (1) a transcript of dialogue, and (2) a description of B-roll (or more). These are two separate tasks, and are charged differently. This is true, even if you want the B-roll descriptions incorporated into the dialogue transcript. A straight transcription of the audio is charged by the recorded hour, while B-roll descriptions are charged by the labor hour. If you know you want both, kindly make this clear when placing your order.

We can also provide a more detailed continuity script, but it depends on how much you want included. One prospective client submitted to us a lengthy list of requests that was so onerous and the turnaround need so urgent that we had to turn the project down, as interesting as it was. While capable of the kind of work that was involved, we just could not devote the kind of resources that would have been necessary to complete such a project within the time they were needed. A complete "bells and whistles" continuity script is best left to a transcription company that specializes in them.

Quite frequently. For example, in a two-person exchange, we would place a time code whenever a person begins speaking. And if that person speaks at length with no interruption, time codes are inserted every two or three sentences. Take a look at a sample time-coded transcript, Click here.

We'll need your audiovisual material, whether on VHS, Beta/Beta SP or DVD, to incorporate time code. To avoid conversion charges, please also provide the audio portion of your material to us on standard audiocassettes or in the form of digital audio files.

They cost more because they are more work-intensive than non-time-coded transcripts. Two tasks are involved in preparing time-coded transcripts. The first involves the transcribing of the audio. The second involves reviewing the video to capture the time codes, inserting those time codes into the transcript, and then closely proofing the transcript to ensure that no time code mistakes were made.

Also, we place time code quite frequently in our transcripts - not only at the starting point of each speaker's words (in a two-person exchange, for example), but if one person speaks at length with no break by an interviewer or other person, we insert time code frequently within that statement

If you have filmed your event, we'll need a VHS or DVD in order to view the speakers and distinguish one from another. This process is a separate task from the transcription process: it requires viewing, speaker identification, and insertion of names into the transcript. We charge $30.00 per labor hour for this aspect of the job. However, assuming that each person is filmed as they are speaking, this is a very simple process, so the charge shouldn't be much more than the length of the recording itself.

If you are unable to provide us with video, we can in no way guarantee we will be able to separately identify a multiple number of speakers, whether we are trying to identify them by name or by number. It is extremely time-consuming even to try to attempt this. In these cases, the best we can usually do is identify speakers by "Man"/"Male," or "Woman"/"Female." If there are, say, three speakers and each has a distinctly identifiable voice, separate name identification is often not a problem.

No, we do not. We recommend researching Google.com to hunt for solutions to this problem. You may discover some kind of software that cleans up poor audio, or a company that specializes in doing this for you.

While we are considering expanding our list of services to include closed captioning, we are not offering such services at this time.

We do not accept requests for court reporting or medical dictation. These are two highly specialized areas of transcribing that employ certified court reporters or transcriptionists certified to handle medical office dictation.

1. Type of transcript or other service you need. Please refer to the Services section for complete descriptions of the kinds of transcripts and other services we provide (e.g., with transcripts of interviews, you can have the questions included verbatim, paraphrased or omitted)
2. Subject matter of the recording
3. Audio quality & location of recording (Audio quality: excellent, good, fair, poor? Location: conference room, studio, outdoors, restaurant?)
4. Total recording length of your project
5. Type of media you wish to provide to us (including the approximate time you plan to deliver your media to us)
6. Other details about your recording

• hard-to-understand foreign accents
• voice overlap
• list of helpful names/terms used in the recording
• sections in your audio that you don't want transcribed

1. Online Form: This is probably the easiest, for there may be information in the form that you need to obtain before submitting it to us. On each page of our website, there is a tab labeled "request quote" Simply click on the tab, and you will be directed to a form that requests information regarding details of your project. Once you have filled out this form and directed that it be sent to us, we will review your information and contact you promptly with a quote.
2. Call us at 312.498.3952: Many people appreciate the soothing sound of a human voice, and as we are never far away from our Blackberries and other communication contraptions, we actually will pick up the phone right away (unless we're speaking with another client). We will be asking you the same questions you will find on the online form, so do try to have all those informational nuggets at your fingertips.
3. Email us at info@mastertranscription.com: If you find the online form troublesome or annoying, email us with as much information as you can provide about your project and, again, whether via computer or Blackberry, we will receive your email immediately and contact you promptly.

Unknown recording length: On occasion, ours clients may not know the total recording length of their tapes (not an issue with digital files). Obviously, it's vital we know the parameters of your project, and total recording length is vital to understanding those parameters. Without this key piece of information, we cannot estimate a turnaround time or provide you with a full project quote.

We are happy to review your tapes to determine the scope of the project, but it takes time to do this. Therefore, we have instituted a policy of charging $30.00 per labor hour for this work. Alternatively, we'll just dive into the project, providing you don't need an immediate answer as to when the last transcript associated with your project will be turned around.

Unknown audio quality: If you are uncertain as to the quality of the audio you will be providing to us, we are happy to give it a listen. However, we do not transcribe poor audio.

Unless we detect a problem with the audio quality or the speakers, you can rely on the quote we give you on the basis of the information you have provided to us. As stated elsewhere in this website, we do not transcribe poor audio, so if we find this to be the case, we will contact you immediately.

If we receive a recording with multiple speakers for which there is substantial voice overlap throughout, or a speaker with a thick foreign accent that is very difficult to understand, factors such as these impede the transcription process and will necessitate a rate adjustment.

1. We'll ask for your billing information, as well as the email addresses of the persons to whom you would like the transcripts to be forwarded.
2. We will then email you a job confirmation statement that sets forth the nature of the job, our quote, your billing information, email addresses, etc.
3. Finally, where appropriate, we will fax you a W-9.

Mailing Address:
Master Transcription
1000 W. Washington Blvd.
Suite 428
Chicago, Illinois   60607

Drop-off Address:
Master Transcription
115 North Carpenter St.
Suite 428
Chicago, Illinois   60607

Digital Files/FTP Server:
You can upload your files to our FTP server, or you can email us at info@mastertranscription.com with a link to files on your own or a third-party FTP server.

A 24-hour doorman is available to accept packages that are dropped off at the building. To protect your tapes or discs, it's always best to deliver them to us in a bubble-wrapped enclosure. If you will be mailing your tapes to us, a service such as Federal Express is always preferable, as your package can be tracked if there's a problem.

Yes, definitely. Label all of your tapes or discs with the name of your company and the nature of the content. In the case of two-sided tapes, indicate what is on each side of the tape. If one side is blank, please indicate as such.

When we have completed your project, we will email you an invoice, with a written confirmation copy sent to you by regular mail. Some of our clients request that we send them an invoice only by mail.

In most cases, payment is due within four weeks of the invoice date. If payment is not received within four weeks, we will forward you another invoice stamped "Past Due." A two percent (2.0%) monthly late charge will be assessed on account balances over thirty days past due.

In some circumstances, we require advance payment (partial or full). This policy applies typically to new clients, although such requests are made of individuals more than they are of established businesses.

With large projects, which we define as over $1,000.00, we typically request from all but our established clients that a portion of our fees be paid promptly in logical intervals. For example, in the case of a $6,000 project, we might request that our client continually submit $1,000.00 once transcripts rising to that value are delivered.

We accept checks and cash. Due to the prohibitive fees charged by credit companies, we do not accept credit card payments from clients.

Our standard method is to send you transcripts as email attachments in Word format. You can either receive them in installments as we complete each separate transcript, or together when the project is finished. Should you wish to receive your transcripts in the form of a computer disk, one is complimentary, and each one thereafter is $4.00 per disk. Should you wish to receive your transcripts in print form, each printed page is twenty-five cents.

You can pick them up at our building, which has a 24-doorman (call first), or we will send you the tapes or discs by mail or via Federal Express. We will pass on the cost of such services to you. All mailed tapes are placed in protective bubble-wrapped packaging.

Absolutely. It's one of the few remaining occasions the owner of Master Transcription (a licensed attorney) has to prove to her parents that her law degree was not wasted. We are happy to provide an individualized Confidentiality Agreement to all clients who request one, as well as sign any confidentially agreement drafted by our clients.

We provide each new client with a Form W-9 as a matter of course.

In a typical case, where a professional recording has been made and there are no audio problems, speaker issues (accents or overlapping speech) or special requests (separate voice I.D. of multiple speakers, time coding, etc.), a professional transcriptionist can type approximately 15 minutes of clearly recorded speech in one hour. We've worked with good transcriptionists who have taken longer than this. Thus, it takes a minimum of four hours to transcribe a one-hour tape. The factors described below, however, operate to increase transcription time.

Recording quality
A variety of factors can affect recording quality: the recording equipment itself; how the equipment was used; the type of room the audio is being recorded in; background noise; recording volume; the type of microphone or tape used.

Voice clarity
A speaker's voice may be hard to hear because he or she is too far from the microphone, mumbles, has a heavy foreign accent, or speaks too fast. Any of these factors can slow a transcriptionist down.

Number of people speaking
Recordings of groups, meetings or seminars can be affected by the tendency of voices to overlap or by the difficulty in identifying who is speaking at any one time, particularly if the speakers do not identify themselves.

Coherent Sentences
Everyday speech is usually littered with utterances such "uh," "um," "well," and the ever-popular "you know." People switch thoughts in mid-sentence or don't speak in coherent sentences at all. In such situations, the transcriber must go back and work out where to insert the punctuation so as not to lose the thread or meaning of the whole piece. The more coherent speakers are, the less time it takes to transcribe their words.