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Transcription Services

 

  • ISO:9001 quality certified
  • Excellent customer service
  • Expertise in more than 120 languages

Transcription Services

 

  • ISO:9001 quality certified
  • Excellent customer service
  • Expertise in more than 120 languages

Secure and accurate multilingual transcription services in Singapore

Asian Absolute’s multilingual transcription services in Singapore and globally are delivered by specialist native-language transcribers covering all languages.
Whatever type of audio or video file you have. Whatever text format you have in mind. Whatever language your file is in or the topics in question, you get matched with just the right kind of expert:

Someone who knows the industry you’re in almost as well as you do – and who is a native speaker of the language in question.

Polished by senior editors and passing through the triple-layer Quality Assurance procedures we use on every project, your transcribed document will always be 100% accurate and completely fit for task.

 

Why choose Asian Absolute?

You’ll be getting transcription services from an award-winning Language Service Provider.

With extensive language resources, we provide high quality, cost-efficient multilingual transcription as fast as or faster than any of our Singapore competitors.

Use us when you want to be sure of:

  • ISO:9001 quality management standard in all projects
    Specialists in all fields and industries – legal, financial, manufacturing…
  • More than 120 languages covered by native-speaking transcribers
  • Incredibly fast turnaround via a worldwide network
  • Secure, encrypted upload facility and locked-down transcription environment

Client testimonials

Many thanks for your help and also for providing an interpreter for the week, she was absolutely fantastic and a real life-saver!

— Guinness World Records

I was extremely impressed by Asian Absolute’s hard work to complete the project to our high standards and within a very tight timeframe.

— Global Witness

Asian Absolute helped FTChinese.com in the challenging task of building a world-class translation service. They provide top quality, personal service.

— Financial Times
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Transcription services matched to your project and language

No matter which language you need work in, we have specialists on five continents who ensure we can handle it.

English, Malay, Tamil as well as Mandarin, Cantonese and other Chinese dialects are popular choices for our clients in Singapore.

But we work in more than 120 languages, always matching you with both a native speaker of the specific language or culture and an expert in:

Legal transcription services for professionals and court reporting agencies

  • Transcribing webinars and podcasts
  • Speeches, sermons, seminars and other public speaking events
  • Medical transcription for specialist hospitals in Singapore
  • Transcribing one-on-one or multi-person interviews

Once your transcriber has finished their work, you can then count on us for translation or localisation into any language you have in mind.

Which type of transcription do you need?

There are three main types of transcription. The one which is best for you will depend on the purpose your project is going to be used for:

Verbatim transcription

Verbatim transcription is exactly what it sounds like – a completely accurate record of all of the sounds which can be heard on your audio file.

This will include background noises, indications of emotional state, coughs, sneezes, mumbling, false starts and more.

  • Main advantages: all of the information is recorded – nothing is missed.
  • Main disadvantages: time-consuming and challenging to produce, tend to be higher cost, can be difficult to read because of the sheer amount of detail.

Semi-verbatim or edited verbatim transcription

Picture taking the original verbatim transcription and editing out some of the extraneous details which only serve to muddy comprehension.

This is a semi-verbatim or edited verbatim transcription.

  • Main advantages: much clearer structure than verbatim, making it easier to read. Filler words like “erm” are edited out.
  • Main disadvantages: some of the finer details of the original recording may be lost – though this is a definite plus when it comes to readability.

Intelligent transcription

An intelligent transcription goes one step further than semi-verbatim. The editing process here includes polishing out repetition, filler words, slang and more.

 

  • Main advantages: very easy to understand and suitable for easy quoting.
  • Main disadvantages: sometimes a little distant from the actual way in which people speak to each other.

Your transcription – security and chain of custody

We regularly work with legal teams, insurance firms and large Fortune 500 clients who prioritise information security when they use our transcriptions services in Singapore and worldwide.

But, no matter the size of your company – small businesses and individuals included – when you use us, you benefit from an identical level of data security:

 

  • Locked-down transcription environments: make it impossible for the transcriber to upload or copy your audio/video file or the transcript.
  • Chain of custody: we are always happy to adhere to your chain of custody procedures throughout the transcription process.
  • Non-Disclosure Agreements: are signed by each member of our pre-screened team well before working on your project.

Your audio or video source – we work from all types

You can have us produce a transcribed document from almost any kind of source. We regularly work with:

 

  • Digital audio or video files
  • Analogue sources
  • Unusual file types or source material (simply let us know)

Syncing your transcript and audio – time-codes

At your request, your finished transcript can include time-codes which make it easy to sync your source file to it.

Commonly used for research or legal purposes – and for parsing the information found in solo or group interviews – time-codes make it easy to see when:

 

  • A speaker uses a certain tone or emotion
  • A participant shows certain body language

Translating your transcript – nothing could be simpler

As soon as your transcribed document is ready, having it translated or localised is simple:

All you need to do is let us know. We often translate the files we’ve just transcribed – sometimes to be used as the script for voice-overs or dubbing – and we have specialist translators with qualifications and/or experience in every field and industry.

But ensuring your transcription is 100% accurate, clear and professional is the first step. It’s the only way to guarantee that your final localised version is a true translation of the original.

Chat with a specialist about your project 24/7

For whatever purpose you need multilingual transcription services contact us.

Get in touch today to get a free, no-obligation quote or more information.

Languages we translate

Chinese

Japanese

Korean

Thai

Vietnamese

Other languages

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does transcription take?

An approximate rule of thumb is that an audio file will take roughly three to five times as long to transcribe as its actual duration. Thus, an hour-long file might take three to five hours to transcribe.

This will vary depending on:

  • The type of transcription you want – verbatim, edited or intelligent
  • How clearly and how fast the speakers are talking
  • How many speakers there are (more than two is generally materially more difficult)
  • Whether the speakers have strong accents or are speaking different languages
  • The quality of the audio recording
  • How many timestamps do you want to have included

There are also usually concerns relating to the technical content of the audio file. Asian Absolute solves this problem by using transcribers who are subject matter specialists in your chosen field.

 

Why do transcribers charge per minute of audio?

As implied by the list of factors above, the amount of time that the transcription process takes varies wildly. It’s not always possible to judge by industry or type of project, each recording is unique.

That’s why most transcribers charge by the audio minute. By providing as much information as you can regarding the type of transcription you want, the number of speakers in your recording, and so on, you’ll make it possible for your transcription agency to give you a clear and accurate quote.

Why do I need human transcribers?

The only files for which machine transcription might be suitable are those with a single speaker who is enunciating slowly and clearly with little or preferably no background noise. Even then, if any technical terminology, slang words or acronyms are included, a machine will struggle.

This means that a human transcriber is an absolutely vital part of the transcription process. Only a human can hear what is actually being said, understand it and overcome the challenges involved in filtering out other sounds.

A professional transcriber will also check the content and jargon used to make sure that it’s correct. As even the best modern software struggles with context, this is another area where a machine will have problems.

 

What’s the difference between transcription and captioning?

A transcript is a written version of a speech or audio segment. It is designed to make audio accessible in visual form.

Captioning is the process of using that written transcript to make video content accessible. A transcript will be divided into segments called caption frames. These are then synchronised and played with the video.

Do I need transcription, captioning or both?

For audio-only files, you need a transcription. Transcripts ensure your audio files are accessible for hearing-impaired people and that they can be indexed by search engines.

For videos, you most likely need captioning. Captions make video content accessible for hearing-impaired people and are highly useful for noise-sensitive environments as well as supporting different learning preferences and different languages.

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