Don't let multiple voices bog you down—learn the ins and outs of multi speaker transcription to save time, improve accuracy, and get reliable results.
Whether you’re a busy executive or legal professional, keeping up with documentation like transcription can be tedious and time-consuming. That’s why we created this comprehensive guide to make multi speaker transcriptions a breeze. So if you’re ready to learn the basics of multi speaker transcription and unlock its potential, read on.
In this post, you’ll learn:
- What is multi speaker transcription?
- Edited vs. verbatim multi speaker transcription
- How multi speaker transcription works
- Examples of how to format for multiple speakers
- Pricing structures for audio transcription services
- The best multi speaker transcription services
What Is Multi Speaker Transcription?
Multi speaker transcription (sometimes called conversation transcription) is the process of accurately turning audio recordings with multiple speakers into written or text format. This could be a conference call between two or more people, a courtroom proceeding, or a large-scale gathering such as a seminar or workshop.
In any of these scenarios, the goal is to accurately transcribe what’s being said without losing any nuance. The result is a comprehensive, searchable transcript of all conversations involved in the recording that would otherwise be time-consuming to access and analyze.
Benefits of Using a Multi Speaker Transcription Service
You could manually record conversations and then play back the audio to transcribe them yourself—but let’s be honest, who has the time? Plus, it could be costing you a shocking amount of time and money to type everything yourself.
Multispeaker transcription services can save you hours of labor while providing accurate results quickly.
Here are a few more benefits that come with using a multi speaker transcription service:
- Faster turnaround times – Many services turnaround within a few hours, so you don’t have to wait days for your transcripts.
- Greater accuracy – The transcription algorithms used by these services are trained to recognize multiple voices and accurately capture conversations, even in noisy environments.
- Easily searchable transcripts – With a professionally formatted transcript, you can quickly and easily access any part of the conversation with just a few keywords.
- Lower costs – With no need to hire an in-house transcriptionist, you can save both time and money by outsourcing your multispeaker transcriptions.
How Does Multi Speaker Audio Transcription Work?
Some multi speaker transcription services rely on algorithms to recognize and accurately transcribe multiple voices. The technology uses speech recognition software designed to identify unique characteristics in different audio recordings, such as tone of voice, accent, dialect, etc.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work.
When accuracy counts, it’s best to stick to human transcription. That’s because human transcriptionists consistently produce transcripts at 99% – 100% accuracy, whereas automated transcription services can only manage 80% accuracy or less.
This is partly due to the contextual complexities of human speech and social patterns, which machines haven’t quite managed to grasp. Professional transcriptionists, on the other, are much more experienced in the art of mult ispeaker transcriptions.
The Transcription Process
- The process starts with uploading the audio file you want transcribed.
- The transcriptionist will listen to the recording and accurately transcribe it into a text format.
- The transcript will then go through a formatting and editing process to ensure it’s error-free before it’s returned to you in the format you choose (e.g., Word, PDF, etc.).
Speaker Identification and Speaker Diarization
Multi speaker transcription services usually offer the added benefit of speaker identification and diarization. It involves labeling each speaker in the transcript, allowing you to easily search by who is saying what. Diarization is a process that separates overlapping speech into distinct sections, making it easy to follow conversations even if they are happening simultaneously.
Edited vs. Verbatim Multi Speaker Audio Transcription
Multispeaker transcripts can be edited or verbatim.
Edited transcripts are cleaned-up versions of the audio recordings, which feature all the essential information but leave out any filler words or pauses.
This is an excellent option if you’re looking for a concise record of what was said in your recording or if you’re more interested in the content than the precise wording of the speaker.
Verbatim multispeaker transcripts include all the details, including filler words and even background noises. Though it may be harder to follow along, verbatim transcription is often necessary for court transcriptions and police interviews because it preserves the exact words spoken.
Some companies will charge extra for accurate verbatim and multispeaker transcription, so be on the lookout for that if you’re hoping to find a bargain.
Examples of Multi Speaker Transcription and Formatting
Multispeaker transcription services provide transcripts that can be formatted for easy reading. For example, in this multispeaker transcription, you can see that each speaker is clearly labeled and separated by a colon to mark their speech and a space to mark a change in speaker.
This helps make the transcript easier to follow and allows you to quickly see who said what.
Multispeaker transcription and translation is also a useful capability provided by transcription services. This allows you to transcribe and translate audio recordings from one language to another quickly and accurately.
In this transcription example, you can see a table used to identify each speaker clearly. It includes both the verbatim statement as well as the English translation. These types of transcripts are helpful in various industries, from legal to medical, and can help save you time and money by avoiding costly delays associated with multilingual transcription.
Tips for High-Quality Multiple Speaker Transcription
You can hire the best transcriptionist in the whole world, but if they can’t understand the audio and lacks clear direction on what the final product should look like, then you’re out of luck. So here’s how you can ensure the best possible results when getting a multispeaker transcript:
- Create high-quality recordings – Do your best to control environmental factors that may interfere with the quality of your recording. Use professional recording equipment and minimize background noises if possible.
- Provide clear instructions – Let your transcription service know what transcription format you need and any other special requirements upfront so they can provide you with an accurate transcription.
- Choose human transcription services – Always opt for human transcription services for the most accurate transcription results. Automated software cannot pick up nuances in speech that a professional transcriber can.
5 Best Multi Speaker Transcript Services
- SpeakWrite – SpeakWrite is the top-rated transcription service offering 99-100% accuracy on all transcripts and a quick turnaround time of 3 hours or less.
- Rev – Rev is an affordable multi speaker transcription service that offers flat rate pricing for longer jobs and per-minute pricing for smaller projects. It relies on a marketplace of human transcriptionists and charges $1.50 per minute.
- TranscribeMe – TranscribeMe offers both human and machine-based transcription services with an accuracy rate of 99%. You’re looking at $2 per minute if you want verbatim transcription. If you need HIPPA-compliant documentation for medical or legal purposes, you’ll have to request a custom quote—which leads us to believe you’ll pay even more.
- Go Transcript – Go Transcript is an affordable multi speaker transcription service starting at $0.84 per minute, and they guarantee a 99% accuracy rate with their transcripts. But hopefully, you’re not in a rush—their turnaround time is 6 hours or more.
- Otter.ai – Otter is a free automatic transcription service that operates on a subscription model. For $20 per month (billed annually), teams can take advantage of the A.I. or automatic transcription service for Zoom meetings and more.
Of course, you won’t get a perfect result, but this could be a good choice if you’re on a budget and mainly plan to use your multi speaker transcription service for recording meetings.
Finally, another option is to use cloud-based speech recognition services such as Google Speech-to-Text or Amazon Transcribe. These services offer decent accuracy and fast transcription turnaround times. Additionally, these services charge per minute of audio which can add up quickly if you have a long conversation to transcribe.
Choosing the Best Multispeaker Transcription Service
When it comes to transcribing audio from multiple speakers, there are a few critical questions you should ask yourself.
- First, what is the purpose of the transcription? Is it for dialogue analysis or archiving conversations? Knowing the end goal will help inform your decision-making process.
- Second, how much time do you have to get this done? Depending on the project timeline, you may need to prioritize speed over accuracy and vice versa.
- Third, how much money are you willing to spend? If budget is a significant factor in your decision-making process, free or low-cost options such as cloud-based speech recognition services or open-source software might be best.
- Finally, do you already have access to professional transcribers specializing in multi speaker conversations? If so, that could be a worthwhile investment.
Price of Transcribing Multi Speaker Audio/Video Files
The cost of multi speaker transcription services is typically based on word count, the length of your audio recordings, and the type of transcription you require (edited or verbatim).
Common Transcription Pricing Models
- Flat rate: This model is great if you have a large project with multiple audio files. You’ll typically pay a flat fee for the entire project, regardless of how long it takes to complete.
- Per minute pricing: This is the most popular pricing model, and it’s based on the length of your audio file. Professional transcription services typically charge anywhere from $1 – 3 per minute for multi speaker transcription.
- Per word pricing: This is a common model if you have smaller audio files that don’t exceed 10 minutes in length. It’s based on the total number of words in your transcript, and prices usually range from $0.25 – 0.50 per word.
SpeakWrite’s Superior Pricing Model
SpeakWrite transcribes audio interviews, phone calls, videos, virtual meetings, PDFs, courtroom proceedings, and more. We offer pay-as-you-go services at an incredibly affordable price of only 2 1/4 cents per word.
In addition, we guarantee 99-100% accuracy on all transcripts and offer a quick turnaround time of only 3 hours.
Cost Saving Tools
- Time and Cost Savings Calculator – Using our Savings Calculator, you can calculate how much time and money your team will save by sending their audio or video files to us for transcription. This calculator considers the time it takes to transcribe a file and how much you’ll save by devoting that time to billable hours.
- Free Trial – Nothing helps you save on costs like FREE. SpeakWrite offers a free trial for all new customers to experience just how quick and accurate our transcription services are.
Multi Speaker Audio Transcription Frequently Asked Questions
How do you transcribe multiple speakers?
Multi speaker audio transcription is a process that involves listening to an audio file and transcribing all of the dialogue spoken by multiple speakers. The transcriptionist will usually include speaker labels (e.g., John, Jane) to differentiate between who is speaking and when.
How should speakers be noted in transcription?
When labeling speakers in transcripts, professional transcription services usually assign each person a letter or name, if known.
How do you transcribe when two people talk at the same time?
Diarization is the process of separating overlapping speech into distinct sections. Professional transcription services use this technique to ensure that all conversations are accurately transcribed, even when two people are talking simultaneously.
What is the best transcription service for multiple speakers?
SpeakWrite offers an affordable and accurate pay-as-you-go multi speaker transcription service. Our pricing model charges only 2 1/4 cents per word and guarantees 99-100% accuracy on all transcripts.
How long does it take to transcribe 15 minutes of audio?
The amount of time it takes to transcribe 15 minutes of audio will depend on the quality of the audio file, the number of speakers in the recording, and any special requirements you need. Professional transcription services can typically transcribe 15 minutes of audio in about one hour.
Multi speaker Transcription Solutions With SpeakWrite
You no longer have to be tied to tedious administrative tasks when completing your multispeaker audio transcriptions. Instead, enjoy more control of your transcription documentation—plus the freedom from completing and editing transcripts yourself.
Try out our free trial today and experience the rewards of professional multi speaker transcription services.
