Transcription services

LinguaVox provides professional transcription services for global corporations, legal firms, educational institutions, researchers and marketing teams. Whether you need to convert an audio recording of a corporate meeting, a research interview, a webinar or a legal proceeding into accurate written text, we handle the process with precision and confidentiality. Since 2000, we have managed transcription and translation projects in more than 150 languages, producing transcripts that serve as reliable records of spoken media.

Professional transcription requires more than typing what is heard. It demands a clear understanding of the project requirements: the level of verbatim detail needed, whether timestamps should be included and how to handle disfluencies such as filler words or false starts. Each request is assessed individually, taking into account the source language, audio quality, number of speakers, subject matter and deadline. We assign every project to a specialist who understands the context of your recordings.

Specialist transcription and formatting levels

We offer different levels of transcription to match the specific needs of each project. Before starting, we confirm the requirements for your document:

• Clean Verbatim: Filler words, false starts and repetitions are removed to create a clear, readable document while maintaining the speaker's original intent. This is often the preferred approach for business meetings, corporate training and educational interviews.
• True Verbatim: Every sound, filler word and false start is captured exactly as spoken. This is typically required for legal proceedings or specific medical and scientific research where the precise nature of the speech is relevant.
• Timestamped Transcripts: Where you need to reference specific moments within the audio or video, we can include timestamps at regular intervals or each time a new speaker begins.

Applications for professional transcription

Our transcription services support a wide variety of professional and academic workflows. Common applications include:

• Corporate meetings and webinars: Creating a searchable record of discussions, brainstorming sessions and board meetings.
• Research and academia: Transcribing focus groups, expert interviews and qualitative research recordings.
• Legal and administrative: Documenting witness statements, interviews and public hearing recordings.
• Media and marketing: Preparing source transcripts for later subtitling, voice-over translation or press releases.

Different sectors require different approaches. A transcript for a legal proceeding has different precision requirements from one intended as the basis for a marketing article. Our project managers work with you to define the standard that best fits your goals.

Workflow and quality assurance

Our transcription process begins with a careful evaluation of the audio quality. We then assign the recording to a specialist linguist proficient in the source language and, wherever possible, familiar with the specific subject matter — medical, technical or legal content, for example.

Following the initial transcription, the document can undergo independent revision. During this stage, a second professional linguist listens to the recording while reviewing the transcript, checking missed segments, speaker identifications and the agreed formatting rules. This two-step process is particularly valuable when the transcript will be used as a formal record or as the basis for translation.

Data privacy and confidentiality

The information contained in many audio and video recordings is highly sensitive. Whether you are providing recordings of internal board meetings, legal evidence or proprietary research, confidentiality is central to how we handle the project.

We can transfer files through agreed digital channels. Our transcriptionists and reviewers work under confidentiality obligations, and we maintain internal data-protection procedures for audio files and transcripts. We can also accommodate specific data-handling procedures required by your organisation's internal policies.

Requesting a reliable quote

Send the audio or video files, the language of the recording, your deadline and the required format — verbatim, clean verbatim or with timestamps. If you have a speaker list, a glossary of technical terms or a style guide you want us to follow, please share these at the start of the project.

Audio quality, the number of distinct speakers, the complexity of the terminology and the required turnaround time will all define the project scope.

For formal records, it also helps to state whether uncertain words should be marked, whether speaker names should be anonymised and whether the transcript will later be translated. These choices affect the transcript structure and should be agreed before work begins.

Frequently asked questions