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From audio to text
Transcription Service

At tolingo, your voice matters!

With our transcription service, your voice is not only heard, but also read.

We transcribe your audio and video files and deliver accurate texts. So your message gets through – in both speech and writing.

 

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More than 110,000 satisfied customers

Be part of our success story! More than 110,000 satisfied customers already trust tolingo. When it comes to excellent translations, we are your first choice.

Break the sound barrier

Choose the best solution for your project.

Al

Starting at €1.50 per minute
1 business day delivery time*

Fast and precise.

Our artificial intelligence transcribes your audio and video files in no time. This way, you receive your transcription securely within the deadline.

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Smart

Starting at €6.50 per minute
3 business days delivery time*
Express available
Super-Express available

Best of both worlds.

With our Smart package, you get the best of both worlds. The speed of AI, combined with the quality of a human professional translator.

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Premium

On request
4 business days delivery time*
Express available
Super-Express available

Transcription + Translation? Of course!

Is a transcription not enough for you? No problem. With our Premium package, you get your transcription directly translated as well. Just let us know what you need!

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I am thrilled. What I like most is the very friendly and personalized service as well as the high quality of the translation.

Michael Meineke | Dinse GmbH

1/3

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Especially positive is the flexibility with exceptional projects – tolingo is also open to creative solutions.

Miriam Senft | Chrono24

2/3

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We are very satisfied with both the service and customer support. We are thrilled with the quality of the service. tolingo is always reliable and, most importantly, punctual.

Lawrence Richards | Indievisuals Filmproduktion

3/3

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We turn audio into text

The automated transcription works with impressive speed. In just a few minutes, we can transcribe large amounts of audio or video material. The software misses nothing during the creation process and considers even the smallest nuances of speech. This saves a significant amount of effort and drastically reduces the cost of the transcription service.

However, the key to a perfect transcription is the precise Medial Post-Editing (MPE) by our experienced native speakers. Only through careful and meticulous fine-tuning by trained eyes can you be sure of the accuracy of your transcription.

Whether you need a transcription with or without translation, at tolingo, every project is reviewed by experts. This quality control is an absolute must for us to take your transcription to the next level.

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Let your transcription speak volumes

Of course, we don't just transcribe your audio files, but if you wish, we can also have them translated by our native speakers. This way, your spoken word becomes accessible to all your recipients.

Feel free to contact us. Together, we'll find the right solution for your audio project.

Get personalized advice

 

Transcription services tailored to your needs

A transcription is only good when its message is impactful – and you are satisfied with it. Sometimes a simple transcription is not enough, but looking for a new partner can be tedious. That's why we offer additional services to complement the transcription. This way, you get your complete product from a single source.
With us, a professional transcription can be combined with:

 

And for particularly urgent transcription projects, we have something for you as well:

Why us: professional transcription service

Sicherheit

Qualitat

Tempo

Gruppe 27

Safety first

We take the protection of your data very seriously.

Our four certifications – ISO 17100 for translation services, ISO 18587 for post-editing machine translations, ISO 9001 for quality management, and ISO/IEC 27001 for information security – reinforce our commitment to outstanding quality and the highest security standards, whether for transcription services or translations.

Gruppe 24

Certified high quality

With tolingo, you receive a transcription service that is characterized by unparalleled quality. Our experienced linguists, all at a native speaker level, provide you with transcripts that combine authenticity and depth – all at a fair price.

Our commitment to quality is officially sealed by the ISO 9001:2015 certification from TÜV.

Gruppe 29

Service in record time

Deadlines sometimes appear out of nowhere. When you have your audio or video materials transcribed by us, you benefit from a combination of automated transcription and careful post-editing by our experienced linguists.

This ensures fast delivery of high-quality transcripts. With global linguists and express options, we guarantee that quality standards are met even under time pressure.

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Let’s go!
Your perfect solution is here.

Goncalo Silva
Key Account Manager
0049 800 55 133 00
service@tolingo.com

Looking for a professional transcription service? I’m happy to assist you.  My goal: to ensure your words are perfectly transcribed – in every language. Request your customized offer now!

Silva, Goncalo
logos

Goncalo Silva
Key Account Manager
0049 800 55 133 00
service@tolingo.com

Transcription FAQ

Important questions – and all the answers

What is a transcription? A transcription is the process of converting spoken or written material into text. There are two main categories: Voice-to-Text, where the content of an audio or video file is transcribed, and Text-to-Text, where a text is transferred into another written form.
When is transcription useful?

A transcription is useful when you need the content of an audio or video file in written form.

This is common in many fields such as science, market research, film production, media, and journalism. Transcripts are often created from interviews, speeches, meetings, podcasts, videos, and lectures.

Which file formats are suitable for the transcription service?

The following file formats are suitable for transcription with us:

  • Audio files: AAC, DSS, FLAC, GSM, MP2, M4A, MP3, MPA, WAV
  • Video files: M4V, MOV, WMV, AVI, MP4, TS, FLV, MPEG, MPG, 3GP, OGG, MXF, WebM

You will receive the transcription back from us as a Word file.

How quickly will my transcription be completed?

This depends on the scope of your order. The transcription itself takes only a few minutes.

Additional time is required for project management (quote preparation, document preparation, etc.) and Medial Post-Editing at the end.

In general, we deliver transcriptions within a few days. A guaranteed delivery date is always included in your custom offer.

What does the transcription service cost?

The final price is made up of several factors. In general, we charge for our transcription services per minute.

However, the price per package may vary depending on the language. In general, the following applies:
AI: starting at €1.50 per minute
Smart: starting at €6.50 per minute
Premium: you will receive your price upon request.

We will gladly provide a fixed price for your project when creating a custom offer.

In which languages do you offer transcriptions? At tolingo, you benefit from the fact that we offer transcriptions in all major world languages and in almost all European languages. Thanks to our network of over 6,000 native-speaking translators, proofreaders, and editors working worldwide, we currently offer the following languages:

Spanish, Russian, Turkish, Polish, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, German, Greek, Romanian, Bulgarian, Catalan, English, Korean, French, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Danish, Dutch, Lithuanian, Farsi, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Japanese.
How do I order a transcription?

It’s best to contact us by email or phone – our team will also be happy to provide you with an offer for a customized translation solution.

E service@tolingo.com

Tips for Perfect Transcription

The magic is in the details

A high-quality transcription always follows a specific set of rules. These rules can often cause problems for artificial intelligences (AI), as they involve semantic subtleties in the language. While the initial transcription by AI is a true time-saver and speeds up a large portion of the work, it's important for a human to take control of an AI-generated transcription. This is where Medial Post-Editing by a professional translator comes into play. Only through this fine-tuning is it possible to achieve a high-quality transcription.

At tolingo, we have established the following transcription rules:

Basic Transcription Rules

  1. The text is transcribed exactly as spoken. No corrections are made, meaning errors (e.g., grammatical errors in sentence structure) are included.
  2. All statements, including seemingly unimportant filler words (e.g., "I say" or "so to speak"), are captured.
  3. Unclear sections are marked as [unclear] in the continuous text.
  4. Texts or sections in a foreign language are marked as [foreign language].
  5. If there are statements from multiple unidentified speakers in an audio file, they are labeled as Speaker 1, Speaker 2, etc.
  6. No timestamps are set for a simple transcription.

 

Advanced Transcription Rules

  1. The text is transcribed exactly as spoken. No corrections are made, meaning errors (e.g., grammatical errors in sentence structure) are included.
  2. All statements, including seemingly unimportant filler words (e.g., "I say" or "so to speak"), are captured.
  3. Dialects are corrected (e.g., "haben wir" instead of "hamma").
  4. All non-verbal sounds made by speakers (e.g., stuttering, "uhms," "ne?") are omitted.
  5. Contentually irrelevant listener confirmations (e.g., "Hm," "Yes," "Oh, really") are also omitted. These are only transcribed in rare cases if they contribute to the meaning (e.g., as a response to a question).
  6. Special events are placed in parentheses (e.g., (sound disturbance) or (phone ringing repeatedly)).
  7. Only direct speech is placed in quotation marks (e.g., I asked him: "Why are you doing that?").
  8. To avoid long sentences over several lines, punctuation is placed logically. A conjunction (e.g., "And") may appear at the beginning of a sentence.
  9. Polite pronouns like "Sie" and "Ihnen" are capitalized. For example, when people in an interview address each other ("I have one more question for you."). When the interviewees use the informal "du," the "du" and all its forms (e.g., "dir," "dich," "dein") are written in lowercase.
  10. The capitalization of foreign words follows the same rules as for their German equivalent, i.e., verbs in lowercase and nouns in uppercase (e.g., "I googled Cyberspace.").
  11. All numbers from one to twelve are written out, and from thirteen onward, they are written as digits. Meaningful exceptions, such as dates, are also written as digits (e.g., "3.1.2017").
  12. If there are statements from multiple unidentified speakers in an audio file, they are labeled as Speaker 1, Speaker 2, etc.
  13. Incomplete sentences are marked with a "-" (e.g., "So, then they were-, no, again: There were four people in the-."). After the "-" regular punctuation is used. The "-" is placed directly after the word, without a space.
  14. Incomplete words are only included if they provide meaningful content. Otherwise, they are considered stuttering and are omitted.
  15. Pauses longer than four seconds are marked with the number of seconds in parentheses, e.g., for a seven-second pause: (7 sec.).
  16. Words where the wording is unclear and only assumed are marked with a question mark and placed in parentheses (e.g., (?expert)). If the word seems nonsensical and logically does not fit, the section is marked as unclear (see the next point).
  17. Timestamps are placed by the AI before the name/speaker and are checked by the Medial Post-Editor.

These rules form the foundation for flawless results and consistent quality of our transcriptions. The combination of AI and human expertise provides the best possible outcome in the shortest amount of time. This ensures that you receive a high-quality product at a great price.

 

→ Also check out our comprehensive practical guide: Avoid mistakes in interview transcription and our brief article on what transcription is.